Well I'm nearing the end of writing my assessment and have had to admit to myself that I have enjoyed participating in this course more than I thought I would. When we commenced I definitely considered myself one of the technophobes I read about in the Verdonck and Ryan article. By just "having a go" I have found that I am not such an old dog that couldn't be taught new tricks!
Taking part in this course has shown me that sometimes when you go outside your comfort zone you find that it's not so bad and the new skills you learn will be incredibly valuable in the future. As OT's we have to move with the times and larger proportions of society are using technology more frequently everyday.
So bye bye for now but I may share my thoughts here again!
Oh yes reference for the article is:
Verdonck, M.C. & Ryan, S. (2008). Mainstream technology as an occupationsl therapy tool: Technophobe or technogeek? British Journal of Occupational Therapy (71)6, 253-256.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Philosophy of Life/Occupation
I received an e mail with the following quote at the bottom that sums up occupation for me!
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand and chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up and worn out screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"
Meaningful occupations should be enjoyable, fun and with those you enjoy spending time with. My philosophy as a practising OT will be to instil in clients the value that life is here to be lived to the max and not being occupied is simply not an option.
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand and chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up and worn out screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"
Meaningful occupations should be enjoyable, fun and with those you enjoy spending time with. My philosophy as a practising OT will be to instil in clients the value that life is here to be lived to the max and not being occupied is simply not an option.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Posting You Tube Videos & Flickr Badges - Tutorial Eight
This is information is a bit out of order in that from the earlier postings you can see I completed these activities some time ago.
We completed our videos on "Overcoming Adversity" and uploaded them to You Tube (see below). To embed the video into a blog is thankfully a simple process (because boy making the video sure wasn't). On the right of the picture of your You Tube video is the word 'Embed'. You need to highlight and copy the link. Next you need to sign into your blog, click on a new post, give it a title and then click on the posting area. Ctrl 'V' and the link is copied into the box. Click on Publish Post - Wahla - as you can see it worked and published in my blog.
Another tool we had to link into our blog is our personal flick photos. Again this was a relatively simple process (once you have got the account set up!). Go into your flickr account and enter www.flickr.com/badge.gne. Step 1 is to choose an HTML badge or a Flash Badge. HTML can be viewed on any home computer. A Flash Badge requires you to have Adobe Flash but in today's society most computers have this as well. Next is to choose your content. Here you are able to select particiular photos if you don't wish to share all of your library. Next on to the layout - this gives you an option for how many items you wish to show at a time, size of the photos and the orientation. You are then able to choose your font - background, border, links and text. This can take some time as there are LOTS of colours to choose from and part of an appealing blog is how it looks. Next page is the code you need to copy and paste into the blog by following the same process as you did with You Tube by setting up a new post etc. Wahla again!!! Boy I am surprising myself with the number of new things I have learnt as part of this course. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks!!!????!!!!!
As you can see by explaining this process, I will be able to teach a client in practice how to use Flickr & You Tube to enhance any social networking sites the client may wish to participate in.
We completed our videos on "Overcoming Adversity" and uploaded them to You Tube (see below). To embed the video into a blog is thankfully a simple process (because boy making the video sure wasn't). On the right of the picture of your You Tube video is the word 'Embed'. You need to highlight and copy the link. Next you need to sign into your blog, click on a new post, give it a title and then click on the posting area. Ctrl 'V' and the link is copied into the box. Click on Publish Post - Wahla - as you can see it worked and published in my blog.
Another tool we had to link into our blog is our personal flick photos. Again this was a relatively simple process (once you have got the account set up!). Go into your flickr account and enter www.flickr.com/badge.gne. Step 1 is to choose an HTML badge or a Flash Badge. HTML can be viewed on any home computer. A Flash Badge requires you to have Adobe Flash but in today's society most computers have this as well. Next is to choose your content. Here you are able to select particiular photos if you don't wish to share all of your library. Next on to the layout - this gives you an option for how many items you wish to show at a time, size of the photos and the orientation. You are then able to choose your font - background, border, links and text. This can take some time as there are LOTS of colours to choose from and part of an appealing blog is how it looks. Next page is the code you need to copy and paste into the blog by following the same process as you did with You Tube by setting up a new post etc. Wahla again!!! Boy I am surprising myself with the number of new things I have learnt as part of this course. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks!!!????!!!!!
