Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Last Post!
This is the last post before the end of the semester and I thought I would share this little connect between Hamilton and Dunedin. Last year, we farewelled our daughter as she embarked on her ambition to study Law and Commerce at Otago University! There was just one problem; she also wanted to continue her dancing and the Otago Cheerleaders were no longer operating. So this year she decided to rally some support from the Dunedin community and a few weeks ago, auditions were held. The newspaper heard about it and after an article in the Otago Daily Times, 52 girls auditioned for the 15 places available......and Dunedin Cheerleaders were established!!! So how does this apply to technology? Well last weekend, Forsyth Barr staged a FlashMob at the Meridian Mall and the Dunedin Cheerleaders were invited to be apart of it (You will see the cheerleaders in the pink t shirts towards the end of the performance). This was their first outing! Less than 24 hours later it was posted on You Tube for the world to see! Good work Dunedin and Forsyth Barr! We loved watching the performance here in Hamilton. Congrats Jen on getting the cheerleaders going and good luck girls....ive seen the rehearsals on the laptop....u all look fab! Keep up the good work and hopefully you will soon be in high demand to perform at Dunedin events! For anyone reading my blog...make sure you check this out!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Flickr....Creating a Flickr Badge
Flickr is for online photograph storage which is an amazing way of protecting your phots and an easy way to share your photos with friends and family wherever they are.
To create a Flickr Badge on your Blog, follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.flickr.com and follow the prompts to create your account.
2. Load your photographs into your Flickr account from a file or email account.
3. Enter www.flickr.com/badge.gne
4. Choose an HTML badge or a Flash Badge. A Flash Badge requires you to have Adobe Flash, otherwise choose HTML which can be viewed on all home computers.
5. Choose the photos you want to include in your Blog.
6. Click on Layout.
7. Choose how many photos you want to display at one time, the orientation and the size of the photos.
8. Font - personalise your text style, border, background and links....there is lots to choose from!
9. Copy and paste the code for your Flickr account into your Blog.
10. Well done, you can now access your Flickr photos from your Blog.
To create a Flickr Badge on your Blog, follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.flickr.com and follow the prompts to create your account.
2. Load your photographs into your Flickr account from a file or email account.
3. Enter www.flickr.com/badge.gne
4. Choose an HTML badge or a Flash Badge. A Flash Badge requires you to have Adobe Flash, otherwise choose HTML which can be viewed on all home computers.
5. Choose the photos you want to include in your Blog.
6. Click on Layout.
7. Choose how many photos you want to display at one time, the orientation and the size of the photos.
8. Font - personalise your text style, border, background and links....there is lots to choose from!
9. Copy and paste the code for your Flickr account into your Blog.
10. Well done, you can now access your Flickr photos from your Blog.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tutorial Eight: Posting You Tube Videos and Flickr Badges to Blogs: Explaining the process
Embedding You Tube Videos:
Step 1: Find the You Tube video that you want to embed into your Blog.
Step 2: On a separate page, Log into your Blog.
Step 3: Click on "New Post"
Step 4: Add a title for the You Tube video in the "Title" box.
Step 5: Click back to the You Tube page.
Step 6: At the bottom of the video, you will see a button that says "Embed". Click on that and you will see the address highlight in blue.
Step 7: Now go up to the address bar at the top of the page and click (the address will highlight in blue) and click to copy.
Step 8: Go back to your Blog page. Click in the posting area so that the curser is flashing.
Step 9: Go up to the Edit button, drag down to Paste and click.
Step 10: Then click on "Publish Post."
Congratulations you have embedded your You Tube video!
Step 1: Find the You Tube video that you want to embed into your Blog.
Step 2: On a separate page, Log into your Blog.
Step 3: Click on "New Post"
Step 4: Add a title for the You Tube video in the "Title" box.
Step 5: Click back to the You Tube page.
Step 6: At the bottom of the video, you will see a button that says "Embed". Click on that and you will see the address highlight in blue.
Step 7: Now go up to the address bar at the top of the page and click (the address will highlight in blue) and click to copy.
Step 8: Go back to your Blog page. Click in the posting area so that the curser is flashing.
Step 9: Go up to the Edit button, drag down to Paste and click.
Step 10: Then click on "Publish Post."
Congratulations you have embedded your You Tube video!
Tutorial Seven - Assistive Technology
This weeks tutorials were all about Assistive Technology and best of all, we had the opportunity to play with all the toys....afterall..... how else are we going to know whats available for our future clients hehe!
Assistive technology is, and will continue, to open up the world for so many persons who live with an illness or disability, allowing them to engage in occupations that are both stimulating and meaningful.
