Thursday, June 5, 2008

Tutorial Eight: Assisstive technology


Provide a definition of Assistive technology

(your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful
with this).

Assistive technology: "...technology designed to be utilized
in an assistive technology device or assistive technology service."

Assistive technology device:
"...any item, piece of equipment,
or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified,
or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."

Assistive technology service:
"...any service that directly
assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition,
or use of an assistive technology device."


Retrieved on June 6, 2008, from http://www.section508.gov/docs/AT1998.html.

Describe one piece of equipment introduced

in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.

Gooshy Steptalking Sequencer

Cost: $146.54 Nz or $117.95 US

Size: 10 1/4 inches x 7 1/4 inches x 3 inches

Requires 4 x AA batteries

"Perfect for the non speaking adult or child.
Allows the user to express a sequential series of
pre-recorded messages (300 second total). The
sequencer allows people with even the most limited communication
skills to carry on a simple conversation.
Ideal for a number of different purposes including
sequencing, testing, directions, multiplication,
memorization, medical instructions, storytelling and singalongs."

Retrieved on June 6, 2008 from http://enablingdevices.com
How does your chosen piece of equipment increase functional capacity for the user? provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.

If a child has trouble communicating this is a
good piece of equipment for them because it
has a fun look to it and makes people want to
touch the pad. The pad that the child touches
to use the device is soft and feels like a stress
ball. This device would enable the child to communicate
with others. This in turn helps to keep their mood more
level because they are not getting frustrated that
no-one understands what they want/need.
We also used it in classes to get a beater going
when we were making pancakes, this shows that
the child would be able to take part in activities
that they otherwise might not be able to.
All this leads to better learning and living environments
and situations for the child which is what the
parents, teachers, carers and child want.


A Typical Day

This is a movie made by some of my classmates about a typical day as an occupational therapy student. Worth a watch!

Tutorial Seven: Posting You Tube Videos and Flickr Badges to Blogs: Explaining the process

Task One: Explain the step by step process required to embed You Tube videos into your Blog . Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.

Step 1: Log on to You Tube.

Step 2: Find a video you want to add to your blog.

Step 3: Copy the URL address of the video.

Step 4: Paste the URL address on a new posting.

Step 5: Publish the new post on your blog and the video will appear!

Task Two: Explain the step by step process required to embed a Flickr Badge into your Blog . Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.

Step 1: Log on to your blog.

Step 2: Log on to Flickr.

Step 3: Click on the tools at the bottom of the Flickr page.

Step 4: Instructions will guide you on how to do this task to a certain point. Follow these until the URL address comes up.

Step 5: Copy this address.

Step 6: Go back to your blog, go to customize at the top of the page, then add element.

Step 7: Out of the options provided click on script and paste the URL address in the box there.

Step 8: Name your badge, then save the changes that you have made and publish the post!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Tutorial Four and Five Technical Description

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by U Tube. Information can be drawn from the week five tutorial hand out.

You Tube is a site which has videos from all over the world and people can sign up and view them. It is easy to sign up as all you need to have is an email address. You can search videos under a variety of different headings eg. most recent, most viewed etc. You can also search them under what is called channels which is when things are under things from gurus to politicians. Lastly there is a section called community which has competitions, groups and more. Members can load videos on or watch videos that are already there.

Provide a brief account (1-2 paragraphs) on how the use of planning (storyboarding and scripting aided your groups short film.

Scripting was a great way for us to plan what we wanted the scene to turn out like and gave us a base to work with. We did not script traditionally but at each scene we discussed what we wanted to say and all our thoughts were collated so that Ingrid could get our point across in the dialogue.

Storyboarding was helpful because it gave us a visual feel for where we were wanting the movie to go. We then had a plan on which disability toilets to include in the movie and didn't waste time debating about where we wanted to film next due to it being premeditated. As a group we then had something on paper which is good to refer to if we started going off on a tangent.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

Either search online for a community which interest you or choose one of the provided online communities to investigate. Make sure your selected a community that comprises some form of online forum, discussion page or chat room. You may also wish to see if your community has a Wikipedia entry.


















Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating

http://www.thelowdown.co.nz/

The Low Down


What is the brief or focus of this community

The focus of this site is to give people with depression an online forum through which they can talk to others who are trained to help or talk to people who have had like experiences with their mental health. It is aimed to make the users feel comfortable as they are anonymous and to make them feel that they are not alone in their battle with depression.


What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute?

The services provided by the site are:


  • Send the Low Down team a text or email

  • Chat to other members of the community online (this is monitored)

  • View stories on the site, recorded by well known New Zealanders like Scribe

  • See the different types of help available that aren't necessarily on the site

The site is very interactive and you can work your way round it quite easily. If you look at the site using Adobe it is formatted in an interesting way, in the form of a room, so that as you go to each page it is like another wall of the room. If you don't have Adobe you can look at the html version and it is still all there.



Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking?

When people join an online community they often find that they get more back, the more they put in. There is a sense of community that members get when they communicate with other members and often these people can be empathetic or have as much enthusiasm for the subject (depending on what the online community is about) as they do. Also members like to get a sense of being a specialist in the field that they have a interest in, whether they are a specialist or not. Often receiving comments back from other members and getting a positive reinforcement from others gives them a confidence boost.


Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt).

The community I have chosen to have is from Bebo, a site where people have their own page which is about themselves, what they get up to and has photos, quizzes etc. This particular page is a group I am part of. It is a site which one of my fellow Moyles Supervalue employees set up and it is dedicated to our workplace. Here are some examples of things people post on the site:

"...someone should upload xmas party fotos ...i wana c them lol"

"Hey I got some photos of moyles, its just random s*** of the produce, the aisles, and the checkout oh and the bread. I'll upload them some time, yuss!"

"(Person) you random!!! What are you doing here!!! Moyles represent... jealous are we???"



Considering material presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability.

The most major ethical issue surrounding this site is the use of the "Supervalue" logo which, as far as I know, the person who designed the site did not ask permission to use this on the site. If a figure of authority felt that this was not good enough they could probably have the site shut down.


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community e.g. communities reliant on geographic proximity

This online community is not limited to members all coming from the same geographical place. However it is predominantly people from one area who are a part of it. Other people from different Supervalues around New Zealand could join if they wanted but many probably haven't searched it as a group. It does have community spirit, as people who are a part of it mostly know each other from work and enjoy sharing photos from Christmas parties etc. There are also people on the site who are family members of some staff or friends of others. The thing about this online community that makes it more beneficial to be a part of than a traditional community is the fact that it is open for discussion at times that suit the member, you can write comments when it suits you rather than having to actually meet the people. I have found that it is a good way to keep in touch with people that used to work at the supermarket, or people that I ordinarily wouldn't talk to out of work time.


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can.

It is not as personal as going out for a coffee with someone, and even though it is more convenient, because people can go on it when it suits them, there is a loss of that person to person contact. People don't have to put as much effort in, or give up their time. The other problem I have with online communities as well as other technological devices (such as cellphones) is that people are often much more brave in what they will say to someone, compared to what they would say in person. This is negative in my mind because people lose that diplomatic way of saying something and often things can be misinterpreted.


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Tutorial Three: Blogger

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Blogger.

Blogger provides a service which allows people from all walks of life and with all ranges of knowledge on technology to create their own website on which they can put postings, pictures, articles, ideas, really anything they like. They could design a blog about something they're interested in, or it could be like a diary of their life. Visitors to blogs can link to the page, email them or leave comments on their postings. It is possible to limit who has access to the blog and comments left by others can be deleted. The blog can be personalised by getting a choice of templates, colours and fonts, as well as adding personal photos. It is even able to recieve photos and postings sent from cellphones. In short it gives people a way to get across their opinion on something, express their interest in something, share knowledge, or keep in touch with others.

Name one other blog host.

MySpace

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Tutorial Two: Digital Camera use and applications

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”. Briefly discuss this statement in relation to digital camera technology. What would you consider to be some of the pluses and minuses digital camera technology holds in relation to more traditional film based cameras?



"Film and digital do different things better and complement each other. Neither is going away, although film will decline in areas where digital excels, like news."


Retrieved on May 16, 2008, from http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm.


I think that for personal family use or for anyone really who is not a keen photographer but just likes taking some holiday and birthday snaps, then a digital camera is better. They are better because you can retake photos that don't quite turn out and people can see them straight away. You can choose which ones you want to print and which ones you want to delete. These are all handy features for an everyday camera, for someone just taking personal photos. For a professional photographer I belive film is better because it has a better finished product and doesn't come out pixelated as digital camera photos do. They can focus in different ways, to highlight different things. There are different lenses that you can put on to change the photos image. They leave room for more artisitic freedom.


List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.

cell phones
disks/memory sticks/cds
personal webpages eg. bebo, myspace photoshop (used to alter images and add features)
email


Given the prevalence of image capturing devices, and thinking about the issues discussed in tutorial one, consider what sort of ethical issues may arise with their use.


Ethical isues arouund the use of images are often in terms of a person involved in the image not giving informed consent. They then may not know how the material will be used, adjusted or who will be able to see it. A prime example of this is when Kate Winslet was made to look far skinnier than she is, on a magazine cover and she was outraged. She has always been an actress who advocated eating decent meals and being healthy rather than being ridiculously skinny. I find it sad to think that young girls are looking at these images and thinking that these people look as they do in the media.