As you can see by explaining this process, I will be able to teach a client in practice how to use Flickr & You Tube to enhance any social networking sites the client may wish to participate in.
Assistive Technology - Tutorial Seven
We had Trev from STAR Eucation come and give us a hands on session with some assistive technology. It was great fun and he even managed to follow the instructions we made up on a recording device to make a smoothie!!
Assistive Technology refers to services, strategies, devices and practices that are used to assist individuals with impairments overcome their difficulties.
Cook, A.M., & Hussey, S.M. (2000). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. Sydney: Mosby.
Another example is "Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customised, that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".
Isabelle, S., Bessey, S.F., Dragas, K.L., Blease, P., Shepherd, J.T. & Lane, S.J. (2002). Assistive technology for children with disabilities. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 16(4), 29-51.
After looking at lots of items such as simple recording devices with Yes or No on them, alarm clocks that vibrate for visually impaired or flash for the deaf, computers with learning software and switching devices I chose a simple piece of equipment called the 'All Turn It Spinner' to review.
This item is a box approximately 30cm square and 10cm deep and has two sets of pictures of dice showing numbers from one to six. Pushing the switch activates the spinner and the top set of dice turn with the bottom set remaining fixed. The numbers can then be added together as they are in a usual board game where there are two dice. The pictures are easily removable (the top one simply lifting off and the bottom one is below a piece of glass that is simple to remove by an adult and the spinner lifts off to remove the bottom piece of paper) and could be replaced. An example could be photos of familiar items to assist with language skills of teaching names.
This piece of equipment can increase functional capacity in a number of ways. Simple switching devices that can be used by the severly impaired can increase the opportunity to engage in play in their home and at school. Whilst the student might not be able to participate in the board game being played, they could act as the designated dice "thrower". This in turn has been found to develop "self confidence, problem solving skills and independant thinking " (Isabelle et. al, 2002, p. 39).
Using the switch takes some motor control. In a small child this piece of equipment could be useful to commence with prior to moving on to using switches on the computer and maybe then on to using a mouse for learning opportunities.
As mentioned above the pictures can be changed to build up a larger vocabulary. They could push the spinner and then be asked to name the item it lands on.
Whilst this is a simple piece of equipment, the different options I have listed above shows how with problem solving you can use it in a variety of ways to promote 'Participation in Occupation'.
When I am a practising OT, knowing there are people out there like Trev that are experts at adapting simple equipment will be invaluable to assist with problem solving to meet my client's needs.
Assistive Technology refers to services, strategies, devices and practices that are used to assist individuals with impairments overcome their difficulties.
Cook, A.M., & Hussey, S.M. (2000). Assistive technologies: Principles and practice. Sydney: Mosby.
Another example is "Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customised, that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".
Isabelle, S., Bessey, S.F., Dragas, K.L., Blease, P., Shepherd, J.T. & Lane, S.J. (2002). Assistive technology for children with disabilities. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 16(4), 29-51.
After looking at lots of items such as simple recording devices with Yes or No on them, alarm clocks that vibrate for visually impaired or flash for the deaf, computers with learning software and switching devices I chose a simple piece of equipment called the 'All Turn It Spinner' to review.
This item is a box approximately 30cm square and 10cm deep and has two sets of pictures of dice showing numbers from one to six. Pushing the switch activates the spinner and the top set of dice turn with the bottom set remaining fixed. The numbers can then be added together as they are in a usual board game where there are two dice. The pictures are easily removable (the top one simply lifting off and the bottom one is below a piece of glass that is simple to remove by an adult and the spinner lifts off to remove the bottom piece of paper) and could be replaced. An example could be photos of familiar items to assist with language skills of teaching names.
This piece of equipment can increase functional capacity in a number of ways. Simple switching devices that can be used by the severly impaired can increase the opportunity to engage in play in their home and at school. Whilst the student might not be able to participate in the board game being played, they could act as the designated dice "thrower". This in turn has been found to develop "self confidence, problem solving skills and independant thinking " (Isabelle et. al, 2002, p. 39).
Using the switch takes some motor control. In a small child this piece of equipment could be useful to commence with prior to moving on to using switches on the computer and maybe then on to using a mouse for learning opportunities.
As mentioned above the pictures can be changed to build up a larger vocabulary. They could push the spinner and then be asked to name the item it lands on.