Assistive Technology is "Any item , piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customised that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (Cook & Hussey, 2000).
So after playing with all the gadgets and gizmos I found a couple of pieces of equipment that I thought would help a gentleman, whom I met on my recent Fieldwork placement. This gentleman has Motor Neuron disease and has very limited upper limb movements and no movement in his lower extremities. He uses a litewrtier to communicate (a small computer on which he types words and they come up on a screen for you to read), but as his disease progresses, it is getting harder for him to move his arm to operate the litewriter. He also loves to play games but often cannot throw the dice.
The first piece of technology that I thought might appeal to him , is an Ergorest, which simply screws onto his electric wheelchair. He can rest his forearm on it and it swivels around very easily without having to hold his arm up. This way he would be able to move his arm to throw the dice or move his arm to use his litewriter. The Ergorest is very durable and well padded on the arm rest for comfort. It costs $290....so cheap for a bit of independence!
The second piece of technology I thought he might like, was a Smart Nav(igator). This allows a person who has little or no upper limb movement, to operate a computer by moving the curser with the movement of their head. Confused? The user wears a pair of lenless glasses and in the centre of the bridge is a little sensor/pointer. At the back of the computer screen, a little camera sits, which 'watches' the pointer on the glasses frame. The user moves their head using the pointer to move the curser. When the pointer sits on a spot for 3 seconds, it clicks to change the page. Pretty complicated, huh? To cut a long story short, the user can operate emails, internet banking ...in fact the whole internet. No additional software is needed (apparently) as Windows is geared for this system. The size of this gadgetry is as small as a webcam and a pair of sunglasses and is available at a modest $2Gs!
My client with Motor Neuron disease would have the opportunity of continuing his own business affairs, be able to communicate with his family and friends easily and enjoying having the world come to him, even in his own room :)
References:
Cook, A. M., & Hussey, S. M. (2000). Assistive technologies: principals and practice. California: Mosby.
Assistive technology is, and will continue, to open up the world for so many persons who live with an illness or disability, allowing them to engage in occupations that are both stimulating and meaningful.
Assistive Technology is "Any item , piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customised that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (Cook & Hussey, 2000).
So after playing with all the gadgets and gizmos I found a couple of pieces of equipment that I thought would help a gentleman, whom I met on my recent Fieldwork placement. This gentleman has Motor Neuron disease and has very limited upper limb movements and no movement in his lower extremities. He uses a litewrtier to communicate (a small computer on which he types words and they come up on a screen for you to read), but as his disease progresses, it is getting harder for him to move his arm to operate the litewriter. He also loves to play games but often cannot throw the dice.
The first piece of technology that I thought might appeal to him , is an Ergorest, which simply screws onto his electric wheelchair. He can rest his forearm on it and it swivels around very easily without having to hold his arm up. This way he would be able to move his arm to throw the dice or move his arm to use his litewriter. The Ergorest is very durable and well padded on the arm rest for comfort. It costs $290....so cheap for a bit of independence!
The second piece of technology I thought he might like, was a Smart Nav(igator). This allows a person who has little or no upper limb movement, to operate a computer by moving the curser with the movement of their head. Confused? The user wears a pair of lenless glasses and in the centre of the bridge is a little sensor/pointer. At the back of the computer screen, a little camera sits, which 'watches' the pointer on the glasses frame. The user moves their head using the pointer to move the curser. When the pointer sits on a spot for 3 seconds, it clicks to change the page. Pretty complicated, huh? To cut a long story short, the user can operate emails, internet banking ...in fact the whole internet. No additional software is needed (apparently) as Windows is geared for this system. The size of this gadgetry is as small as a webcam and a pair of sunglasses and is available at a modest $2Gs!
My client with Motor Neuron disease would have the opportunity of continuing his own business affairs, be able to communicate with his family and friends easily and enjoying having the world come to him, even in his own room :)
References:
Cook, A. M., & Hussey, S. M. (2000). Assistive technologies: principals and practice. California: Mosby.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tutorial Six: The Internet and Online Communities
I have recently been on a five week Fieldwork placement in two aged care facilities, so I decided to look at New Zealand based online communities for the over 50's. Grown ups (http://www.grownups.co.nz/) was launched in June 2006 after initial feedback from Senior Net and currently it is visited by 100,000 unique visitors each month. Senior Net is a well known community organisation who has helped hundreds of mature New Zealanders to learn to use computers. According to the website, Grown ups began as an idea to provide a New Zealand service for mature people, looking for other computer/technology savvy people of a similar age to interact with, in conversation and information sharing.
