How does the Go Talk increase functional capacity

Communication boards are a different way of communicating for those who cannot articulate their needs or desires verbally. The Go Talk has 9 buttons where pictures to represent the message can be inserted. Some children may not be able to read but a visual cue maybe understood. When the button is pressed the associated recorded message is read out. The individual can hear what they are trying to say. Messages can be recorded and re-recorded as many times as necessary, additionally different levels mean that the Go Talk has a capacity of 42 messages.

Communication boards can help children who can't verbalise to interact with others, to convey needs to others and even to support the home team at the football!! In addition, communication boards can be used to facilitate learning. The buttons can represent answers and this gives the student a method of verbally answering questions which may be important in a classroom situation.

Go Talk: Communication Board

The Go Talk communication board is a tablet with the following features:

• 9 message keys, each 1.75" x 2.25", record 8 seconds each.
• 5 recording levels.
• 3 core messages of 12 seconds each.
• 42 messages in addition to the core messages.
• 8.5 minutes of total recording time.

It is 9" x 12" x 7/8", (just larger than A4) and therefore very portable.

The Go Talk 9+ is $199 US dollars, which converts to $263 NZ dollars.

Definition of Assistive Technology

According to the public law 100-407 (2000, cited in Cook & Hussey, 2000), 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." (p5)

Reference
Cook, A. M. & Hussey, S. M. (2000). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. USA: Mosby

You Tube

So to add You Tube footage:
1. Find You Tube tags - OT, participation, students, dunedin
2. Copy link
3. Go to blog
4. Add an element
5. Go to Video clip
6. Add title and paste code into description
7. Voila!

Flickr badge

So to add a Flickr badge:
1. Log on to your Flickr account
2. Upload photos
3. Help - Tools
4. Create a Flickr badge
5. Choose a layout
6. Choose colours of the background
7. Save changes and copy the code
8. Go to blog
9. Add an element
10. Go to Java html
11. Add title and paste code into description
12. Voila!

Our video footage

We were given 20 minutes to produce a short video clip about us. Therefore we needed to plan what we wanted to do before getting the equipment. The idea was to represent a typical day in our lives. This is idea was simple and easy for the viewer to understand. We decided to use 30 second clips of 6 different key ideas. Sleep, coffee, driving to college, lecture, student flat and exercise.

We used a storyboard to pre-visualize the video idea. The storyboard is a series of blank boxes where visual shot ideas can be drawn. Against each shot the equipment and location can be identified. Through using storyboards time 'on set' is not wasted. Ideally we would have thought about lighting, facial expressions, special effects and shot composition. The reality is that with 20 minutes to complete filming this is not really possible.

You Tube

You tube is a website which people can upload video footage of themselves. The idea behind You Tube is to broadcast yourself. It also offers a community page with groups and contests. Test tube is the ideas incubator and offers active sharing (a feature where you can share with other users the videos that you're watching), audioswap (a feature that allows you to attach licenced music to video clip) and streaming (a feature that connects you with others watching the same video).

Services offered by Blogger

Blogger is run by google and provides a templates for a personal blog. It has the technology to allow you to attach photos, videos, post blog and create links to other sites or blogs. There are access controls to allow you to control who can read and write to your blog and group blogs are possible. Blogger profiles allow you to find people that share your interests. Mobile blogger lets you send photos and text straight to you blog from your phone (only available in the US).

Another blog host is BlogoMonster

Real communities

There are various technological negative issues around the use of online communities. They are:
Misuse
Technological compatibility
Who sustains, monitors and regulates the community
Is the information valid (not such an issue in this case - books are very subjective)
Communication limited to posting comments.
(Sunderland, 2008)

In addition to these issues, online communities may start to take over from the real community for some individuals. This over reliance can mean withdrawal from the social interaction with people in their area.

