Tutorial eight; Assistive technology

Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

Provide a definition of Assistive technology (your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful with this). Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (Cook & Hussey, 2000).

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions. Gooshy Switch This is a gel gooshy pad that is soft and sparkly. There are several options with this switch, you could have the switch only, vibration or vibration, music and light combined. This comes in several different colours and costs $69.09 for the switch only, $82.14 for the vibrating switch and $102.97 for the music, light and vibration.

How does your chosen piece of equipment increased functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture. It allows the user to control whatever it is plugged into, by using actions of the hand, forearm, head or some other body part. The action used needs to be repetitive but not cause fatigue. In the tutorial today we used these devices to turn on radios and use computer programmes and to use a blender.

Tutorial seven

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. Log on to you tube. Search for the video you want using key words. Copy the link. Go to your blog, choose customise, add a page element, choose video bar and paste into this. Your video is now on your blog.

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. You first need to set up a flickr account, then you follow the steps to upload your photos. Once you have done this you can label and give descriptions for each photo and decide if you want them to be for public viewing or private. If they are public you can make a photo badge by going to the tools and selecting make a badge. Follow the prompts and choose the type of badge, content and colours. Now you copy the code given and go to your blog. Choose customise, add a page element, add html/javascript and paste into this. Your photo badge is now on your blog.

tutorial four and five

Task Four (Blog Posting): 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 web site where people can upload and share video clips, you can search and view almost anything. You tube is owned by google and often show the latest video clips on the igoogle homepage.

Task Five (Blog Posting): Provide a brief account (1-2 paragraphs) on how the use of planning (storyboarding and scripting aided your groups short film. When our group made our video clip titled “A typical day” we planned what scenes we wanted on a storyboard. The storyboard has a box for each clip, in each box we put a drawing and description of how we wanted the clip. We then went out and shot the clips. The benefits of using the storyboard is that we had planned what we wanted then it was a quick and easy process to go out and shoot the shots saving a lot of time.

I am sooo proud of myself

I managed to load my photos and make another photo badge all by myself. I know this sounds dumb but James had to help me with the first one.

Tutorial six online communities

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating MountainBiking Otago www.mountainbikingotago.co.nz

What is the brief or focus of this community This site keeps members updated on upcoming events and all issues related to mountain biking in Dunedin. It advises the meeting place for weekly rides and provides reports of the previous weeks rides.

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute? This site has information on rides and tracks in and around Dunedin. A news archive, discussion forum, event guide, photo gallery and links to other related sites such as bike shops, other bike clubs, event registrations and sponsers. Members are invited to share information in the discussion forum, they may talk about a good ride or track they have been on, recommending others try it or ask for members to join them on other rides or events. After each weekly ride both the Saturday ride and Mondays Ladies night ride someone in the group is expected to put in a report, this goes into the forum section of the site. You have to be a member to take part in the discussion forum but anyone can access the site and gain the information about the rides and events.

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 are passionate about mountain biking contribute to this site. They seek to communicate and maintain regular contact with people with similar interests.

Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt). Ride for 26 May - Martha Hi All, The following details are from Martha who is going to take this ride.... "Anyhow, the best one for me to do (if no-one else has already picked the spot – and I won’t be offended if they have!) would be Mon 26th May. This will be my last Mon night girls ride before I shift up to Napier so I would like to do Forrester Park and some of the easy Bethunes track such as the old new track, if the weather plays ball. I thought that we could meet at the Willowbank dairy 5.45pm. If the weather is awful ie raining then the ride is canceled (I can post on the website by 4pm Mon – if I’ve forgotten my password I’ll text Sara and ask you to do it!) If the Monday is fine but the preceding weekend has been wet then we can go up to the top of the motorway +/- Sullivan’s Dam or maybe even the whole W V loop, depending on who turns up." Cheers Sara on behalf of Martha The above is notice of the intended Ladies night ride. It gives all information including cancellation. People will read where the ride is and decide if they want to do it or not. I went on this ride, we ended up going up to Sullivan’s dam as Bethune’s was too wet.

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. While anyone can read discussion forum, only members can contribute. To do this they need to have registered as a member and need to use their login to access the site. Some people use pen names or aliases to protect their identity, but many use first names only.

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 The benefits of using this site is the speed at which information can be shared by members and other interested parties. People can access information quickly no matter where they are and decide if they want to use the information without wasting time, money or energy.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can. The only other form of communication is word of mouth amongst its members and participants. Without online access information is extremely limited. There are no means for physical newsletters. The site is reliant on members contributing and maintaining it.

a typical day

this is a film we did in participation to show how to use video and movie editing programmes.