Services: The Grown Ups website provides useful and interesting information for the over 50's. It is an independant free site, maintained by advertising and sponsorship. Topics include lifestyle, health, food, travel, finance, retirement options and many more and participants are encouraged to contribute by adding articles, images, comments or information on clubs, organisations and events. According to one of the administrators, Grown Ups have little trouble with inappropriate material being added which he put down to the mature clients who were attracted to the website, however Grown Ups did have a disclaimer regarding information published (R. Poole, personal communication, 23 May, 2010).
In addition to the information pages, there are many interactive activities to enjoy on the site including competitions, games which are changed daily, opportunities to find other like minded people to to create online friendships, special offers from advertisers and live streaming to Solid Gold FM Radio Station.
However the most used page, according to the website, is the Discussion Groups, with threads created about a whole range of topics. I have also spent a few enjoyable hours on the chat room talking to other people around New Zealand, many whom have been 'chatting' for up to four years on Grown Ups. They were mostly very busy people in the community, enjoying a range of activities such as gardening, geneology, Senior Net, sports and involved in family activities.
so..."why do people choose to contribute to this community?"
This online community offers many hours of occupation in reading, discovering, listening and chatting. It can connect other computer/technology savvy peolpe of a similar age who are keen to share information and conversation.
It helps to seek out the ususual, linking groups and individuals in a range of interesting topics, that may not be available in their geographical area, such as geneology.
People can share life events, stay in touch and share photos.
They can remain informed without having to leave their homes, especially during cold winter months or due to illness, disability or immobility.
The hardware and software that is used, is very technical which stimulates problem solving and allows many hours of productive occupation.
Potential ethical issues:
There are a range of ethical issues on any website and these include:
I have recently been on a five week Fieldwork placement in two aged care facilities, so I decided to look at New Zealand based online communities for the over 50's. Grown ups (http://www.grownups.co.nz/) was launched in June 2006 after initial feedback from Senior Net and currently it is visited by 100,000 unique visitors each month. Senior Net is a well known community organisation who has helped hundreds of mature New Zealanders to learn to use computers. According to the website, Grown ups began as an idea to provide a New Zealand service for mature people, looking for other computer/technology savvy people of a similar age to interact with, in conversation and information sharing.
Services: The Grown Ups website provides useful and interesting information for the over 50's. It is an independant free site, maintained by advertising and sponsorship. Topics include lifestyle, health, food, travel, finance, retirement options and many more and participants are encouraged to contribute by adding articles, images, comments or information on clubs, organisations and events. According to one of the administrators, Grown Ups have little trouble with inappropriate material being added which he put down to the mature clients who were attracted to the website, however Grown Ups did have a disclaimer regarding information published (R. Poole, personal communication, 23 May, 2010).
In addition to the information pages, there are many interactive activities to enjoy on the site including competitions, games which are changed daily, opportunities to find other like minded people to to create online friendships, special offers from advertisers and live streaming to Solid Gold FM Radio Station.
However the most used page, according to the website, is the Discussion Groups, with threads created about a whole range of topics. I have also spent a few enjoyable hours on the chat room talking to other people around New Zealand, many whom have been 'chatting' for up to four years on Grown Ups. They were mostly very busy people in the community, enjoying a range of activities such as gardening, geneology, Senior Net, sports and involved in family activities.
so..."why do people choose to contribute to this community?"
This online community offers many hours of occupation in reading, discovering, listening and chatting. It can connect other computer/technology savvy peolpe of a similar age who are keen to share information and conversation.
It helps to seek out the ususual, linking groups and individuals in a range of interesting topics, that may not be available in their geographical area, such as geneology.
People can share life events, stay in touch and share photos.
They can remain informed without having to leave their homes, especially during cold winter months or due to illness, disability or immobility.
The hardware and software that is used, is very technical which stimulates problem solving and allows many hours of productive occupation.
Potential ethical issues:
There are a range of ethical issues on any website and these include:
- Lack of real identity in chatrooms
- Identities can be stolen
- Misuse of telecommunication tools
- Digitized information that can be easily copied, altered or transferred across borders.
- Copyright can be breached
- Information can be used or misused on the internet illegally, with little or no control.
With technology changing so fast, often ethical impacts have not been foreseen and methods of eliminating or reducing them have not been developed. Grown ups administrators advised me that the website is monitored and has a disclaimer however they have had few issues which they put down to the mature age of those attracted to the site (R. Poole, personal communication, 23 May, 2010).
There are also the social ethical implications to consider. Although the internet and social chat rooms can be wonderful in opening up the world for us from our table top, excess use of the computer can alienate us from our social contacts that are closest to home. Excessive use can reduce conversation and interaction with family and friends which can cause isolation and lonliness and be distructive to relationships.
so..."what are the benefits that this community holds over traditional notions of community?" Grown Ups provides networking, linking individuals and groups together, sharing of information and can foster understanding and unity.