Benefits of online communities

They can provide large amounts of information
They can provide connections over great distances instantly
They provide the means to connect with people of similar interests/needs/ concerns
They can help to promote understanding and a sense of community
They can allow silent participation before active involvement
They are usually free
They offer individuals a way to be heard without discrimination
If monitored well then users can be regulated

(Sunderland, 2008)

Ethical issues

Book crossing requires you to give an email address and password to log in. These details are not displayed on the site, only your user name is given and the information you give in your profile. Some people choose to add their picture whilst others do not. I chose not to include any personal information in my introductory note so I can remain anonymous. Tracking books across the globe does not pose too many ethical issues although littering was discussed in one online forum. Members can be passive and just view conversations of others or can get more actively involved and join discussion groups.

Topics up for discussion

This person is trying to read and release books with Authors beginning with every letter of the alphabet. Others have posted their lists too.

A- Mark Abley: Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages
B-
C- Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
D- Nicholas Drayson: Confessing a Murder
E-
F- Thomas Frank: What's the Matter with Kansas?
G- Michael Gruber: The Book of Air and Shadows
H- Daoud Hari: The Translator
I- Kazuo Ishiguro- Never Let Me Go
J-
K- Nikos Kazantzakis: The Last Temptation
L-
M-
N- Irene Nemirovsky: Suite Francaise
O-
P- Pramoedya Ananata Toer: All That is Gone
Q-
R-
S- Ian Sansom: The Case of the Missing Books
T-
U-
V-
W-
X-
Y-
Z-

Why why why?

I have joined book crossing because I love reading and love the idea of sharing books with others. I also enjoy talking about good books with other bookworms. The idea of sending a book on a journey across the world is an incredible idea and a real demonstration of the power of the world wide web (although it should be noted that this idea originally started by people leaving books with notes in them and just hoping). Through the internet it is now possible to follow the journey of the book. People are seeking interaction with others with similar interests. Members may want to contribute to this site to share information with others.

Online communities

http://www.bookcrossing.com

This community is about sharing books across the world. Members enter the ISBN number of the book onto the website and then release the book 'into the wild'. On the website the release details of the book are entered and in this way the book can be tracked on it's journey. The chosen book is left at a book crossing point (the nearest to us in Dunedin is the museum reserve) with a label inside giving brief details of the book crossing concept and website address. Hopefully somebody picks up the book, reads it and then repeats the process - releasing it again into the wild. You can track the journey of your book across the globe.

On this site you can make friends, search for books, track your book, enter a message on one of the many forums that cover everything from book crossing challenges to book wish lists. Newsletter and book crossing conventions are also detailed. The site is very interactive and new members are encouraged to write a short introduction message.

A typical day

Digital zoom and Optical zoom - what's the difference?

Optical zooms offer much better quality than digital zooms. The reason is in the way the camera zooms. Optical zooms magnify as they zoom in - this means that none of the quality is lost. However digital zooms merely crop the image and then enlarge it. Therefore the number of pixels remain the same but are enlarged. The resulting image may be fuzzy or pixelated and the quality is less.

A megapixel (MP) is one million pixels. Most digital cameras have between 2MP and 5MP.

Flickr.com

Flickr.com is a photo storage, management and photo community site. It is site where you can upload your photos and organise them. You can select a privacy setting to control whether they are to be viewed only by yourself, by others by invite or by anybody. If you wish to share them, they enter into a photographic pool of images for all to accesss. Flickr offers a database of images that can be sorted by tags, locations or dates.

On this site you can join a common interest group where you can share photos, videos and chat using the discussion boards. You can also make prints, calling cards, photo books, slideshow DVDs, postage stamps and calendars.

Photobucket.com is another photo storage website that offers similar services to Flickr.com

How are digital images being used in OT practice?

The key use of digital images is in house modifications. Taking pictures saves time and provides accurate records for writing reports.

Digital images may be used as part of in-service training.

ICT and ethical issues - Why is it important to understand?

Information communication technology is what it says it is. It's about using technology to communicate information. Ethically we need to consider what information is appropriate to communicate with others and to whom. The technology is the means by which we transfer the information. With the development of the world wide web it is possible to communicate information globally in seconds, but how is this information being controlled? Is it secure? Are we able to remain private if we chose? I can't control others putting pictures of me on the internet, is this a breach of my right to privacy?