Other problems are images that are taken privately and are sometimes exploited for money or out of spite. This leaves the other party feeling betrayed and often embarrased. Images being used inappropriately in this way is commonly done on the internet, as it is available to essentially the whole world on the web.


In many ways it is hard to control how your image is used and who can see this image. There are too many ways that these images can be stored, altered and displayed


Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice.


Some images are used to advertise a service supplied by an occupational therapist eg. a day programme may be advertised by using some images of people who already come to the programme, doing some of the activities and having a good time.



Sometimes images may be used for education purposes, either for other occupational therapists or for clients. They could be pictures of the steps in a recipe for making a cake accompanied by the written instruction also. In the case of the other ocupational therapists that may be your colleagues, this could be something like pictures of manifestations of a certain diagnosis.



Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com


"Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community platform. It was one of the earliest Web 2.0 applications. In addition to being a popular Web site for users to share personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository. Its popularity has been fueled by its organization tools, which allow photos to be tagged and browsed by folksonomic means. As of November 2007, it hosts more than two billion images."


Retrieved on May 20, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr


Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to Flickr.com

Shutterfly

Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom

"Digital zoom crops your image and magnifies the result of the cropping."
"Optical zoom lenses physically extend to magnify your subject."

Retrieved on May 22, 2008, from http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-locale=en_US&pq-path=399


Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel

"Digital images are made up of thousands of these tiny, tile-like picture elements.... Digital cameras capture images as pixel elements, known as pixels. Simply put, a megapixel is equal to one million pixels."

Retrieved on May 22, 2008, from http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-features/camera-parts/megapixels.php








Thursday, March 6, 2008


Tutorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues




Provide a definition of Information Technology/Information Communications Technology (APA reference required)



"...the use of computers, telecommunications, etc. in electronic processing, storing, retrieving and sending information."



Allen, R. (consultant editor). (2004). The penguin english dictionary. London: Penguin Books.



Consider the definition of IT you have provided. How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?



This technology has become very commonplace and it is expected that people have all the gadgets for 'survival.' At schools they expect pupils to have access to the internet, computers, cellphones, email and all that comes with these technologies. Some schools have set up text systems to inform pupils of sports cancellations, upcoming events etc. Assignments are expected to be typed up and handed in that way rather than hand written. It is more commonly used in younger generations however most workplaces have adopted the use of technology for advertising, communication etc.



What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent using?



I am comfortable using computers, cellphones, iPods, laptops, cameras and video cameras. In terms of computer programs I am comfortable with most Microsoft Office programs. I use the internet easily and have my own Bebo site. I am a member of an online music site (Yahoo! music) and use iTunes.




Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice?



It was used on my first placement for typing up notes so that they look more professional and the therapist could work from a saved template. Some wards had computers that were for the clients to use as this was an activity that some of the inpatients enjoyed using.




What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet)



Some people don't like their image being used as evidence of something or as an example, for a number of reasons, mostly around identifying themselves and the fact that when the image is public anyone can use it, for anything. This can be very scary, especially if it is put on the internet. Also information can get passed on so quickly today that an email or text message can be forwarded in seconds to someone else, possibly not who the sender intended it to go to. Often people don't ask for permission to re-send these things either. So getting permission properly is a big ethical thing.




Provide a definition of Computer Ethics (APA reference required)



"Computer ethics is a set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers. Some common issues of computer ethics include intellectual property rights (such as copyrighted electronic content), privacy concerns and how computers affect society."



Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.techterms.com/





Provide a definition of Intellectual Property (APA reference required)



"...Refers to the ownership of intangible and non-physical goods. This includes ideas, names, designs, symbols, artwork, writings and other creations. it also refers to digital media, such as audio and video clips that can be downloaded online."



Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.techterms.com/




Provide a definition of Social Justice (APA reference required)



"Fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion etc., are treated equally and without prejudice."



Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/




Provide a definition of Informed Consent (APA reference required)



"Consent given with full nowledge of the risks involved, probable consequences, and the alternatives."



Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/




In your own words briefly summarise why (or why not) a great understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our practice and daily lives.



Having an understanding of ITC is beneficial in our practice as O.T's as there are many issues we face with clients about ethics, social justice and informed consent. Thinking about these in relation to information technology is useful as we use technology all the time now and should always keep a check that everything we are doing is above board. It is helpful for our clients to get educated on using some technology as it is a very much apart of our world today.


In my daily life it is good to have an understanding of ITC issues because I use technology all the time as a part of my course, at my work, and in my personal leisure time.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

My first post!

Hey everyone in cyberspace!

I'm a second year OT student down in Dunedin and loving every minute (except for the homework). Busy life atm, working, studying and of course partying as us students are supposedly notorious for doing.

It is my first year flatting and even though I am missing the family, I am loving the independence.

I am impatient to look at my blog now so I'll talk later.

Ciao!