Thursday, June 5, 2008

Tutorial eight - Assistive technology

Assistive technology is..............

"Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commerically off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (public law, 100-407. The technical assistance to the States Act in the United States).

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Also How does your chosen piece of equipment increased functional capacity for the user?

Picture sentence key
This provides communication between the student and others and provides an developmental tool. Language structuring software is ideal for children with autism and children with language disorders. This device teaches basic phrases to help understand different concepts. The use of this device depends on cognitive ability and how the person would access this device. An animated picture is provided for each phrase through pecs symbols. This device can be used with a joystick mouse, touch monitor or single switch.This device can be used to begin education in communication and could assist a person in other activities as being used as a switch to be involved in a cooking activity by having control over the electric beater. This device encourages a person to interact with others.
Pricing: windows CD ROM $140.50 and 5 user copy $355.30

Tutorial seven - You Tube videos and flickr badges

Process to embed you tube videos into blog

Log into you tube account
Find the video you want to paste by entering key words
copy link from video
go back to your blog
add element and video bar
paste video into this
add title
save
then look at your new video on the Internet for the whole world to see!!

process to embed flicker badge

Log onto flicker account
upload photos
create flicker badge
choose layout
choose colours and backgrounds
go to blog
add element
go to java
add title and paste in description

Video production - Tutorial four and five

U Tube
U tube provides opportunity to broadcast your own video on the Internet freely for everyone to see. There are services like "test tube". This is like an incubator that can test out the public ideas or to give advice from you tube engineers. Also this provides a online community to chat with others when watching the same video(http://www.youtube.com/testtube, 2008).

Storyboarding

We had to plan and shoot a short film, we were given 20 minutes to brainstorm, plan,create a storyboard and film. We decided on a topic which was a typical day at polytechnic from here we decided to have 7 shots at 30 seconds each. The storyboard was very useful to provide a plan and a sequence to imagine the film before filming it. This was very beneficial due to our short time frame. The storyboard included a simple drawing and brief description of each shot.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

typical day

This video shows the typical day at Otago polytechnic studying Occupational Therapy!!

The internet and online communities

Tutorial six
Online community
Thorn tree travel forum through lonely planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa

The brief or focus of this community

This travel community is about getting together to exchange travel information, advice, hints and tips. It's a way of connecting, being inspired and having a chance to have your say.

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

This is a forum with list of threads under certain topics of interest. When you sign in a profile of yourself is set up, showing all the threads you have made. This forum also provides a tag section for quick view of the most popular subjects. Also the forum has a section of the latest traveler videos. This is a fantastic way to interact with other travelers and exchanging stories.

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

People who use this forum all have the common interest of TRAVEL!! They are seeking inspiration, comfort, information, tips, ideas and the ability of being able connect with people with similar interest.

Example of type of topics being discussed from forum

All-night Pub in London
My daughter has an overnight in London on July 2, 2008. She wants to travel into London from Gatwick and go to a pub for the night! Are ther all-night pubs in London in safe areas? Names of actual pubs would be appreciated!

Fitness camps in Phuket?
Ok so one more question. To my dismay I just found out that there are more than one muay thai camp in phuket. In fact there are many. A couple of months ago I was informed about one called www.tigermuaythai.com This is one of the main reasons for visiting thailand, but today I realized that this is one of many. I don't know what to do now. I can't decide on which one is the best. I am taking four months out of my life to come and do this and I want to make sure I am getting the best training. If anyone has any experience or knows of anyone who has visited any of these camps, sharing that experience with me would be extremely helpful.. Thank you again!

Potential ethical issues that may arise in this community

Well you must be sensible in what you write or information you give away to begin with. Issues that could occur would be misuse of the site and abusing the power of interacting with a wide range of people. Also is the information being written, vaild and accurate? You could be sent on a wild goose chase in a country you know nothing about!!

Benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community and what it may lack in comparison to traditional communities reliant on geographic proximity.

The benefits are its the whole world involved theres no restrictions. The opportunity of communicating with different cultures and to gain knowledge and insight to their culture is worldwide.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Tutorial three: Blog creation tasks

Summary of the services offered by blogger

A blog is a website to voice your opionion or to use as a journal or what ever your puropse, may be other people can then commnet on your web page. Access controls give you control in who can read or write on your blog. There is also a blogger profile this allows you to find people and blogs that you share the same interests with.

