Tutorial 1

This blog is for level 2 occupational therapy students for one of our papers participation in occupation 1.
Technology is defined by wordnet as the practical application of science to commerce of industry.
wordnet also defines communication technology as the activity of designing and constructing and maintaing communication systems.


So basically this is the different ways that we communicate with each other such as through the internet, cellphone, mail etc.


Information technology as the branch of engineering that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information.


so information technology is a way of sharing are receiving data such as through internet, cellphones, usb etc.


In todays society technology is everywhere in our lives it is in our home, schools, communities. It has become very common place for most people. It is used in most peoples lives.

The IT device that i am comfortable using is a cellphone, i find it easy to know what to do, which buttons to push, and how to make calls and text and how to use it to the best of it's ability. This can limit my knowledge because if i just stay with the phone i know and can use i won't be able to keep up with the new modification such as the iphone with "apps" and internet.


IT is being used in OT practice through computers, cellphones, digital camera, wii's, ipad and more. On my placement computer were used to type notes and email, cellphones and telephones were used to communicate with staff and patients as well as patients families and digital camera were used to take photo's of clients homes so that they were able to be reviewed for housing modifications.
Some problems that exist around using IT is that some people prefer to keep a hard copy of notes so they write them out as well as if you don't check you emails everyday you may not get information that is important. A benefit that i think IT brings is that it allow you to communicates with other services and professions faster, if notes were typed it would be easier to read some people have the worst writing and you can't make out what they are saying. A greater understanding of IT helps OT to communicate faster like i said before but it also allows us to find out new and useful information it provides a learning platform as well as you can show and explain things easier through photographs.
the ethical considerations is that if you were to take photo of a client or their home is that you would need to get permission first off as well as be careful of what you do with the photo's such as keeping it confidential.


There can be ethical implications such as photo or information that you don't wish to be on the internet put on as well as a new form of bullying through texting or facebook. The main ethical consideration with IT would be reliability with both hardware and software making sure that these devices are legitimately produces and manufactured as well as making sure that the software that you are downloading is not illegal. Also there is an issue around permission of information, photos and video of people on the Internet that people can put up without their permission.

Intellectual property is ‘Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs.  Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of broadcasters in their radio and television program’ (Wipo, 2011). So thing that you have personally come up with that you claim as your own

‘Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and soildarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being’.(wikipedia, 2011) So everyone has equal opportunities and rights.

‘Informed consent is a phrase often used in law to indicate that the consent a person gives meets certain minimum standards. As a literal matter, in the absence of fraud, it is redundant. An informed consent can be said to have been given based upon a clear appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications, and future consequences of an action’(wikipedia 2011) having full understanding and knowledge of something and consenting to it.

Wikipedia, 2010: Social Justice, Retrieved on 16^th May 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice

Wikipedia, 2010: Informed Consent, Retrieved on 16^th May 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent

Wipo, 2011: What is intellectual property, retrieved on 16^th May 2010 from

http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/

Sorry James that my tutorials are all over the place I did them at different times and i'm not sure how to rearrange them

Tutorial 6

A topic that is of interest to me is how people communicate online.


Facebook- is a social networking site its allows you to connect with friends, family and businesses through this site is also allows to play game and socialize. This site is very interactive because you can actively talk to people on the site as well as post messages on peoples pages, A way to contribute is to post things on your pages as well as communicating with others you can make events and invite people to them you can also play games. People choose to contribute to this community because it is a way to keep in touch with friends as well as you can join group where people share a similar interest as you and you are able to relate to them through it. Once information is posted on facebook you can take it off but sometimes people out photo's up of you and they "tag" you in them and you might not want them up there and so that is where ethical issues come into it or someone can put up a post about you that you don't want up there. With facebook it has you name on it and pictures but some people can make false accounts and pretend to be people. i think that facebook is a nested community because it a community the can contain a lot of other communities such as cultural and organisation.
http://www.facebook.com/login.php



Twitter -Is a social networking service and it allows the people who use it to send and read message that are called 'tweets'. The Tweets are posts that can be put on the users profile but only display up to 140 characters. Tweets are publicly visible but can be restrict to jus the person followers. Users may subscribe to other uses such as friends they can even follow celebrities and you can follow you interests. The purpose of this site is to connect people socially through another medium. The site is interactive because you can post tweets and follow other people tweets. People contribute to this community because they want to socialise and they can find out what other people are doing around the world and share information on what they are doing, i think that the ethical issues is that tweets can be about people and information can be shared that they don't want to be shared and again i feel that this community is a nest one because it have more then one community in it it has cultural and people from didn't occupations. 
http://twitter.com/


Youtube- YouTube is a video sharing website where people can upload, share and view videos. The purpose of this site is to share information. The site is interactive through being able to watch or upload videos of you choice. you can contribute by making a video or even just simply following someone who does or posting comments on videos. People choose to contribute to this community to get there idea out there or just to show something that they find interesting to the world. You could have a lack of identity on youtube because you don't have to post or have a video to view and follow people on youtube. Again i feel that this is a nest community because it has more then one cultural there are so many different people from different area and walks of life. the ethical issue is that people can put videos of you up on youtube that you don't want up there.
http://www.youtube.com/

Tutorial 8

Assistive technology is defined by wikipedia as Assistive technology (AT) is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. So pretty much assistive technology is equipment the enables or helps people with disabilities to participate in a lot of different ways such as communication, education, work, recreation.

Assistive technology (AT) has been an important tool since the origins of the occupational therapy profession. For years, therapists have and used different types of low-tech devices, such as reaches, button hook, pencil grips, and other pieces of adaptive equipment to promote functional independence in that clients.