It provides easy access to information without having to leave the house, although the reliability and validity of the informaton is not assured.
It allows a greater area of communication, such as the ability to talk to people from all over the world, connecting with family and new and old friends.
It increases our ability to engage in a range of occupations that may not be easily accessible on our own local community.
It exposes us to other cultures.
For a person with a disability, it can open up the world for them, allowing them to be involved in a community that may be difficult to access due to lack of mobility or health.
Essentially, an online community can compliment real life communities.
On the opposite side of the coin..."what does this community lack or cannot provide which traditional communities can?"
The most obvious one to me is, if the power fails or the computer breaks down, you are alienated from your online community leaving you isolated and alone. On my recent Fieldwork placement, I had no internet availability and I felt very isolated from my family and fellow students!
Online communities lack the personal interaction, such as the visual and aural stimuli of peoples smiles and laughter, the touch in a hug or a handshake or the smell of a familiar perfume or aftershave that that you associate with that person. It lacks the warmth of a good conversation and the feeling of a connection.
Syntax, which is commonly used in online conversations, can be misunderstood or messages can become confused which is less likely in face to face conversations.
The OT perspective : Online communities for the over 50's are certainly gaining popularity and serve as a wonderful communication site which can compliment other real life communities and provide meaningful and purposeful occupation.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wii Gaming
Wii gaming has great appeal to people because it is interactive, physical and you can do it at anytime, any weather. The player can be as active as they like, from a game of 10 pin to a powerful game of tennis. Even more importantly, you do not have to be an expert and you can do it in the privacy of your own home.
When you think of gamers, you envisage one or more bodies huddled around a TV screen with theur shoulders hunched and eyes glued to the screen. With the Wii game, people are upright and more physical, which attracts a different type of player.
Wii's are an excellent OT tool to help in the engagement of meaningful "and fun" occupation, which assists balance, executive cognition functions and balance to name a few. It can be used over a range of ages from children to the elderly, as a welcome relief to other more mundane therapies. It creates distraction for a client and an opportunity to compete and interact with others while giving their bodies a good "work out."
The developers of Wii are creating new applications continuously at the moment as this new game has taken over the industry. It is quite unique and there is great interst in being able to use the game in the health sector, particularly therapy.
One organisation using the Wii is the Medical College of Georgia, where a group of researchers have been studying Parkinsons Disease to determine if occupational therapy will enhance the treatment of the disease. Participants are playing sports, such as baseball in their therapy sessions (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407074534.htm).
When you think of gamers, you envisage one or more bodies huddled around a TV screen with theur shoulders hunched and eyes glued to the screen. With the Wii game, people are upright and more physical, which attracts a different type of player.
Wii's are an excellent OT tool to help in the engagement of meaningful "and fun" occupation, which assists balance, executive cognition functions and balance to name a few. It can be used over a range of ages from children to the elderly, as a welcome relief to other more mundane therapies. It creates distraction for a client and an opportunity to compete and interact with others while giving their bodies a good "work out."
The developers of Wii are creating new applications continuously at the moment as this new game has taken over the industry. It is quite unique and there is great interst in being able to use the game in the health sector, particularly therapy.
One organisation using the Wii is the Medical College of Georgia, where a group of researchers have been studying Parkinsons Disease to determine if occupational therapy will enhance the treatment of the disease. Participants are playing sports, such as baseball in their therapy sessions (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407074534.htm).
Tutorial Four and Five: Video Production Sessions
These past couple of weeks we have been looking at video/movie production... and you guessed it, by next week we should have produced our own and uploaded them to You Tube and our Blogs!!!
You Tube Services:
You Tube displays a wide variety of user generated, video clips including movie, TV and music videos. It is also a forum for amateurs to upload original videos and blogs for anyone to view, in fact most of the content on You Tube has been posted by amateur.
You Tube has terms of service which specifically deal with defamation, copyright and pornography.
The Planning Process for our Videos:
Scripting and storyboarding are too very important processes in the planning phase of a video or movie.
Scripting is the writers method of telling the story through the spoken word, visual effects and music. A good script will include moods and expressions, movement, vocal expressions, interaction wiht other characters, special effects, lighting, camera angles and types of shots, sound track, background sound and setting and onsreen graphics and titles.
Storyboarding is a comprehensive plan of the sequence of shots required to produce a movie. It comprises of a series of detailed sketches or drawings in separate frames to outline the complete story. The director follows this plan to construct each scene, making efficient use of filming time. Other people involved in the making of the movie will also use the storyboard in their planning, such as sound and lighting crews.