Tutorial Three

Blogger
A blog is a website that you can use like a personal diary, you can post your thoughts, messages or images such as photos or videos and others can view and comment on them. there are several different temmplates to help you design your blog just the way you like.

Tutorial Two

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? The old 33mm film you took your photos then took the roll to the camera shop to be developed, you had to finish the roll before doing this and did not know if the photos would be any good, however you did get a physical copy of the photos. With digital photography you can see the result immediately and delete and reshoot if required. You can load these photos anytime you want onto your computer, save, edit and send these photos to family and friends around the world. Often this is as far as we go with the process, many of us don’t bother to print the photos to get a physical copy, therefore denying future generations of this record of history. The photos we do go to the effort to print are of a lesser quality than the traditional photos and the quality of these tend to fade as years go by.

List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology. Cd, computer, memory cards, Using programmes like photoshop, picassa, and photo express to edit and alter or enhance photos. Some programmes add gimmics or distortions for added effects.

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. Cell phones have been banned from some public places like swimming pools and gymnastic competitions to protect the public from exploitation as photos can be taken so discreetly with devices so small people are unaware their image has been taken, potentially breaching their right to privacy.

Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice. When dealing with adaptations it is common practice to take digital images, this gives an accurate record, saves time with free hand drawings and allows us to manipulate the image to aid planning adaptations. Before and after shots are always handy to keep on file for future reference.

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com Flickr is a website where you can store, manage and share your uploaded images. You can choose to have your images available for public viewing or private to be viewed only by those of your choosing.

Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to Flickr.com I use picassaweb.google.com

Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom Optical is controlled by the lens and digital is controlled by the software of the camera. Optical is the superior method because there is no loss in quality.

Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel A pixel is one dot or square on the screen, a mega pixel is a million dots or squares on the screen. The more mega pixels the better the quality of the picture.

tutorial one

Provide a definition of Information Technology/Information Communications Technology (APA reference required) Information technology n. The production, storage and communication of information using computers and microelectronics. Hanks, P. (ed). (1989) Collins Concise Dictionary. Glasgow: Bath Press.

Consider the definition of IT you have provided. How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become? Information technology is all around us; our children are growing up using technology from pre school. It is normal for our school aged population to communicate via email, txt or through web sites such as my space or bebo. For those of us who went through the education system pre 1980 when computing was not so common, we have had to learn how to use this technology and this for some is a challenge. Using technology for storage of information is more common, our Doctors notes and personal information is stored on computers. We use digital cameras to take photos, then produce, print and circulate these via our computers. We use online banking and eftpos and can also shop online.

What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent using? I am quite comfortable using my home computer and laptop, cell phone and digital camera; I can load and edit my photos using the programme on my computer but struggle to use other programmes. Other technology I use include ipods, mp3 players(although I sometimes require help),cd roms and dvds.

Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice? In my first fieldwork placement we used digital cameras to record, draw and plan adaptations for steps and bathrooms. My most recent placement we wrote all of our reports on the computer but still used hard copy files for client notes and wrote progress notes by hand. Much of the departmental communication was done by email, even if the recipient was in the next room. Access to other Occupational Therapists and services nation wide is immediate so keeping in touch with colleagues is relatively easy but this also has its down side as much time is wasted reading unnecessary emails.

What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet) Because so much information is accessible by anyone we have to be extremely careful how much personal information we leave on internet sites and how secure these sites may be.

Provide a definition of Computer Ethics (APA reference required) 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

Provide a definition of Intellectual Property (APA reference required) 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

Provide a definition of Social Justice (APA reference required) 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

Provide a definition of Informed Consent (APA reference required) 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. The individual needs to be in possession of relevant facts and also of his or her reasoning faculties, such as not being mentally retarded or mentally ill and without an impairment of judgment at the time of consenting. Such impairments might include illness, intoxication, insufficient sleep, and other health problems. Retreived 8 May 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/informed consent

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. Technology is a part of our lives now, we have to get used to that and learn to use it as best we can. However, technology is only as good as its operator and is subject to the occasional breakdown or crash or misuse. We must be prepared to return to the old way, however temporary this might be, pen and paper, snail mail and land lines.

Do I really know what I am doing?

Even though I say I dont know what I am doing I managed to get a photo and video clip on. If you want to know the significance of the video clips this is the sport I currently coach, though not to that high level.
Cheers

Blogging

This blogging thing is all kinda new to me, I'm sure I will get the hang of it eventually