Tutorial two: Digital camera use and applications

"A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature". Discuss this statement in relation to digital camera technology. Consider what would be some of the pluses and minuses digital camera technology holds in relation to more traditional film based camers.

Digital cameras are great to share photo's amongst friends and family easily no matter where you are in the world by transferring them onto the computer and then emailing or attaching them to your social network like facebook. Saying this I still haven't done this myself. I've always enjoyed picking up my photos after being developed from a traditional camera which causes excitement.

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

Cd-rw
Computer hard disc
Usb stick
Photo shop
Social networks
Cd
Dvd

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

Informed consent may be breached when sharing images and Confidentiality especially when this information is transferred to the Internet. This invades people's privacy and their rights.

Ways digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice.

They are used to capture images of people homes when adjustments need to be made and also to use images when promoting the service. They could also be used as an meaningful activity with clients.

Summary of the services offered by flicker.com

With flicker you can share your photo's and stay in touch with others, can upload and organize photo's. Then with these images you can make things like calenders, photo cubes, books, postage stamps, slide shows and much more(retrieved May 5, 2008 from, www.flickr.com).

Another photo storage website which offers similar to flicker.com

Photo shop to create pictures the way you want them. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/index.html To share photo's facebook would be appropriate www.facebook.com.

Differences between a digital and an optical zoom

Optical zoom changes focal length and magnification as it is zoomed where as the digital zoom simply crops the image to a smaller size. Digital zoom causes dramatic loss of quality.

What is meant by the term mega pixel

A mega pixel refers to one million pixels, which is used for digital cameras as an indication of capability for the required use (retrieved May 5, 2008 from, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-megapixel.htm).

Tutorial one: Information technology and ethical issues

Definition of information technology/information communications technology:

Information technology (IT), also known as Information and Communication(s) Technology (ICT) and Infocomm in Asia, is concerned with the use of technology in managing and processing information, especially in large organizations (Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Technology). Also known as the production, storage and communication of information using computers and microelectronics (Hanks, P. (ed). (1989) Collins Concise Dictionary. Glasgow: Bath Press).

How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?

Technology has become a huge influence on today's society changing and growing continuously year by year. This sets expectations for the society for everyone to be at the same level of using technology for example these days texting is more desirable than making a phone call, even job agency's use texting to ask a staff member a question rather than phoning the person. Technology has created a lot of social networking sites which allows a wider connection with other parts of the world, technology will always have it's ups and downs which becomes controversial subject amongst the society.

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

I feel comfortable in using the computer at a basic level due to having education and training in my high school years. I now have a laptop and still learning how to use it at more adavanced level but I am competent in using it for study purposes. Also cellphones, digital cameras, faxes and mp3 player.

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

Computer systems used to book therapy rooms and orderlies within the hospital for patients and to keep patient records including their x-rays.

Digital cameras used to take pictures of a clients home when modifying their home.

What ethical implications arise from capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices or systems.

Confidentiality and informed consent arises when capturing and sharing information. Transferring information via IT systems is not always safe, there is no gurantee this information will not be seen by other people who can also get into those systems.

Definition of computer ethics

Computer ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct (Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics).

Defintion of intellectual property


In law, intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term for various legal entitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas, or other intangibles in their expressed form. The holder of this legal entitlement is generally entitled to exercise various exclusive rights in relation to the subject matter of the IP. The term intellectual property reflects the idea that this subject matter is the product of the mind or the intellect, and that IP rights may be protected at law in the same way as any other form of property. However, the use of the term and the concepts it is said to embody are the subject of some controversy (Retrieved February 14, 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property).

Definition of Social Justice


Social justice mostly refers to an ideal of society, where "justice" refers to economic status rather than to the administration of laws. It is based on the idea of a society which gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society, although what is "fair treatment" and a "just share" must remain unclear or subject to interpretation (Retreived Februry 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice).

Definition of informed consent


Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action (Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent).

Summary of why a greater understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our practice and daily lives.

Understanding of ITC and the ethical issues informs us on our rights and obligations that we need to uphold for safe practice for ourselves and our patients or clients.