So... stay tuned for the premier of our movie next week ! :)
These past couple of weeks we have been looking at video/movie production... and you guessed it, by next week we should have produced our own and uploaded them to You Tube and our Blogs!!!
You Tube Services:
You Tube displays a wide variety of user generated, video clips including movie, TV and music videos. It is also a forum for amateurs to upload original videos and blogs for anyone to view, in fact most of the content on You Tube has been posted by amateur.
You Tube has terms of service which specifically deal with defamation, copyright and pornography.
The Planning Process for our Videos:
Scripting and storyboarding are too very important processes in the planning phase of a video or movie.
Scripting is the writers method of telling the story through the spoken word, visual effects and music. A good script will include moods and expressions, movement, vocal expressions, interaction wiht other characters, special effects, lighting, camera angles and types of shots, sound track, background sound and setting and onsreen graphics and titles.
Storyboarding is a comprehensive plan of the sequence of shots required to produce a movie. It comprises of a series of detailed sketches or drawings in separate frames to outline the complete story. The director follows this plan to construct each scene, making efficient use of filming time. Other people involved in the making of the movie will also use the storyboard in their planning, such as sound and lighting crews.
So... stay tuned for the premier of our movie next week ! :)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tute 3: The BLOG Creation!
Tute three is all about creating our own blog using Blogger.com.
So... heres a bit about the services offered by Blogger.
Blogger.com is a free online forum to allow anyone an oppportunity to speak or record information fr just themselves or the whole world to have access to.
With Blogger comments, you can choose to keep these private or allow other people to make comments and as the author of you blog, you have the ability to delete any unwanted comments.
Access controls also allow you to decide who can read or write on your blog, so it can be useful for group work where a number of people can contribute.
Blogger profiles allows you to find people and blogs that you share a common interest with and visa verser.
Blogger has all the usual design features such as templates, customised colours and fonts, drag and drop page elements so that you can move entries of interest around and post photographs. You can even send photographs and txts straight from your mobile phone when you are out and about with Blogger Mobile (Sunderland, J. personal communication, March 2, 2101).
Blog Hosts:
There are a number of Blog Hosts but not all of them are free. Many are designed for a particular purpose such as Blogs for professionals, for self confessed computer geeks and some just for the general population. Just host.com is a professional blog host where users pay for the service.
so...with my Flickr account up and running, my next task was to upload some ph
otos to my blog .....and here they are...
otos to my blog .....and here they are...
Some summertime pic's at Matauri Bay in Northland and one of our little puppies.
Robinson, A.M. Personal photographs, January 12, 2009, unpublished source.
Informed Consent is respecting a person's autonomy to make personal choices based on the appropriate appraisal of information about the actual and/or potential circumstances of a situation (Butts & Rich, 2008, p. 43)
Therefore, in order for me to publish photographs of my family, as I have done above, I have to have their written informed consent before using the pictures (which I have done).
My Opinion: Will a great understanding of ITC and the ethical issues it encompasses help us in our practice and daily lives?
ITC certainly has its place in our world and will continue to do so. Therefore having a good, if not great understanding of ITC will certainly help, particularly in our practice. ITC brings with it opportunities for us as therapists to tap into and use as means to enhance the lives of the clients with whom we work. It allows us to become creative and use these advancements to overcome challanges of the daily occupations of our clients. If we dont keep up with new technologies, we may be missing out!
Ethical issues in relation to online activities are very important and should be paramount in all ITC training. In recent years, our private lives have suddenly become public knowledge with the use of digital cameras, mobile phones cameras, surveillance equipment and media such as facebook, bebo and my space. Ethical issues have not been addressed nor have many of the users been educated in ethics. In both our practice and in our daily lives, we must ensure that ethical issues are considered especially in respect of privacy, confidentiality and copyright.
References:
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2008). Nursing ethics: across the curriculum and into practice. (2nd ed.). London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers International.
Tute 2: Digital Camera use and applications
Our 2nd tute was all about digital cameras. I don't know about you, but my digital cameras has almost become an accessory, travelling with me in my car or handbag to record all sorts of activities. Within an instant photographs can be taken, edited or deleted and then a bit later on can be posted anywhere in the world.
QUESTION: is it rare for a new technology to be superior to an old one in every feature?