With so much information available it should be asked whether the information is accurate. Wikipedia has provided the definitions given in this blog. However the information in wikipedia is donated by the general public - not approved specialists. Anybody can write anything on it. This site is used by millions around the world and it is likely that inaccuracies would be noted and amended fairly quickly therefore it is monitored in an unofficial way, but it is important to consider the validity and reliability of information.

In the OT setting it is important to be aware of the potential issues that can breach patient confidentiality. Things like ensuring that you log off computers, you close doors when on the telephone to a client and the patient is asked for their informed consent if their address is required for a builder to quote for house modifications. To summarize, it is important to be aware of the ethical issues surrounding the use of ICT in order to protect ourselves and others.

Definition 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 May 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_Consent

Definition of Social Justice

Social justice refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. The term can be amorphous and refer to sometimes self-contradictory values of justice. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society. (Different proponents of social justice have developed different interpretations of what constitutes fair treatment and an impartial share.) It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.
Social justice is both a philosophical problem and an important issue in politics, religion and civil society. Most individuals wish to live in a just society, but different political ideologies have different conceptions of what a 'just society' actually is.

Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice

Definition of Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is a legal field that refers to creations of the mind such as musical, literary, and artistic works; inventions; and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and related rights. Under intellectual property law, the holder of one of these abstract "properties" has certain exclusive rights to the creative work, commercial symbol, or invention which is covered by it.

Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

Ethical Implications for capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices.

The ethical implications that I witnessed on placement were essentially privacy issues. Faxing patient addresses to a builder to obtain quotes was one example. Consent may be obtained from the patient but controlling the faxed information at the recipients end is impossible. Likewise the departmental camera may have stored images of patient's homes. These images should be used for the intended purpose of report writing and then erased. However, it would be easy to forget to erase these pictures. Follow up calls were made to patients after discharge home. The OT office was directly opposite the physiotherapy reception / waiting room and with the door open it would be easy for patient information to be overheard.

Within the office the internet was available to permanent members of staff for research purposes. Personal use of the internet is not controlled and it is up to each staff member to make an ethical decision about whether to misuse this device in this way.

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 May 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics

Fieldwork and ICT

I have just been on placement and worked on the orthopaedic ward of Tauranga hospital. The ICT used in this setting were as follows:

Email - communication.
Fax - referrals received via fax. Building quotes faxed through.
Pager - all staff carried pagers so that they could be contacted whilst on the wards.
Digital camera - taken on home visits to record house details visually.
Client notes - handwritten but summarised on computers.
Eclipse - software used by all OT's to input hours worked against patient details.
Cell phones - used on home visits.
Internet - research
Powerpoint presentation - in-service meetings
Telephone - patient follow up calls, telephone conferences

ICT devices and me

I am a little old school in my ways. I like photo albums and on some occasions I just like to remember events in my mind, rather than interrupt the natural flow of things by gathering folk together into an unnatural pose for a photo opportunity. Having said that, I have joined the digital camera club and I do find it a great and inexpensive way to send pictures home to my family. Coming to New Zealand to study has meant that I've had to drag myself into the 21st Century and become more techno-savvy. It has also meant that my family have been forced to do the same. My mother, who owns a mobile but prefers not to turn it on (ever), has had to master email and Skype (telephoning or video linking using a web camera via the internet) in order to stay in touch without expense.

I use a broad range of ICT devices: text messaging, internet (email, skype, research, banking), library catalogues, PC to write assignments, digital cameras, telephone, pager (used in hospitals by staff) and radio. There are probably more.

Facebook is an social networking site that I have joined in order to keep up to date with friends overseas. I don't edit my profile or add pictures because I'm uncomfortable with personal details and information being available to others on the world wide web. I don't wholly trust that these sites are secure and only those that you have 'invited' can view them. Also, if friends put photos on their profile that include you, you're powerless to do anything about it. It's all very unnerving for the more private individual. It is a very time consuming activity and can be overwhelming with the number of 'friends' that you have to keep up with. I remain a very inactive member of the facebook phenomenon.

