"Assistive technology refers to a wide range of devices, services, strategies, and practices that are used to decrease the problems people with a disability have with doing daily tasks and leisure activities" (Cook & Hussey, 2000.)
In this tutorial seesion Dave- an occupational therapist from Kimiora school in Wellington came to talk to us about the assistive technology he uses with children with disabilities we were given the opportunity to trial and view a number of different pieces of assistive technology. One device that I thought was quite neat was the Audio photo albumn.
The virtual album allows the person to record a message in relation to the different pictures or photos on each page of the album. A fabulous tool for people who may be non-verbal, enabling them to share with others their memories or experiences they have had(with help of recording from others).This type of device will be useful for clients with communicating problems, or people who can not rememeber things e.g- clients with traumatic brain injuries. These albums are priced at around $15.oo-$29.95.
Features:
•Holds 24 - 4" x 6" photos
•Record a 10 second message for every photo
•Flash memory saves messages if batteries expire
•Batteries included (2 x AAA)
•Re-record as many times as you'd like
Talking Photo album, 2010. Retrieved on 8 June, 2010,from://www.vat19.com/dvds/talking-photo-album-record-messages.cfm
See this video on the talking photo albumn.
Reference
Cook, A.M., & Hussey, S.M. (2000). Assistive technologies: principles and practice. St Louis: Mosby.
For the purpose of my PIO assignment I will be investigating the implementation of a Wii gaming console and Wii fit for a hypothetical Mental Health Ward.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tutorial Eight: Posting You Tube Videos and Flickr badges to Blogs: Explaining the process
This first clip explains how you can upload a video that you really like from YouTube onto your blog. It goes through the step by step process of what it involved in the upload process.
How to Embed YouTube videos to your blog:
The second clip explains how to upload a Flickr Badge to your blog. This tutorial also goes through the step by step process.
How to Embed a Flickr Bagde to your blog:
How to Embed YouTube videos to your blog:
The second clip explains how to upload a Flickr Badge to your blog. This tutorial also goes through the step by step process.
How to Embed a Flickr Bagde to your blog:
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities
This tutorial involved providing an annotation of an on-line community. The community I chose to look into was facebook as it is a tool I use on a regular basis to stay in touch with friends and family all over the world.
The web address: htt://www.facebook.com
"Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected"- Moto
Facebook is a social networking website millions of people use i everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. Facebook users can add people as friends, send them messages, chat online and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. Anyone over the age of 13 can become a Facebook user. Topics discussed on facebook can range from the everyday casual conversation between a number of friends, family or contacts to comments about statuses, events or photos. Users can also interact by loging onto the facebook blog and share thoughts and feelings or stories on different topics this way. Some topics inclued:
-Helping Kids Find Their Way Home (International Missing Children's Day)
-Connecting with Fans from World Cup™ Training
-Facebook Friend Request Turns to Happily Ever After
-Staying in Control of Your Facebook Logins
People create facebook accounts to re-connect with family or friends or to keep in touch from anywhere in the world. Some may seek out friendships or relationships.
Due to be able to publish photos and other content on Facebook there are many ethical issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality that are not taken into consideration. Anyone can look at peoples added photos and some profile content or post photos without permission. There are some privacy settings however that each profile can be set to.
An online comunity allows users to connect with anybody worldwide via computer. This virtual community allows users to communicate with each other without having to be within close geographic proximity.
However because of the nature of an online community it lacks the traditional face to face physical interaction and emotion and expressing one self is stilted. Social skills are not developed as effectively. There is also the possiblity that the person you may be talking to is not who they say they are - dangers of online chat etc.
What comunity lacks or cannot provide?
The web address: htt://www.facebook.com
"Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected"- Moto
Facebook is a social networking website millions of people use i everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. Facebook users can add people as friends, send them messages, chat online and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. Anyone over the age of 13 can become a Facebook user. Topics discussed on facebook can range from the everyday casual conversation between a number of friends, family or contacts to comments about statuses, events or photos. Users can also interact by loging onto the facebook blog and share thoughts and feelings or stories on different topics this way. Some topics inclued:
-Helping Kids Find Their Way Home (International Missing Children's Day)
-Connecting with Fans from World Cup™ Training
-Facebook Friend Request Turns to Happily Ever After
-Staying in Control of Your Facebook Logins
People create facebook accounts to re-connect with family or friends or to keep in touch from anywhere in the world. Some may seek out friendships or relationships.
Due to be able to publish photos and other content on Facebook there are many ethical issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality that are not taken into consideration. Anyone can look at peoples added photos and some profile content or post photos without permission. There are some privacy settings however that each profile can be set to.
An online comunity allows users to connect with anybody worldwide via computer. This virtual community allows users to communicate with each other without having to be within close geographic proximity.