In my opinion, I would say yes. There are always pros and cons of new technology and this is often due to the context in which the item is used or the personal value it holds for an individual. I have an old Baby Brownie which is a little box camera that takes a tiny film and has a little metal view finder with no glass in it, that you manually stand up. You can look inside it to see how it all works so its a great learning tool, something you can't do with a digital camera. It holds lots of memories too, of being allowed to use it when I was a child and I'm sure my mum remembers the pride she felt when it was first purchased and it seemed so compact! Many camera enthusiasts also love to compose their own photographs using traditional 35mm film cameras, just like they enjoy the process of developing their prints to ensure that the colours are represented as closely as possible to the originals. The prints from these cameras are undoubedly of superior quality! Digital camera technology is certainly improving rapidly and cameras are being manufactured to suit many purposes such as underwater and fully waterproof cameras and prices are becoming more affordable. My digital camera is used many times a week for home, sport, school and family but I still have the traditional 35mm film camera for when I'm feeling creative, the mobile phone camera when I'm at the supermarket and I don't know which shampoo to buy, the underwater disposable for when we are out diving and snorkelling and the old baby Brownie when I want to show a child how a camera works. Technology is great....but in my opinion, it will never out do the old ones in every feature.
Digital images can be stored, transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.
They can be stored on memory devices in mobile phones or cameras, on discs, memory sticks, on computer harddrives or on websites. They can then be photoshopped, cropped, rotated and changed in colour or size then transferred to other computers.
However ethical issues arise given the prevalence of image capturing devices.
The three things that spring to mind is copyright, privacy and confidentiality. With the dawn of digital technology, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the safe guarding of these ethical issues and all are breached regularly. To start with there are issues regarding creativity, representation, ownership and profit. (More to come on this subject)
Digital images are being used in Occuaptional Therapy practice and more opportunities are arising as technology continues.
Here are some examples:
Use of photographs to help explain equipment or use in a report; for example if equipment is damaged, a didgital photo could be included with a report.
Sourcing adaptive equipment using the internet to find websites that contain photographs and specifications such as DME Direct.
Video range of movement (ROM) of a patient.
From a therapeutic point of view, take a mental health patient for a walk and give them a camera to use. You can experience the walk from their perspective (J de Malmanche , personal communication, February 24, 2010).
Some facilities take a photograph of their clients each day for a record of what they are wearing that particular day, in case the person goes missing. This way an accurate description can be given to the police (personal communication, February 25, 2010).
Show activities enjoyed by patients/clients to enhance memories, decoration of facilities and to show families and friends.
Personal portfolios for children at school.
Resources:
www. dmedirect.co.nz
During this weeks tute, we explored Flickr.com
Fickr.com is a free online photo management website that allows you to store and share your photographs or videos with your friends.
On the site you can organise, edit such as cropping or removing red eye, share or even make cards, photo books or DVD's.
Photos can be uploaded via windows, email, webpages and mobile phones. The site is secure so give it a go! Just log on to Flickr.com and follow the prompts to sign up. Even a computer cluts like me managed it!
Other photo storage websites which offer similar services are Picassa Web Albums (PWA) which is a photograph sharing website from Google. It allows Google users 1GB of photograph storage for free and a paid service is available for further storage.
Before we were let loose with some digital cameras to demonstrate our photographic creativity, we learned a bit about the terminology.
So.... what is the difference between a digital and optical zoom?
A digital zoom is a feature of digital cameras which enlarges a portion of a photograph. In this process, the quality of the picture is compromised.
An optical zoom is using the lens (optics) in the camera to bring the subject closer.
A pixel is a tiny square of colour that makes up the picture of the digital screen, for example on the computer or camera screen. Mega means million, so a camera with 7.1 mega pixels means that each picture will contain 7.1 million minute squares of colour. The more pixels, the more detail will be contained in the picture.
So..with the theory done, we set out to take some photos and here are a few of our favourites....
QUESTION: is it rare for a new technology to be superior to an old one in every feature?
In my opinion, I would say yes. There are always pros and cons of new technology and this is often due to the context in which the item is used or the personal value it holds for an individual. I have an old Baby Brownie which is a little box camera that takes a tiny film and has a little metal view finder with no glass in it, that you manually stand up. You can look inside it to see how it all works so its a great learning tool, something you can't do with a digital camera. It holds lots of memories too, of being allowed to use it when I was a child and I'm sure my mum remembers the pride she felt when it was first purchased and it seemed so compact! Many camera enthusiasts also love to compose their own photographs using traditional 35mm film cameras, just like they enjoy the process of developing their prints to ensure that the colours are represented as closely as possible to the originals. The prints from these cameras are undoubedly of superior quality! Digital camera technology is certainly improving rapidly and cameras are being manufactured to suit many purposes such as underwater and fully waterproof cameras and prices are becoming more affordable. My digital camera is used many times a week for home, sport, school and family but I still have the traditional 35mm film camera for when I'm feeling creative, the mobile phone camera when I'm at the supermarket and I don't know which shampoo to buy, the underwater disposable for when we are out diving and snorkelling and the old baby Brownie when I want to show a child how a camera works. Technology is great....but in my opinion, it will never out do the old ones in every feature.
