Tutorial Eight: Posting You Tube videos and Flickr Badges to blogs

Rather than writing, here's a short video on how to embed You Tube videos into blogs:



Flickr badges can also be embedded into blogs, enabling photos to be seen by others:

Tutorial Seven: Assistive technology

This week we looked at assistive technology and the role it plays for people with disabilities.
What is assistive technology?
According to Cook & Hussey (1995), assistive technology is: "a broad range of devices, services, strategies and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities." An assistive technology device is seen as any item, equipment or product system that is either acquired commercially, modified or customised that is used to increase or improve functional capacities of individuals with disabilities.
One example of an assistive devices are switches, which are able to be plugged into any electrical device, enabling the user to send messages to it via a simple series of taps or movements. One example is the wobble switch.
The wobble switch
This is a 100mm wand, connected to a switch, which can be used to control various devices such as computers and electrical equipment. It is activated by swiping it in any direction and is good for those with limited motor control. It costs $330 ext GST through Star Educational: (www.star-educational.co.nz/view_details.php?detail=true&cat=66&subcat=&id=160)
This device will enable users to operate electrical devices such as cooking equipment, computers, lights and heaters; which in turn increase their independence in their home and work environments.
Check out www.star-educational.co.nz for more information on assistive devices.

Tutorial Six: Online communities

Online communities are groups of people who communicate or interact through the internet. Usually they have a common interest or goal and can share a large amount of information quickly and cheaply. One example of this is the JET programme online forum at www.jetprogramme.org/forums. The JET programme is an international exchange programme where participants work in Japan, teaching English at schools and working with the community to provide international exchange and understanding. People are employed from around the world and placed throughout Japan, with approximately 4000 participants each year. The online forum is based on the official JET website as a way of providing information for current, future and past participants on the programme. It links those who are spread over a wide geographical area and provides an instant base for advice and support. It also provides a means for those who are thinking about applying or past participants, who may be anywhere in the world; to keep in touch with current news and information. It is monitored and has an administrator, who makes keeps an eye on the content. People can be ranked according to their contributions to the community. Some areas it has information on are living in Japan, teaching ideas, Japanese language, mental health and support areas, news from alumni associations as well as a general area for chat. One of the more common examples of a posting is on life in a small town in Japan. New participants who are based in a small town, which may not have any other foreigners living in it, use the forum to ask advice from those who have already been in the same situation.

Some of the possible ethical issues that may arise from using a website such as this is the amount of subjective information; based on others opinions rather than facts. This can mean that although a large amount of information is helpful, some of it may not be. The site is also under threat from spammers and commercial influences, trying to sell products, although this is minimised by having a moderator present. One down side to an online community is that it lacks the face to face socialisation of a general community, although the JET programme counteracts this by having a very strong network and community set up throughout Japan, with regular events, meetings and informal social gatherings for participants.

Tutorial Four and Five: Video production

As well as providing us with a means of sharing information, photos and personal opinions; the internet is used to share short videos. Sites such as YouTube allow us to upload short videos and share them with others.Check out www.youtube.com for more info.

So, in order to learn about video production, we made short videos which are posted on YouTube. In order to make an effective film within the given time frame of 30 seconds, planning was required by our group. Given the subject of ‘overcoming adversity’, we then looked to writing a short script. Scripts are ways the thoughts and ideas of the writers are transmitted to the intended audience and consist of both dialogue or words, and what is seen, such as expressions of characters, movement, lighting, special effects and camera angles amongst others. After discussion amongst the group, we came up with the idea of trying to get into a locked toilet. We planned who was going to be in it, where and how we were to film it, the sequence of filming and where the camera should be placed for different shots. From this, we drew up a story board of our film to show the exact sequence of filming. Storyboards are a series of pictures of each shot, used to help visualise the film and find any potential problems before they occur. As we were working as a group, the storyboard gave us the means to check that everyone had the same vision for the film and allowed for input on different ways to do things. Using this, we were able to shot and edit the film quickly; giving us the result we wanted. To see the result, check out the YouTube link!

Tutorial Three: Blogs

As a requirement for this paper, we must set up and update a regular blog with information learnt from the course. A blog is a website, where people can set up their own personal page and update it with any information they want to share. It can be written like a diary, a journal, a travel log, a political voice, anything the author wants. It is interactive, with others able to view and comment on it and the information can be linked to a variety of other internet sites. It is fully controlled by the author, who can set it up with their own personal preferences, control who views it and edit any comments that others put on it. It can also be used to link people with common interests, as well as sharing photos and website links that they may think others will find interesting. Blogger.com is one of the main websites offering a simple way to get into this, however there are others such as twitter and facebook, which allow basic blogs, through to specialist blog sites in different subject matters. (Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com)
So, blogging is a great way of sharing information and gives us as students a chance to record our learning during this course and share it with others.