However because of the nature of an online community it lacks the traditional face to face physical interaction and emotion and expressing one self is stilted. Social skills are not developed as effectively. There is also the possiblity that the person you may be talking to is not who they say they are - dangers of online chat etc.
What comunity lacks or cannot provide?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tutorial Three: Introduction to Blogger
Blogger is a free web service tool from google used for publishing blogs. Enabling people to share their thoughts with the world. Photos, videos and text are able to be posted. An individual must have a google account to access Blogs. For your blogs to be accessed by others they must become a follower. Blogger services include; postings, group postings, third party applications, discussion groups, 41 languages available, customized blog layouts, photo and video applications.
Blogger is just one of many online blog hosts another is Blog Drive from http://www.blogdrive.com/.
Blogger is just one of many online blog hosts another is Blog Drive from http://www.blogdrive.com/.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tutorial Two: Digital camera use and applications
" A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature."
Digital photography is a form of photography that uses digital technology to make images of subjects. Until the advent of such technology, photography used photographic film to create images which could be made visible by photographic processing. By contrast, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing.
Digital Photography. Retrieved June 1st, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography
With modern advancements in digital camera technology there are a number of advantages over traditional film cameras these include:
-Instant review of pictures, with no wait for the film to be developed
-Minimal ongoing costs for those wishing to capture hundreds of photographs for digital uses, such as computer storage and e-mailing, but not printing
-Digital media is considerably cheaper than film
-Photos may be copied from one digital medium to another without any degradation
-Ability to print photos using a computer and consumer-grade printer
-Ability to capture and store hundreds of photographs on the same media device within the digital camera; by contrast, a film camera would require regular changing of film (typically after every 24 or 36 shots)
-Many digital cameras now include an AV-out connector (and cable) to allow the reviewing of photographs to an audience using a television
-Anti-shake functionality (increasingly common in inexpensive cameras) allow taking sharper hand-held pictures where previously a tripod was required
-Ability to change ISO speed settings more conveniently in the middle of shooting, for example when the weather changes from bright sunlight to cloudy. In film photography, film must be unloaded and new film with desired ISO speed loaded.
-Smaller sensor format, compared to 35mm film frame, allows for smaller lenses, wider zoom ranges, and greater depth of field.
-Ability to use the same device to capture video as well as still images.
-Ability to convert the same photo from color to sepia to black & white
A huge array of advantages however there could be a number of down-sides to modern digital camera technology including:
- Decreased treasurey towards photos e.g not framed or kept in albums so much, less likely to print phots now days
- A great amount of devices and software needed to purchase or carry with camera such as memory cards, chargers, cables, batteries, software and computer access.
Digital Images can be stored and transferred using other communications technology such as cellphones, computers, security cameras, Ipods or digital video forms or manipulated via photoshop.
Occupational Therapists are using digital images within their practices for example in the physical rehabilitation setting OT's carry out housing assessments where they take photos which they may use for funding applications. Community or Ward settings photoboards/albumns to capture memories and learning experiences may be constructed, or the use of digital cameras as a tool to create visual guides or feedback purposes to confirm verbal feeback is a commonality.
Given the prevalence of image capturing devices there a great number of ethical issues that may arise with their use. Relating to Occupational Therapy for example Occupational Therapists will need to consider gaining informed consent for use of images, issues regarding privacy will need to be considered. There is also the risk of capturing illegal footage and at times data transferral may be reduced due to client complience. A major consideration will go into thought around the OT's confidence in being responsible to those they recieve images of.
Flickr.com is an online photo management tool where photos can be shared all over the world. An account can be created where you upload photos. Flickr.com has two main aims:
1.to help people make their content available to the people who matter to them.
2.to enable new ways of organizing photos and video.
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/about/ on June 1st, 2010.
Facebook is another photo storage website which offers similar service to flickr.com. It allows you to store, share, tag and edit uploaded photos.
Camera's have a digital and optical zoom. Digital zoom simply crops the image to a smaller size, then enlarges the cropped image to fit the frame again, this results in a significant loss of quality and clarity of the photograph.
Optical zoom works just like a zoom lens on a film camera, the lens changes focal length and magnification as it zooms in closer to an image. The image quality stays high throughout the zoom range.
A megapixel is a term used for counting the number of pixels in a photograph. A pixel is a contraction of the term Picture Element, pixels are the small components that make up a picture, the small pots/squares recieving light. A regular photograph is composed of millions of tiny squares. A megapixel is 1 million pixels.
The more pixels the clearer the image.
Digital photography is a form of photography that uses digital technology to make images of subjects. Until the advent of such technology, photography used photographic film to create images which could be made visible by photographic processing. By contrast, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing.
