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Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

Provide a definition of Assistive technology (your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful with this).

Assistive technology according to Cook and Hussey, (2000) refers to a broad range of devices, services, strategies and practices that are conceived and applied to improve alleviate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities.

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.

The Sunny Sunshine Switch is a switch that young children can use. It consists of a middle circle with eight flexible ‘rays’ all in different colours of the rainbow. At the end of the ‘rays’ there are coloured lights. When the child grips the rays and pulls or pushes them, the sunny sunshine plays soothing music, vibrates and the lights flash in time to the music. The Sunny Sunshine is 14”Length by 14” Width by 8” High. It costs $82.95 US.
Picture retrieved 13 June, 2008 from http://www.tecsol.com.au/pdfs/Toys.pdf


How does your chosen piece of equipment increased functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.

This piece of adaptive technology is to teach children how to use switches and the law of cause and effect so that they can communicate their needs and wants in the future. The sunny sunshine teaches children if they pull the switch, a good thing will happen i.e. music is played, lights appear and it vibrates. When the child lets go, it stops. The switch can also be connected to other objects so when pulled, something else occurs as well i.e. the stereo turns on or off.

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

How to embed videos on my website or blog.

To embed a video, just copy the code from the "Embed" box—you can find it in the "About This Video" box when you're watching the video.

You can also get the code from the "Embed HTML" box on the "Edit Video" page (http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_edit) if the video is yours.

Once you've copied the code, just paste it into your website or blog to embed it.

In your blog, press “Customise”, then “Page elements”, then “Add Page Elements”. Then click HTML/ Java Script “Add to Blog” or Video Bar “Add to Blog”.

Then paste the text into the box, add a title and press “Save”.

Retrieved June 12, 2008, from http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57788

How to embed a Flickr badge on to a blog.

• On flickr, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on “Tools” under Help.
  
• On the next page click “Build a Badge”

• On the next page choose a format; either HTML badge or Flash badge. Then click the “Next” button.

• Then pick what photos you want to show on the badge and click “Next”.

• Press “Next” on the Colours screen.

• Highlight the text in the box and copy.

• In your blog, press “Customise”, then “Page elements”, then “Add Page Elements”. Then click HTML/ Java Script “Add to Blog”.

• Then paste the text into the box, add a title and press “Save”.

• Your badge is now embedded into your blog.

Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating http://www.bookcrossing.com/

What is the brief or focus of this community The purpose of the book crossing community is to share and track books all around the world. They can also talk about and review books as well as do challenges to find books.

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute? People are able to track books around the world, talk in forums, and buy books online. In the forums people can discuss books, share books, participate in book hunts and challenges.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking? Kollock (1999) says there are four reasons why people are involved in online communities. They are anticipated reciprocity, increased recognition, sense of efficacy and sense of community. With increased reciprocity people will contribute information with the expectation that others will then contribute information in return. Increased recognition is when people become well known in the community for their contributions. They are looked up to as being knowledgeable in that community. People can contribute to a community because they feel as they have done something or have been productive. This is a sense of efficacy. The other reason that people contribute is to be involved in a community. They feel that they are welcomed and included. This is the sense of the community. People contribute to bookcrossing.com for all these reasons.

Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt). This excerpt is from Booktalk, the forum which members can talk about books that they read. Anyone read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict? Mr. Darcy? 2 replies by eblanco001 2 months ago These books are very sweet, and you could easily finish them in one sitting. Maybe I just read too fast. :) Anyone else enjoyed them? Re: Anyone read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict? Mr. Darcy? 1 reply by bekoh 2 months ago I've never heard of them. Who wrote them? Being somewhat of an Austen addict myself I wouldn't mind having a read. parent

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. Online it is difficult to know who any one is. Consider the case of the girl in USA who committed suicide after she found the boy she meet on MySpace and wrote cruel messages to her, turned out to be the parents of the girl next door. Here is the link to the story (http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4926871&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1)

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. An online community has some advantage over traditional communities. The best thing about online communities is that people can be anywhere in the world and be involves. This gives us greater cultural understanding and a variety of different experiences. Another benefit is that large amounts of information can be transferred between people easily. Online communities provide opportunities for people of similar interests and experiences to converse and transfer information. The great thing about online communities is that are usually free and easy to use.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can. The thing that this community lacks is the ability to physically meet the other people in the community. It would be easy to pretend to be someone you are jot and nobody would know the difference. Due to this lack of ability to meet in person it can be difficult to understand nuances such as humour. Considering that 90% of a conversation is body language, talking on line is at a distinct disadvantage.