Whilst this is a simple piece of equipment, the different options I have listed above shows how with problem solving you can use it in a variety of ways to promote 'Participation in Occupation'.
When I am a practising OT, knowing there are people out there like Trev that are experts at adapting simple equipment will be invaluable to assist with problem solving to meet my client's needs.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Blog Creation - Tutorial Three
Obviously I did this some time ago but have noticed I need to reveal how I went about this.
To set up a blog you must first create an account with Google. As I am a techno-phobe and not IT savvy this seemed to be a relatively simple task with the only issue being thinking of a unique name that is not already in use.
Next you have to choose a blog template - ooooh there are so many. Do I choose a pretty one - ended up with a conventional one of a lovely green that reminds me of wanting to be more environmentally friendly. The title was straightforward as we were required to have PIO in it so our lecturers can find us!
This lead onto the next task of personalising our blog so it reflects who we are. I found the worst part of this was taking a current photo and uploading - I might still feel young but the camera certainly doesn't reflect this!!!
I set up a flickr account which I found to be a little frustrating trying to get the photos to upload. Got there with a little help from a younger member in the household. It was great to be having help with my homework instead of the other way around for a change.
Whilst this was at times an incredibly painful process, the skills I have learned will be another "tool" in my tool box when working with clients. Setting up a flickr account or being able to embed a favourite You Tube video into a blog with a client could be a fun activity and go on to become a meaningful occupation in the client's life.
To set up a blog you must first create an account with Google. As I am a techno-phobe and not IT savvy this seemed to be a relatively simple task with the only issue being thinking of a unique name that is not already in use.
Next you have to choose a blog template - ooooh there are so many. Do I choose a pretty one - ended up with a conventional one of a lovely green that reminds me of wanting to be more environmentally friendly. The title was straightforward as we were required to have PIO in it so our lecturers can find us!
This lead onto the next task of personalising our blog so it reflects who we are. I found the worst part of this was taking a current photo and uploading - I might still feel young but the camera certainly doesn't reflect this!!!
I set up a flickr account which I found to be a little frustrating trying to get the photos to upload. Got there with a little help from a younger member in the household. It was great to be having help with my homework instead of the other way around for a change.
Whilst this was at times an incredibly painful process, the skills I have learned will be another "tool" in my tool box when working with clients. Setting up a flickr account or being able to embed a favourite You Tube video into a blog with a client could be a fun activity and go on to become a meaningful occupation in the client's life.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Online Communities - Tutorial Six
Over the past few weeks I have been watching the blog of the Destitute Gourmet. This is a blog written by Sophie Gray of recipes and tips to produce nutritious and interesting food for as little cost as possible. It also reports on the experiences Sophie has when she is out shopping for ingredients.
The blog links to the Destitute Gourmet website and shows the magazines that Sophie is a regular contributor to. There is no activity of followers contributing to the blog and there are only 53 followers so it is not hugely popular. Looking at the photos suggests it is site mainly used by "Mums".
The main reason people follow this site is to save money in their weekly budget without compromising the quality of their meals. I tried to include an example from the blog but it won't let me so here is the site address http://destitutegourmet.blogspot.com/.
A possible ethical issue I see is that Sophie is the contributor to the site therefore the information reported is her opinions and they may not be shared with others in the community.
The benefit of this type of community is that you are able to opt in and out as you have the time or need to find particular information. Traditional communities have to 'get together' at a time that is convenient for everyone.
A 'blog' community lacks the feeling that you experience being face to face with people. The fun and laughter you participate in while sharing is lost in this forum.
A blog may be useful as a means of communication of support groups that can be part of OT practice. Sometimes those who are not confident enough to voice their thoughts or opinions in a face to face social setting may be willing to share their ideas within this type of forum. They may be pleasantly surprised to find that once they have contributed, the positive feedback will encourage them to be more confident in group sessions to be more sociable.
I hope this blog has inspired you to go and have a look and being creative with your cooking.
The blog links to the Destitute Gourmet website and shows the magazines that Sophie is a regular contributor to. There is no activity of followers contributing to the blog and there are only 53 followers so it is not hugely popular. Looking at the photos suggests it is site mainly used by "Mums".
The main reason people follow this site is to save money in their weekly budget without compromising the quality of their meals. I tried to include an example from the blog but it won't let me so here is the site address http://destitutegourmet.blogspot.com/.