We use the term assistive technology to refer to as a broad range of devices, services strategies and practices that are conserved and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities

Any item, piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Hz8dhQw8Q

The iPad is a flat, rectangular computer with a large, 9-7-inch touchscreen on its face. It is 0.5 inches thick and its light weight. It come in six models 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB with or without 3G connectivity, and the price starts at $799.


iPads have the ability for you to download application that you can put onto the Ipad, this is reliatve to occupational therapy through different ways the audio based software allows you to convert commands into vocal words this can help someone who is has hearing problem so even stroke patients, the touch screen allows people with limited mobility a more accessible option, it has voice over option so blind people can use it i think that the main tool that it can be used for would be intellectual disabled children there are apps that you can download that help with learning and speech and it can provide non verbal children with a way to communicate.


An example in the lecture of an ipad and the use of OT was when Dave brought out the ipad and told us about the different 'apps' that you can download to help kids with intellectual disabilities learn one that sticks in mind is that story he told us about the teacher was teaching a class of intellectually disabled children and how she couldn't get them to focus or listen to her so she used the iPad application i'm not sure what is was called but she put the ipad in front of her face and there was a monster face that she was talking through it and as she talked the ipad face lips moved and the kids listened. 

Case-Smith, J. (2005) Occupational therapy for children (5^th ed.), Elsevier Mosby, St Louis, Missouri.

Cook, A., & Hussey, S. (1995). Assistive technologies: Principals and practice. Chicago: Mosby.

Tutorial 2

Hardware is the general term for the physical artifacts of a technology the hardware that i am familiar with is USB which is a flash memory data storage, it is typically removable and rewritable when studying occupational therapy you need one of these we film videos for assessment and having a usb helps you to transfer the video or photo's from one computer to another. Another Hardware is a external hard drive this stores you valuable data and adds a considerable level of safety and security. Software is digitally stored data, such as written programs or procedures, the software that i am familiar with is iphoto - this is an image management application, it allows the user to import photographs from camera, or disks and edit them. photo booth is another software i am familiar with this allows you to shoot videos and clips and send and upload them, you can add effects and backdrops to the photos. Another software is adobe photoshop this allow you to edit photo's

The use of digital imaging to provide information and recording would be that allows to to take still or moving pictures of your life that you are able to look back on when you are older or even the next day, it allows you to store memories, another use is for media information such as the newspaper people are able to take photo in completely different countries, cultures, religions and we are able to view them and get information about what is happening around the world. You can also use digital imaging to make website with pictures, writing and links about what you website is about and you are able to put this information on the internet and share it with everyone.

' New technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature'

With technology changing constantly new versions are coming out constantly this statement as an element of true and false because they are developing more and different technology everyday sometime an upgraded camera only has one feature that is different or even just a different style and all the software is the same, also some people have these expensive cameras will all this software on them and they don't even know how to use it, but other times they change altogether a digital camera that i brought 5 years ago is so out of date it's chunky and there are no fancy software pretty much just takes a photo, my friend now has a camera where you can see the photo that is being taken from the angle that the person who is getting their picture taken view.
The pluses and minuses of digital versus film camera are that digital you can get more pixal's so you can blow up the photo bigger as well as a zoom in and out option, you can change the background such as black and white or sepia, as well as you are able to view the photo that you have taken to see if it is any good or now the only thing is that they often break easily and are expensive. With film you get a chance to development and the thrill of not knowing what the photos look like this can also be a negative but people who enjoying being in a red room and developing themselves are able to, you can disposal cameras that are film which i buy sometimes when i am going somewhere and i want to take photos but i'm scared that i might loose my camera so i buy a cheap disposable and take photos and it doesn't matter if i break it or loose it.

Ethical issues are that people upload video's or photos without people permisson and they are posted all over the internet such as website like facebook and youtube. Other example would be people like celebrities they get followed around by people who take photo's of them such as when they get out of a car they take photo up there dresses for a story, and google earth people went around and took photos of peoples houses and streets without the peoples knowledge. This can also be good though for example at my cousins 21st she has it at a tennis club and some people came and crashed it and a picture that was hanging on the wall ended up being taken. This person who stole the picture was stupid enough to take it to a concert and got snapped in a picture taken by an event photographer and the they were able to find her and the picture was returned.

digital images can be used in OT for home visits such as taken pictures of the layout of the house and the entry, as well as taking pictures of clients with there permission, on my placement we had one client that had family overseas and they expressed that they would like a picture of this client so we took a picture and sent it to her family. Also when you are looking at buying adaptive equipment for a client you can look at manuals and see what kind of equipment you want and what it looks like you can also show the client to see if they like it and they are able to get a better understanding of it.

Tutorial 7

The 5 blogs that i choose relate to OT

(B)e(LO)n(G), OT- Follow the exploits of this OT practitioner as she helps others increase their ability to perform tasks.
http://otstudents.blogspot.com/ 

Wiihab- An interesting look at using look at using the Nintendo as a tool. http://wiihabtherapy.blogspot.com/ 

Gosh, that's neat; -An enthusiastic look at OT, and helping others.
 http://www.goshthatsneat.com/ 

Health skills- this is about chronic pain management and healthy, allowing you to overcome the physical problems if pain, and functioning as a profession.
 http://healthskills.wordpress.com/

Kara's OT Blog- Get a good perspective on life and OT with insights from this therapist. http://karajojo.blogspot.com/


I also commented on Stu's blog
http://stupearce.blogspot.com/