Digital images can be stored, transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.
They can be stored on memory devices in mobile phones or cameras, on discs, memory sticks, on computer harddrives or on websites. They can then be photoshopped, cropped, rotated and changed in colour or size then transferred to other computers.
However ethical issues arise given the prevalence of image capturing devices.
The three things that spring to mind is copyright, privacy and confidentiality. With the dawn of digital technology, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the safe guarding of these ethical issues and all are breached regularly. To start with there are issues regarding creativity, representation, ownership and profit. (More to come on this subject)
Digital images are being used in Occuaptional Therapy practice and more opportunities are arising as technology continues.
Here are some examples:
Use of photographs to help explain equipment or use in a report; for example if equipment is damaged, a didgital photo could be included with a report.
Sourcing adaptive equipment using the internet to find websites that contain photographs and specifications such as DME Direct.
Video range of movement (ROM) of a patient.
From a therapeutic point of view, take a mental health patient for a walk and give them a camera to use. You can experience the walk from their perspective (J de Malmanche , personal communication, February 24, 2010).
Some facilities take a photograph of their clients each day for a record of what they are wearing that particular day, in case the person goes missing. This way an accurate description can be given to the police (personal communication, February 25, 2010).
Show activities enjoyed by patients/clients to enhance memories, decoration of facilities and to show families and friends.
Personal portfolios for children at school.
Resources:
www. dmedirect.co.nz
During this weeks tute, we explored Flickr.com
Fickr.com is a free online photo management website that allows you to store and share your photographs or videos with your friends.
On the site you can organise, edit such as cropping or removing red eye, share or even make cards, photo books or DVD's.
Photos can be uploaded via windows, email, webpages and mobile phones. The site is secure so give it a go! Just log on to Flickr.com and follow the prompts to sign up. Even a computer cluts like me managed it!
Other photo storage websites which offer similar services are Picassa Web Albums (PWA) which is a photograph sharing website from Google. It allows Google users 1GB of photograph storage for free and a paid service is available for further storage.
Before we were let loose with some digital cameras to demonstrate our photographic creativity, we learned a bit about the terminology.
So.... what is the difference between a digital and optical zoom?
A digital zoom is a feature of digital cameras which enlarges a portion of a photograph. In this process, the quality of the picture is compromised.
An optical zoom is using the lens (optics) in the camera to bring the subject closer.
A pixel is a tiny square of colour that makes up the picture of the digital screen, for example on the computer or camera screen. Mega means million, so a camera with 7.1 mega pixels means that each picture will contain 7.1 million minute squares of colour. The more pixels, the more detail will be contained in the picture.
So..with the theory done, we set out to take some photos and here are a few of our favourites....
Saturday, March 13, 2010
So.... to demonstrate my learning throughout this course, I get to dazzle you with amazing knowledge, definitions and insight into technology in 2010 and beyond!
Tute 1: Information Technology is "the production, storage and communication of information using computers and electronic technology."
Information Communication Technology (ICT) "allow users to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technologies."
so... how is this form of technology prevelent in our society and how commonplace has it become?
Technology is all around us 24 hours a day and has become so commonplace, we fail to recognise it as 'technology'. In a day, I interact with various forms of IT almost continuously, from catching up with friends and family via instant messaging either on my mobile phone or email or going online to buy groceries, filling the car up with petrol and even in the running of our business. We are almost a cashless society and systems have become so easy to use, even the baby boomers are using it!
so what do I feel comfortable and competent using?
Im pretty confident using the banking systems including cashflow and credit cars. Email, digital cameras, video cameras, mobile phones and MSN are all sweet and I'm new to Facebook so I'm sure I'll be an expert at that soon!!!!!
Moodle definitely has its moments, as does my laptop but that's just because I'm a technophobe! Electronics in cars, the latest tvs, dvd players and photocopiers are a challenge thought....and the list goes on! Luckily I'm doing POI 1!
IT in OT....
Twice a year, we are lucky enough to go out on Fieldwork placements around NZ. Here we see IT being used in a variety of settings. In my Fieldwork experiences, there have been many forms of IT being used. Therapists are connected to other professionals via mobile phones, documents are emailed, scanned or stored for instant use when required. The Intranet holds documents of all descriptions and tests results were available for viewing by other practioners within the setting. The internet is accessed for sourcing information on equipment or for communications with outside agencies. In therapy, IT tools are used such as Wii, which simulates sports which encourages movement, creates distraction and improves function, dexterity and balance.
so... what are the ethical implications that arise from capturing, sharing and transferring information via IT devices, such as mobile phones.... or systems, such as the internet?
