Ingrid Wilson Blog

Student video

2008-06-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Tutorial eight.

2008-06-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Provide a definition of Assistive technology?

The science or study of the practical or industrial arts, applied science, a method, process, etc for handling a specific technical problem. Cook and Hussey 2000 state that "Assistive technology refers to a broad rangeof devices, services, strategies and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilites."

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

Sunny Sunshine Switch, with bendable sunshine rays.
No child can keep from touching this spectacular switch/toy. When used as a toy, the easiest touch will reward the child with colored lights, vibration and three different soothing tunes in sync with eight different colored blinking lights. If a toy or device is plugged in, the sunny sunshine will activiate it when touched. Size length 14" X 14" wide X 8'' High. It requires 6AA Batteries to work and cost $82.95 US or $108.18 plus postage of $40 NZ.

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

The Sunny Sunshine switch increses functional capactiy by giving a child the opportunity to be included or engage in a group activity such as cooking, an example of this from the class activity was using the switch to engage all of us in cooking it it powered the blender for making pancakes. A child with out a switch would not recieve the same level of interaction within the group and would miss out on valuable learning opportunites. It also can be used as a stimulation toy and relaxation with the music on it.
Overall a very cool assistive device and would be benefical to any childs stimulation and learning.

Tutorial Seven

2008-06-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

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

1) Find You Tube tags- OT
2) Copy the link
3) Go to your blog
4) Add an element
5)Go to the video clip
6) Add a title and copy and paste the code into description

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.

1) Log on to your Flickr account
2) Upload the photos that you want to use
3) Help- Tools
4) Create a Flickr Badge
5)Choose a layout
6) Choose a background/colours that you want to use
7) Save changes and copy the url code
8) Go to your blog
9) Add an element
10) Go to Java html
11) Add a title and paste code into description.

Tutorial Six: The internet and online community

2008-05-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PGL/10259809687?ref=mf

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/11251?h=shb

Both of these communities have one thing in common, they are both aimed at helping people and rely on the support of travelers and volunteers to ensure the organization runs smoothly.
The Tabitha Foundation is a NPO that assits people of Cambodia when able bodied travelers go to Cambodia and assist with building houses for the poor and people that have been affected by land mines. PGL is an adventure camp in the UK which provides a facility that children can come to for respite care, school trips and school holidays to build and gain confidence and try risk taking activities that they would not otherwise get the opportunity to participate in.

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute?
The online community for the Tabitha Foundation provides and informative community that people can join to donate money, offer support, or communite with loved ones whilst they are in Cambodia and inform them of the charity work they are contributing towards.
The online community of PGL provides a site for pas and present staff that are working at PGL to keep in touch and share stories of experiences had, along with being able to organize meetings.
Both of these sites can be described as very interactive, and others can contribute by asking questions and getting involved.

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

For the two communities that I have mentioned above I feel that people choose to contribute to these communities to gain a sense of affiliation and to be able to network and keep in touch with people all over the world and that they would not otherwise be able to keep in touch with it. The positives of online communities is that it is fast and readily available to wide range of people.

Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed.
On the Tabitha Foundation site pictures are being posted of pre existing houses in Cambodia and comments made around the fact that they are shacks. But this is better than nothing!
On the PGL web site discussion is being had with people that are already starting there training at Boreatton Park in the UK before they disembark to the adventure camps. They are also sharing past and current experiences they are having.

Considering material being presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community.
Any person can use these sites and could join up whether they have been apart of these organizations or not. Due to the lack of identity associated with it allows for the problems such as online predators and not being protected. Due to being able to join through facebook you do have the opportunity to decline friends and protect yourself if you do not know the person you are talking to.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community.
That no matter wherever you are in the world you can log on and talk to the other members of the community and see what they are up to. The feeling that you can look at there pictures and video and still feel that you are close by to them and not missing out on much of there life.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can?
Social interaction in a physical situation. Honesty and being able to meet a person and take them for face value as you may not ever get this opportunity. Developing trust, rapport and making a 1st impression, with a person by having the first initial meeting.