Digital Photography. Retrieved June 1st, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography
With modern advancements in digital camera technology there are a number of advantages over traditional film cameras these include:
-Instant review of pictures, with no wait for the film to be developed
-Minimal ongoing costs for those wishing to capture hundreds of photographs for digital uses, such as computer storage and e-mailing, but not printing
-Digital media is considerably cheaper than film
-Photos may be copied from one digital medium to another without any degradation
-Ability to print photos using a computer and consumer-grade printer
-Ability to capture and store hundreds of photographs on the same media device within the digital camera; by contrast, a film camera would require regular changing of film (typically after every 24 or 36 shots)
-Many digital cameras now include an AV-out connector (and cable) to allow the reviewing of photographs to an audience using a television
-Anti-shake functionality (increasingly common in inexpensive cameras) allow taking sharper hand-held pictures where previously a tripod was required
-Ability to change ISO speed settings more conveniently in the middle of shooting, for example when the weather changes from bright sunlight to cloudy. In film photography, film must be unloaded and new film with desired ISO speed loaded.
-Smaller sensor format, compared to 35mm film frame, allows for smaller lenses, wider zoom ranges, and greater depth of field.
-Ability to use the same device to capture video as well as still images.
-Ability to convert the same photo from color to sepia to black & white
A huge array of advantages however there could be a number of down-sides to modern digital camera technology including:
- Decreased treasurey towards photos e.g not framed or kept in albums so much, less likely to print phots now days
- A great amount of devices and software needed to purchase or carry with camera such as memory cards, chargers, cables, batteries, software and computer access.
Digital Images can be stored and transferred using other communications technology such as cellphones, computers, security cameras, Ipods or digital video forms or manipulated via photoshop.
Occupational Therapists are using digital images within their practices for example in the physical rehabilitation setting OT's carry out housing assessments where they take photos which they may use for funding applications. Community or Ward settings photoboards/albumns to capture memories and learning experiences may be constructed, or the use of digital cameras as a tool to create visual guides or feedback purposes to confirm verbal feeback is a commonality.
Given the prevalence of image capturing devices there a great number of ethical issues that may arise with their use. Relating to Occupational Therapy for example Occupational Therapists will need to consider gaining informed consent for use of images, issues regarding privacy will need to be considered. There is also the risk of capturing illegal footage and at times data transferral may be reduced due to client complience. A major consideration will go into thought around the OT's confidence in being responsible to those they recieve images of.
Flickr.com is an online photo management tool where photos can be shared all over the world. An account can be created where you upload photos. Flickr.com has two main aims:
1.to help people make their content available to the people who matter to them.
2.to enable new ways of organizing photos and video.
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/about/ on June 1st, 2010.
Facebook is another photo storage website which offers similar service to flickr.com. It allows you to store, share, tag and edit uploaded photos.
Camera's have a digital and optical zoom. Digital zoom simply crops the image to a smaller size, then enlarges the cropped image to fit the frame again, this results in a significant loss of quality and clarity of the photograph.
Optical zoom works just like a zoom lens on a film camera, the lens changes focal length and magnification as it zooms in closer to an image. The image quality stays high throughout the zoom range.
A megapixel is a term used for counting the number of pixels in a photograph. A pixel is a contraction of the term Picture Element, pixels are the small components that make up a picture, the small pots/squares recieving light. A regular photograph is composed of millions of tiny squares. A megapixel is 1 million pixels.
The more pixels the clearer the image.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tutorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues
Information technology; the use of computers and electronic technology to store and communicate information.
Treffry, D.(Editorial Director). (2000). Collins Pocket Dictionary.United Kingdom: HarperCollins Publishers.
This form of Technology has become an integral part of todays society. We are part of the Industrial revolution age where new tools are being developed that either complement or replace older technologies. With this change in mind there is a need for upskilling in our areas of practice. As students we rely heavily on the use of computers for online components of course materials, email contact, the use of the web for research and social networking sites such as facebook. Assignments in this day and age are generally reqired to be typed up and submitted electronically.
Use of email, cellphones, social networks and skype are efficient means of communicating today with friends, family or collegues anywhere in the world at any given time. The need for face to face interaction is decreased.
Having being brought up in the age of ever changing technology I am comfortable using a number of IT devices and systems. I use computers generally on a daily basis during my study year for assignments, research, online course components, emailing and facebook or skype contact to connect with peers, family or lecturers. I also own an ipod, and digital camera. My cellphone is also an integral part of life for safety, social contact or an organisation tool.
IT is an essential part of the Occupational Therapy Practice. On my fieldwork placement I was in a Community Physical Health setting where use of email and landlines or cellphones were a daily phenomena to contact and communicate with clients, clients families, other health professionals or companies. Computers are used for typing up and storing client notes or documents as well as ordering equipment digitally. In client rehabilitation IT can be used as assistive learning tools, as part of assessments etc to increase opportunities to engage in everyday life.