Information Communication Technology and society

Communication is not a new phenomena to society. The definition provided in the last blog entry states that any method for recording information (be that as simple as pen and paper) and broadcasting information is a form of information communication technology (ICT). Does that mean that examples of Maori rock art are infact the first forms of ICT in New Zealand? I guess the dyes used were the technology of that time. So ICT is prevalent and has been throughout time. The changes exist in the technology now available to us. Chalk and blackboard was prevalent in schools in the past and nowadays teachers use interactive whiteboards (though not in all societies)

Nowadays the technology is advanced and we tend to think that the technological element of ICT relates to some sort of electronics - whether it be computers, radio, television, mobile phones, the internet or digital cameras to name but a few. These products are all around us, whether we notice them or not. They are becoming more accessible to the general public as prices become more affordable. It is more surprising to find someone that doesn't own a mobile phone or digital camera than to find someone who does. Yet ten years ago these products were rarities.

ICT is seen as common place now and in the future; it is a core subject in primary and secondary schools and if you're not computer literate it is almost as disabling as being unable to read or write in Western society. This is my first attempt at blogging and it's certainly a learning curve, not in the sense of mastering how to use the tool, more in the sense of why we would want to add another labour intensive task to our lives. I'm hoping that the benefits will begin to emerge soon.

Definition of Information Communications Technology

Information Communications Technology - or technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term that includes all technologies for the communication of information. It encompasses: any medium to record information (whether paper, pen, magnetic disk/ tape, optical disks - CD/DVD, flash memory etc. etc.); and also technology for broadcasting information - radio, television,; any technology for communicating through voice and sound or images- microphone, camera, loudspeaker, telephone to cellular phones.

Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Communication_technology

Ethical stuff

Now that image capturing devices are so prevalent there are certain ethical issues, namely privacy. Basically, in public places you can be photographed without consent and your picture used by whoever, for whatever. According to Wikipedia, "in the United States, anything visible ("in plain view") from a public area can be legally photographed. This includes buildings and facilities, people, signage, notices and images. It is not uncommon for security personnel to use intimidation or other tactics to attempt to stop the photographer from photographing their facilities (trying to prevent, e.g., industrial espionage); however, there is no legal precedent to prevent the photographer so long as the image being photographed is in plain view from a public area."

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_photography on March 9th 2008

How do we store, transfer and manipulate digital images

Today we store digital images on cameras, mobile phones, hand held computers (blackberries, blueberries) and video cameras. We can transfer images via email, blogs and social networking sites and we manipulate the images using all manner of photoshop software.

Digital camera use and application

"A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature" Mmmm interesting. I essentially agree with this statement. Thinking about digital cameras in particular, they are great in many ways. You can view your image and re-take the photo if the image is fuzzy, wonky, full of friends with their eyes closed, or just think that you could do better. Which we all seem to because no-one takes one photo anymore, we take two, three or four, to then delete one, two or three. Technically film camera's produce photo's of a better quality and are more resistant to those of us who don't seem to be able to hold the camera still whilst pressing the button.

Digital camera's are expensive and full of complicated chips and techno-stuff. They're great but require a bit of careful handling. There is plenty to worry over, "will I scratch it, jolt it or accidentally submerge it whilst falling out of a kayak?" We can now download images onto our computer and view them in minutes, we can each send them across the planet in seconds. All good eh? Except I quite liked the excitement of sending off my camera film to a mysterious address and then waiting for my photos to appear on my doorstep. Looking through the photos would take me right back in time and I'd smile at the memories, despite the fact that my photos were usually not brilliant. Nowadays you need the techno-know-how and all the equipment to produce a physical image. Gone are the days of gathering round the photo album, now we have to set up the computer to view our memories. It's just not quite as accessible.

All in all, the old film camera did have something to offer and whilst digital cameras are great I don't agree that they are superior, just different.

What is going on?

Well currently I'm not sure, but I expect it'll become clear with time. This blog has been set up so that as an occupational therapy student I can understand the value of blogging and the uses of technology