Privacy and confidentiality are major ethical implications. At present there are few laws to protect people against this, as global information transfer has exploded over the past two decades. Copyright and intellectual property have been around for longer and therefore there are more stingent laws around these. In time, laws will no doubt evolve.
The last three definitions for this post are....
Computer Ethics Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term used for human innovations and creativity that are capable of being protected under national law and international treaties. IP includes a diverse range of commercial assets from patents for new inventions through to copyright protected artworks.
Social Justice is "usually thought of in terms of how benefits and burdens should be distrubuted fairly among members of a society, or ideally, how all people in a society should have the same rights, benefits, and opportunities" (Butts & Rich, 2008, p. 49).
References:
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2008). Nursing ethics: across the curriculum and into practice. (2nd ed.). London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers International.
Crozier, J., Grandison, A., Hucker, H., McKeown, C., Summers, E., & Weber, P. (Eds.). (2008). Collins essential English dictionary. (3rd ed.). Italy: HarperCollins Publishers.
Computer ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics
Information Communication Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Communication_technology
Intellectual Property. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms/what-is-ip/what-is-intellectual-property
Tute 1: Information Technology is "the production, storage and communication of information using computers and electronic technology."
Information Communication Technology (ICT) "allow users to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technologies."
so... how is this form of technology prevelent in our society and how commonplace has it become?
Technology is all around us 24 hours a day and has become so commonplace, we fail to recognise it as 'technology'. In a day, I interact with various forms of IT almost continuously, from catching up with friends and family via instant messaging either on my mobile phone or email or going online to buy groceries, filling the car up with petrol and even in the running of our business. We are almost a cashless society and systems have become so easy to use, even the baby boomers are using it!
so what do I feel comfortable and competent using?
Im pretty confident using the banking systems including cashflow and credit cars. Email, digital cameras, video cameras, mobile phones and MSN are all sweet and I'm new to Facebook so I'm sure I'll be an expert at that soon!!!!!
Moodle definitely has its moments, as does my laptop but that's just because I'm a technophobe! Electronics in cars, the latest tvs, dvd players and photocopiers are a challenge thought....and the list goes on! Luckily I'm doing POI 1!
IT in OT....
Twice a year, we are lucky enough to go out on Fieldwork placements around NZ. Here we see IT being used in a variety of settings. In my Fieldwork experiences, there have been many forms of IT being used. Therapists are connected to other professionals via mobile phones, documents are emailed, scanned or stored for instant use when required. The Intranet holds documents of all descriptions and tests results were available for viewing by other practioners within the setting. The internet is accessed for sourcing information on equipment or for communications with outside agencies. In therapy, IT tools are used such as Wii, which simulates sports which encourages movement, creates distraction and improves function, dexterity and balance.
so... what are the ethical implications that arise from capturing, sharing and transferring information via IT devices, such as mobile phones.... or systems, such as the internet?
Privacy and confidentiality are major ethical implications. At present there are few laws to protect people against this, as global information transfer has exploded over the past two decades. Copyright and intellectual property have been around for longer and therefore there are more stingent laws around these. In time, laws will no doubt evolve.
The last three definitions for this post are....
Computer Ethics Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term used for human innovations and creativity that are capable of being protected under national law and international treaties. IP includes a diverse range of commercial assets from patents for new inventions through to copyright protected artworks.
Social Justice is "usually thought of in terms of how benefits and burdens should be distrubuted fairly among members of a society, or ideally, how all people in a society should have the same rights, benefits, and opportunities" (Butts & Rich, 2008, p. 49).
References:
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2008). Nursing ethics: across the curriculum and into practice. (2nd ed.). London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers International.
Crozier, J., Grandison, A., Hucker, H., McKeown, C., Summers, E., & Weber, P. (Eds.). (2008). Collins essential English dictionary. (3rd ed.). Italy: HarperCollins Publishers.
Computer ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics
Information Communication Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Communication_technology
Intellectual Property. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms/what-is-ip/what-is-intellectual-property
Thursday, March 4, 2010
WELCOME TO MY BLOG!
Hi! I am a 2nd year Occupational Therapy Student completing a paper called "Participation in Occupation 1." The purpose of this paper is to introduce technology as a useful and meaningful way that people can engage in occupations using technology and how this can be incorporated into therapy.
The assessment of this paper is to create a blog and then write a report to showing how the technology could be used and /or adapted to meet the individual needs of a client.
I hope you enjoy my learning process! :)
andiiR
The assessment of this paper is to create a blog and then write a report to showing how the technology could be used and /or adapted to meet the individual needs of a client.
I hope you enjoy my learning process! :)
andiiR
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