A possible ethical issue I see is that Sophie is the contributor to the site therefore the information reported is her opinions and they may not be shared with others in the community.
The benefit of this type of community is that you are able to opt in and out as you have the time or need to find particular information. Traditional communities have to 'get together' at a time that is convenient for everyone.
A 'blog' community lacks the feeling that you experience being face to face with people. The fun and laughter you participate in while sharing is lost in this forum.
A blog may be useful as a means of communication of support groups that can be part of OT practice. Sometimes those who are not confident enough to voice their thoughts or opinions in a face to face social setting may be willing to share their ideas within this type of forum. They may be pleasantly surprised to find that once they have contributed, the positive feedback will encourage them to be more confident in group sessions to be more sociable.
I hope this blog has inspired you to go and have a look and being creative with your cooking.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Movie Making-Digital Video Images/Tutorial Four & Five
Over the past couple of weeks in Tutorials four and five we have been looking at using video production as a useful skill to use in the future as part of our therapeutic "tool box". Look out for our blockbuster feature we have filmed that is coming to a screen near you soon!!!
One of the most popular video services used around the world is You Tube. YouTube is a service that allows users to upload and view videos. It started in February 2005 in a residential garage. Google purchased the phenomenon in 2006 for 1.6 billion dollars.
You are able to locate videos by topic or a keyword, rate videos or provide your thoughts as to how you found the video.
YouTube has restrictions regarding the length of content (10 mins) and copyright. Videos are allowed to be embedded on blogs (I am good with this as I know now I haven't broken any laws) although it is recommended that only one video per page as this slows load times down. Don't we all know about the frustrations that this causes!!!!
http://google.about.com/
As part of our brief prior to making our "film" (it may be a stretch to call it that) we were required to plan by way of scripting and storyboarding.
Storyboarding is a series of illustrations or images in a sequence that shows what you propose to feature in your video/movie/animation.
Scripting a.k.a. as screenplay is a piece of written work outlining the structure of scenes including dialogue, scene layout, sound effects and mood.
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Having a planned storyboard and script enabled our group to get right into the 'doing' in tutorial time. Tasks were organised and filming was completed in a flash. In the real world of cinematography this would have saved millions of dollars! This also helped when it came time to editing as well. Distribution was via a You Tube account which again has been designed as a simple process to enable large proportions of the population to participate. This is particularly useful for families that live in different parts of the world or family members that may be off on intrepid journeys.
This experience has been fun/frustrating (especially when Wintec doesn't have the required software) and useful to add to my skills though I am not sure how good I would be if I had to do it on my own. Use of video technology would be useful in OT practice to monitor clients progress from the commencement through to the conclusion of treatment to see how much improvement has been made.
Watch this space for overcoming Adversity'.
One of the most popular video services used around the world is You Tube. YouTube is a service that allows users to upload and view videos. It started in February 2005 in a residential garage. Google purchased the phenomenon in 2006 for 1.6 billion dollars.
You are able to locate videos by topic or a keyword, rate videos or provide your thoughts as to how you found the video.
YouTube has restrictions regarding the length of content (10 mins) and copyright. Videos are allowed to be embedded on blogs (I am good with this as I know now I haven't broken any laws) although it is recommended that only one video per page as this slows load times down. Don't we all know about the frustrations that this causes!!!!
http://google.about.com/
As part of our brief prior to making our "film" (it may be a stretch to call it that) we were required to plan by way of scripting and storyboarding.
Storyboarding is a series of illustrations or images in a sequence that shows what you propose to feature in your video/movie/animation.
Scripting a.k.a. as screenplay is a piece of written work outlining the structure of scenes including dialogue, scene layout, sound effects and mood.
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Having a planned storyboard and script enabled our group to get right into the 'doing' in tutorial time. Tasks were organised and filming was completed in a flash. In the real world of cinematography this would have saved millions of dollars! This also helped when it came time to editing as well. Distribution was via a You Tube account which again has been designed as a simple process to enable large proportions of the population to participate. This is particularly useful for families that live in different parts of the world or family members that may be off on intrepid journeys.
This experience has been fun/frustrating (especially when Wintec doesn't have the required software) and useful to add to my skills though I am not sure how good I would be if I had to do it on my own. Use of video technology would be useful in OT practice to monitor clients progress from the commencement through to the conclusion of treatment to see how much improvement has been made.
Watch this space for overcoming Adversity'.
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