Giant Swing

2008-05-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have put this on here as when I was 18 went to this adventure training center in the UK to become an instructor for adventure sports for disadvantage children, children with disabilities and children from all warps of life. This video depicts how scary it can be steeping outside of your comfort zone. This is adults image children!!!

Task Four

2008-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by You Tube.
You Tube offers short movies relating to everything and anything. An individual can post their own movie on You Tube for the world to see. Individuals can then use these movies like poetry to emphasise or express there feelings or point of view when they have run out of words or don't know how.

Tutorial Three

2008-05-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Prived a brief summary of the services offered by Blogger? In addition to this name one other Blog host.
Blogger offers the service for individuals to publish their thoughts on line. You can share your thoughts, ideas or something that you found really interesting with your family and friends no matter where you are in the world you can share them.
Blogger lets you publish photos, videos, images from you tube, and basically be as creative as you want.
Other blog host are bebo, myspace and facebook are all blogs that are constantly growing.

Digital Camera use and applications

2008-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

"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?

I think that by now I must be the only person within my circle of friends that does not have a digital camera. Don't get me wrong its not that I don't want one, cause I desperately do, its that I cannot afford one. Yes digital camera do come at a huge expense and they are changing and upgrading so often that by the time you have brought one it is already out of date.
I have used digital camera a lot despite not actually owning one myself, and yes I do Love them!
The positives of owning a digital camera would have to be that you can get ones that are water proof or all weather, they can assist those of us that have the DT's or the shakes having not had your coffee for the day, and the range of add on's that come with the camera such as red eye, automatic flash prepare us for almost every situation without necessary being aware.
The negatives of digital cameras are situated around the cost, and the small fiddly micro chips and complex nature of the mechanics. Gone are the days when your camera was a brick and if you dropped it, it would still work and if anything went wrong you could probably fix it yourself.
The surprise is lost with digital cameras also. With good old film you don't know what your photos are going to look like and its the excitement and anticipation of waiting for the film to be processed and returned for you to laugh or cry at the outcome. We readily have the ability to be vain and delete a digital photo if we don't like it.

List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communication technology?
Digital images can be stored on SD or XD memory cards, CD, DVD, computer, memory stick, cellphones, or palm pilots. We can transfer the digital images through email, social networking sites such as blogs, msn or facebook. They can be manipulated using programmes such as photo shop, CGI or scanning to make ourselves skinny, fat, airbrush ourselves, remove red eyes, and add others into the photos that were not able to be there.

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?
Privacy has to be the main concern, you are on full view to the world in today's society, around the world surveillance cameras and web cams can capture your image and activities and project them around the world for all to see, your consent is not necessary. Issues could be raised as to whether this is invading ones privacy and putting them in a vulnerable position.

Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice?
Digital cameras are being used to take photos of a clients environment to get them funding for a alteration. For example photo graphing an existing bathroom to send to enable funding with the report. Clients are being photo graphed or video conducting an activity to mark/compare their progress from the initial stage to the end.
Digital images may be used as a learning method especially in children.

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by flickr.com
Flickr.com provides a service for you to manipulate your digital images. This ranges from rotating, cropping or enhancing your photos to CGI or photo shopping it to obtain the image you want.

Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to flickr.com?
Photo shop, snapfish.

