Tuesday 19 April 2011

Tute 8

With this tutorial we are to look assistive technology. We need to provide a definition, a description and provide and example.
Lets look at breaking it down; according to the Collins New English Dictionary assistive means - to give help or support, and technology means the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce, and the scientific methods or devices used in a particular field.
I take from this that scientific devises, possibly IT as well, are to give help and support those that need it.
Cook and Hussy (1995) mentioned that assistive technology is "any piece of equipment or product system whether acquired commerically off the shelf, modified or customised that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities". and that its functional outcome can really only be measured by it's success.

The device I would like to look at is the Wii for stroke rehabilitation.
On line through the Noel Leeming web site a wii console can be purchased from $129.99with a basic pack 'friend and fun pack' through to $379.99 with a 'sports and sports resort pack'.
the basic console looks this below;
wii image (n.d.).                                                                               

The sports model can be used is many ways to encourage the rehabilitation for stroke sufferers.



wii images (n.d.).
As you can see by these images above, the wii is fun to use and would help in hand-eye co-ordination and the rebuilding of neruo pathways within the brain and body.

This is really good youtube clip
retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://youtu.be/V8L_FB9oWws

While searching the net I came upon another blog that highlighted nicely what can be done with high-tech devises;  http://topnews.net.nz/reports/213652-high-tech-video-game-gadgets-may-help-stroke-victims-recovery



Collins New English Dictionary. (1997). Harper Collins Publishers, Glasgow.
wii [images] (n.d.). retrieved April 20, 2011 from nz.bing.co images
Cook, A.M., and Hussey, S.M. (1995). Assistive technologies: principles and practice. St Louis. Mosby - Year Book Inc
wii [image] (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/games-gaming/nintendo-wii/nintendo-wii-consoles/wii-console-white-with-wii-sports-and-wii-sports-resort/prod108750.html

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Tute 7

This tute is about linking at least five blogs that relate to OT practice; this was as simple as linking into my OT class mates and making comments on what work they have done, and I also listed some web sites that I have found helpful. Hopefully they are still on the side of my page :)

Tute 6

Within this Tute we are to draw on our fieldwork, and OT practice or personal occupation, search 3 or more online communities that relate and answer questions and complete tasks...
This took a lot of thinking - online communities are so vast that I boggled my little mind!
With a class mates help I was able to narrow the field and I think I have a starting point;

- closed groups on face-book http://www.facebook.com/
- you-tube http://www.youtube.com/
- Stroke Foundation NZ Inc http://www.stroke.org.nz/

In a way all sites are intended to inform - either the masses of a selected few, for example the Stroke Foundation of NZ Inc is for the masses, primarily to educate, to inform those looking for help and or knowledge and it can offer local contact for support. One of the closed face-book groups I am a part of is also for education and support - go OT class mates! But the other face-book group is mainly for the support of a friend coping/struggling with some of her life goals and is not so much for education. You-tube on the other hand is all about entertainment, some education (depends on where you look) and possibly support for those who feels alone and that the internet is the only friend they have.

The face-book and you-tube communities are interactive to some point, anyone can enter ideas and make comments on the ideas of others, entries are make online with what ever thoughts have come into their heads at that moment or with a video that a person has been working on for a long time, just think about what Justin Bieber did and how it changed his life. (Not a fan so am not going to add a link!) The Stroke Foundation is mainly about departing knowledge to the masses. This site happens to be a one way site meaning that the public are not able to make entries where as with the other communities any person that is included in the group can make a comment, but then again the "public" are not able to view or make entries but it still remains a two way information forum.

I feel that attention seekers make entries onto you-tube, people who want to be noticed in some way. Where as the the face-book group is about support a friend and the stroke foundation is about departing knowledge.
Below is a snipped bit form the Stroke Foundation web site;

Stroke Foundation NZ Inc. (2001). Retrieved 11/04/2011 from http://www.stroke.org.nz/

I don't think that snipping from the face-book groups would be a good idea as the groups are private and  that would go against the privacy act, which is a ethical issues that can and does arise with online communities and there seems to be no accountability for what people are able to place on sites so it comes down to a singular persons values. Having said that it is great that these communities are able to be around as they help people/friends who are in different countries or at the ends of our country stay in touch.

I have since learnt that I could have used my blog and the correspondence that some of my class mates and I have been doing, below is a sample;
Lyn Participation in Occupation said...
Hey thanks for the comment on Dystonia. Just as they say in New Zealand you cannot go too far without someone being able to help you. Imagine what technology is going to do to this communication!
Heather Participation in Occupation 1 said...
thanks Lyn, mind blowing stuff

Tute 5

This tute is about drawing information from online video sources, which pretty much means you tube. I am to draw a topic from fieldwork. From fieldwork one I was placed in a Health and Aging hospital ward, where I able to work with a stroke victim. On YouTube I came across a lot of places, mainly in States, promoting their rehabilitation service. After some number of hours viewing and listening I found some that I think show how occupational therapy can be used in rehabilitating stroke victims.
Below are the five videos I thought were the better ones.








Sunday 3 April 2011

Tute 4, video

In our Participation in Occupation 1 class, we were given the task of creating a 30second video inspired by a letter of the alphabet.
We achieved this by letting our creativity flow and with shared humour, little scripting or a storyboard we think we did an AWESOME job.

Check it out I managed to bring the video up and in order of the Tutorials :) yay me!

An awesome video brought to you by the letter A


Actors
Sarah 'Speilberg'
Amanda 'Joli-Pitt'
Anna-Maree 'Kidman'
Heather 'Barrymore'

Directors
Sarah 'Speilberg'
Amanda 'Joli-Pitt'
Anna-Maree 'Kidman'
Heather 'Barrymore'

Editoring
The Awesome Sarah 'Speilberg'