Tutorial Two: Digital cameras

We are now moving on to look at digital cameras and their uses:
As technology develops, it replaces old versions which are often lost forever. However there can be some features of the old technology that the new ones just cannot replace. “A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature.” This statement can be particularly seen in the development of digital cameras. The use of digital cameras and the technology within them is growing rapidly. Now days it is rare to see a film camera in use. Although digital cameras have the plus side of producing an instant image, which can be edited or deleted and is able to be stored on a computer rather than bulky photo albums, there is also a down side to them. As the image is instant, the element of surprise of what the photos will turn out like is gone. The nostalgia (or horror) that comes from looking through photos developed weeks after a holiday is not there, as the photos are able to be viewed straight away and deleted if they are bad! Digital cameras also require more equipment in order to use them. Although they are much smaller in size, they do require at minimum, memory cards to store the photos on. In order to edit and store large amounts of photos, a computer is required, which can be costly, especially if editing software is required. In order to do this, cords are also required to connect the two.

Digital Images:
As well as digital cameras, images can be stored, transferred and manipulated in a variety of other means such as mobile phones, CCTV cameras and digital video recorders. With the prevalence in society of devices that capture images, ethic issues need to be considered when using them. These can include the issue of informed consent by the person who is in the images and the ability to take photos without people knowing. Cameras can be lost or stolen, with images falling into the wrong hands. Photos can also be edited very easily, manipulated to different purposes other than the original. Digital images are frequently being used in OT practice, as ways of assessing and analysing occupational performance, as well as incorporating them into treatment plans and evaluations.
Flickr (www.flickr.com) – This is an internet based photo storage programme, where photos are able to be stored as well as shared and used by others. (Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/about/)
Other photo sharing sites include:
http://photobucket.com/
Windows live
Facebook.

Digital and optical zoom: Digital zoom is when the image is cropped and the enlarged by the computer, which reduces the picture quality. Optical zoom is when the image is magnified by the lens itself and produces a better quality image. (Retrieved from http://www.frogprints.co.nz/help/focal.cfm)
Megapixel: Digital images are made up of millions of small tile like elements which are called pixels. A million pixels are called a mega pixel. The more megapixels in an image means that it is clearer, with better definition. (Retrieved from http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-features/camera-parts/megapixels/)

Tutorial One: Information technology and ethics

Here goes the first blog attempt!

As a requirement for the Otago Polytechnic Bachelor of Occupational Therapy course, we are looking at information technology and its place in today’s society. Information technology is the production, storage and communication of information using computers and micro electrics. Over the past 20 years it has become increasingly commonplace in our society, affecting almost everything we do. Computers and electronic equipment are seen in the majority of households and business in New Zealand and most people have at least a basic knowledge of how to use them. Information is moved between people faster than ever, with the aid of technology.

Some IT devices or systems that are fairly commonplace in everyday life to produce and communicate information are: telephones, mobile phones, satellites, MP3 players, DVD players/ recorders, books, computer programmes (word, PowerPoint etc), internet applications (e-mail, social network sites, search engines etc).IT is used frequently within occupational therapy practice, for both practitioners and clients. From computers and internet which both provide information (Websites, e-mails) as well as a way of storing and sharing it; through to assistive technology to aid clients to complete meaningful occupations for them, the role of IT is growing within the profession.

Many ethical issues arise from the use of technology, especially as it rapidly grows and more information is available for everyone to see. Some useful terms to know are:

Ethics: these are moral principles that guide the way we act and behave and therefore computer ethics are principles that guide the use of computers. (Retrieved from http://www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics).

Privacy: The idea of privacy can be seen as the restriction of access to materials, however the definition is rapidly changing in terms of information technology as the boundaries become blurred between public and private information. (Bynum & Rogerson, 2004)

Intellectual property: or who owns what on the internet. Those who create or own information can make a lot of money from copyrights, however as the information can so easily be changed on the internet, policing this becomes difficult. (Bynum & Rogerson, 2004).

Informed consent: This is when a person has given consent for something when they have a clear understanding of what it is and the implications of that action. (Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent). This can be a huge issue with technology, especially with the growth of digital images and the ability to edit items.

Social Justice: The access to information for everyone can also mean that those who are unable to access technology may miss out on advantages that are available to those who can. This means that society must develop practices and adaptive technologies in order to allow access to those such as the elderly, people with disabilities and those on limited incomes. (Bynum & Rogerson, 2004).