Tutorial Four and Five: Video Production Sessions

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

You Tube is a video sharing website in which people can watch, upload and share video clips. Unregistered users only can watch videos while registered users can watch, upload, share and comment on the video clips. The video clips can be home videos, video blogs, TV, music and movie clips.

Write briefly about planning (storyboarding and scripting).

Storyboarding is a series of drawings that set out the sequence of a film and what is going to happen in the scene. This enables people to see how the film is going to look and what is needed for each scene. Scripting tells the actors what they are saying at the appropriate times. This makes for ease of filming and a better end product.

Tutorial Three: Blogger

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Blogger. In addition to this name one other Blog host.

The main service provided by Blogger is allowing people to build, write and comment on blogs. The mobile blogger service is also provided. This is when comments on blogs can be added via mobile phone. Another blog host is Windows Live Spaces.

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?
This statement is correct in relation to cameras. The digital camera has some get benefits but some down sides as does the digital camera. The great thing about the digital camera is that many photos can be taken. They then can be either stored or deleted. The photo can also be checked almost immediately to see if it is ok or if another photo needs to be taken. The down side of having a digital camera is that the quality of the photo is not as good as one taken by a film camera. Also the digital camera requires batteries which rum out often and need frequent recharging.
The one of the advantages of having a film camera is that the quality of the photo is better. Also the camera doesn’t require constant recharging. The down side is that the cost of having the film produced is high and that there is a limit to how many photos can be taken on one roll of film.

List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.
Digital images can be stored in cameras, cell phones, computer hard drives, CD-ROMs and USBs as well as other varied storage devices. Digital images can also be changed by programs such as Microsoft Movie Maker. Images can be cropped, change colour, merge and have other images superimposed into them. Nearly anything can be done to digital images.

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.
Taking photos and publishing them with out the permission of the person in the photo is illegal. It affects clients’ right to privacy and confidentiality.

Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice.
The use of digital images is of a lot use in Occupational Therapy practice. As it is said “a picture is worth a thousand words”. This is certainly true and is very useful in OT practice. Digital photos can be used as a record of many things. They can be used to record injury progress, before and after shots for housing modifications and they can be proof that an event occurred. Of course permission of the subjects is needed before the taking of the photo.

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr) Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community platform. It is used by the general public and bloggers to upload and find photos on.

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

Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom.
Optical zoom is when the image is focused in on one point so that the small detail can be seen. The quality of the picture remains the same. Digital zoom is when the image is cropped and enlarged. The quality is poor with digital zoom. It is always better to have optical zoom.

Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel.
The term “mega pixel” is used to describe one million pixels. It is the amount of pixels in a digital image. The more pixels, the better the image.

Tutorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues

Provide a definition of Information Technology/Information Communications Technology (APA reference required) Information Technology noun 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 form of technology (information technology) is increasingly prevalent in society. Our whole existence as a western society depends on information technology, computers and other such devices. Over the last few years technology has become very commonplace.

What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent using? · Computers · Laptops · Flash drives · Cell phones · CDs · CD-ROMs · DVDs · Digital Cameras

Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice? In OT practice, IT is used for a variety of different ways. It can be used as a means for recording notes on clients online secure files or a way to record items such as photos of events or situations as well as videos.

What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet) Ethically, information capturing, sharing and transferring is a nightmare. Any thing that is can be used for anything by anyone.

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. Retrieved February 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. Retrieved February 14, 2007, 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. Like it or not, technology is a large part of our society. We need to understand how technology works as many parts of our lives depend on technology. Technology can be a great help in our practice and our lives but we must be careful not to over use or abuse it.

First Post

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