Explain what the difference is between a digital and optical zoom.
Most digital cameras provide two methods for zooming: optical and digital. Unlike optical zoom, which uses the optics of the lens to magnify the size of an image, digital zoom discards pixels around the edge of an image, fitting the remaining pixels into the same space to give the appearance of zoom. Since digital zoom comes at the expense of resolution, you should always choose a camera based on its optical zoom, not the digital or combined figure. Retrieved 5/05/08
www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/glossary-info_guide.html

Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel?
A measure of resolution that reflects the ability of a digital camera to record detail. The more megapixels a camera has the more detail its images can contain and the more they can be enlarged without losing clarity. More megapixels aren't always necessary, however.
www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/glossary-info_guide.html

Information Technology and Ethical Issues

2008-05-04T16:43:00.001-07:00

Provide a definition of Information Technology/Information Communications Technology.
Information Technology or (IT) as otherwise known is the "study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware"
Retrieved from (http://www.wikipedia.org.wiki/Information_technology)%2005/05/08
Information Communications encompasses computers,Internet, intranet, cell phone, telephones, fax machines. There list is end list.

Consider the definition of IT you have provided. How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?
Within our society today we have become reliant on IT. It would appear that with the increasing growth of technology we as human beings have become more industrialised and robotic in our actions, relating to communication and everyday activities. For example the use of cash has become a novelty with eftpos and credit cards being the norm. This is leading to increasing problems of individuals not understanding the importance and value of money and becoming in debt.
Text messaging and email has lead to misinterpretation of the information relaid to the individuals receiving the message, through depersonalisation and lack of correct terminology and the use of abbreviations and no punctuation. Tradition forms of letter writing has been lost and receiving post is now a novelty.
This highlights that Information technology is prevalent in our society, as it has had both negative and positive effects on the human race. We can now be contacted the majority of the time anywhere any time, through the use of cell phones and quickly by email instead of pigeon post.
So it is fair to say that IT has become common place within the younger generation, and is slowly catching on with the older demographic with their exploring the Internet and even some cellphones.

What IT devices or systems do you feel comfortable and competent using?
I am most comfortable using a cellphone as I feel them easy to navigate around. I use computers and am comfortable emailing and using face book, but I struggle using things such as you tube and having to do difficult tasks such as upload information. Other devices which I can use and am comfortable with are fax machines, telephone, digital cameras, DVD players, mp3 players.

Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice?
IT was used in my settings to store clients notes to save space within the hospital and to have readily available and quick access to client notes from any point within the hospital. It was also used to have access to products and services within the hospital and business associated with the hospital.
The staff intranet was used for all staff to communicate for example meeting, party's, items for sale. Tele conferencing was used with medical staff throughout the country and overseas.
IT was also used as a means of safety, cellphones were taken out by each staff member and if they had not returned before there estimated time they were phoned to ensure they were ok.
More advanced IT that was used was driving simulators to individuals who for example had a stroke and wanted to be able to drive again. This was used to assess their ability safely before putting them on the open road.

What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices?
Now that everything is readily available through the Internet and online, it is becoming increasing difficult to obtain the desired levels of confidentiality. For example, if you have a credit card or own a house or have been in the media it is easy to obtain information about an individual through the Internet. This raises issues around informed consent also.
Text message bullying has also raised many concerns between young individuals. Social networking sites such as face book, blogs and bebo are increasing individuals vulnerability. When private/ personal information is published on these sites you may become a victim of online abuse.

Provide a 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

Provide a definiton 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

Provide a definiton 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

Provide a definiton 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

In your own words briefly summarise why or why not a greater understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our pratice and daily lives?
Being aware of the implications of information technology/communications will assist us not to put ourselves in vunerable situations, that may result in harm to ourselves or another individual.
It highlights the importance of confidentiality and how easy it is with the use of ITC for individauls to obtain information and how easy information can fall into the wrong hands.

Placement is over

2008-05-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hey all, well placement is over and now its back to the hard grind of getting all of those assignments done. I took Jame's advice and did not look at my blog while on placement as it stresses me out. I don't actually know if its the blog or the computer that stresses me. Oh well I am going to work away at it now and get up to date with this.
Hope everyone is having a good holiday and see you soon.
Good Luck if you are struggling too.
Love Ingrid

1st post

2008-03-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hey people, this is my first post and i have no idea what so ever as to what to do. I am a little computer illiterate. Hehe