With the reliance and availabilty of Technology in todays society there a number of ethical implications that arise. Capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices such as the net or mobile phones enables easy access into peoples private lives. Information can be copied, uploaded or stored without consent. It is a topic of much debate regularly hitting the headlines.
Here are some definitions regarding ethics:
Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/computer_ethics).
Intellectual Property is an umbrella term for various legal intitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas, or other intangibles in their expressed form (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/intellectual_property).
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 (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social_justice).
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 april 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/informed_consent).
Having a sufficient understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses, as future occupational therapists we can aspire to practicing in a safe and ethical manner. We will whether it be in practice or during our everyday life come across new or changing technology systems and will need an open minded attitude to taking these on board and seek to increase opportunities to engae clients in everyday life. Also increasing our professionalism and aiding our communication skills through the use of technology will be beneficial to our practice.
Treffry, D.(Editorial Director). (2000). Collins Pocket Dictionary.United Kingdom: HarperCollins Publishers.
This form of Technology has become an integral part of todays society. We are part of the Industrial revolution age where new tools are being developed that either complement or replace older technologies. With this change in mind there is a need for upskilling in our areas of practice. As students we rely heavily on the use of computers for online components of course materials, email contact, the use of the web for research and social networking sites such as facebook. Assignments in this day and age are generally reqired to be typed up and submitted electronically.
Use of email, cellphones, social networks and skype are efficient means of communicating today with friends, family or collegues anywhere in the world at any given time. The need for face to face interaction is decreased.
Having being brought up in the age of ever changing technology I am comfortable using a number of IT devices and systems. I use computers generally on a daily basis during my study year for assignments, research, online course components, emailing and facebook or skype contact to connect with peers, family or lecturers. I also own an ipod, and digital camera. My cellphone is also an integral part of life for safety, social contact or an organisation tool.
IT is an essential part of the Occupational Therapy Practice. On my fieldwork placement I was in a Community Physical Health setting where use of email and landlines or cellphones were a daily phenomena to contact and communicate with clients, clients families, other health professionals or companies. Computers are used for typing up and storing client notes or documents as well as ordering equipment digitally. In client rehabilitation IT can be used as assistive learning tools, as part of assessments etc to increase opportunities to engage in everyday life.
With the reliance and availabilty of Technology in todays society there a number of ethical implications that arise. Capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices such as the net or mobile phones enables easy access into peoples private lives. Information can be copied, uploaded or stored without consent. It is a topic of much debate regularly hitting the headlines.
Here are some definitions regarding ethics:
Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/computer_ethics).
Intellectual Property is an umbrella term for various legal intitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas, or other intangibles in their expressed form (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/intellectual_property).
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 (retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social_justice).
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 april 12, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/informed_consent).
Having a sufficient understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses, as future occupational therapists we can aspire to practicing in a safe and ethical manner. We will whether it be in practice or during our everyday life come across new or changing technology systems and will need an open minded attitude to taking these on board and seek to increase opportunities to engae clients in everyday life. Also increasing our professionalism and aiding our communication skills through the use of technology will be beneficial to our practice.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tutorial Four and Five: Video Production Sessions
In these two tutorials we were required to plan, produce and edit a 30 second short film, set up a youtube account and post our video to YouTube.
You Tube is the worlds most popular online video community. It provides a
forum for people to connect, inform & inspire others across the globe. Comments can be made on others video postings.
Videos posted onto YouTube are available to all viewers. For some activities on YouTube, like uploading videos, posting comments, flagging videos, or watching restricted videos, you need a YouTube or Google Account.
You Tube is the worlds most popular online video community. It provides a
forum for people to connect, inform & inspire others across the globe. Comments can be made on others video postings.
Videos posted onto YouTube are available to all viewers. For some activities on YouTube, like uploading videos, posting comments, flagging videos, or watching restricted videos, you need a YouTube or Google Account.
For more information on the services YouTube offers, the policys involved and any general information regarding YouTube visit www.http://www.youtube.com/t/about.
Creating a Short Film
The aim of this session was to work in small groups to create a short film. From this we were to develop an understanding and demostrate basic film production skills, importance of planning and preparing for video production, editing a video sequence and the use of the camera and considerations needed to take into account with there use. Upon completion we were to then upload our short film to YouTube.
For our short film we chose to focus on "Car parking issues around the Dunedin campus". In our planning of the film we used a story board. This is a series of drawings of the proposed film as it will appear on screen. It was efficient in that it provided useful time management as we all knew what our focus was and who was to do what.
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