Tutorial #8 Assistive technology!!

Provide a definition of Assistive technology (your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful with this).

Assistive technology is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices and the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence for people with disabilities by enabling them to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. Although, Cook & Hussey (2001)[1] report this term is usually not used for rehabilitative devices and for devices that able-bodied find useful. According to disability advocates, technology is often created without regard to people with disabilities, creating unnecessary barriers to hundreds of millions of people.

Retrieved on June 10th, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology


Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.

The Glitter roll music box/switch is a switch that provides multi-sensory stimulation. When the clear cylindrical roller is moved, a musical tune is played and a colourful display of sparkling pompoms and glitter tumbles inside the tube. It requires 2AA batteries to function, as well as comes with a 1/8 inch jack and a 1/8 inch connector cord for activation - which is the universal size so it can be connected to other power boxes. It is 14"x7"x5" and is approximately $99.95 US. The glitter roll music box can be used as an external capacity switch when connected.


How does your chosen piece of equipment increase functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.

The glitter roll music box/switch provides a functional element for its users because when connected it can be used as a switch to turn things on and off. This is of practical use at the home as it can be used in a number of activities, - if connected into the power box and then connected to a light, the user can use this equipment, rather than fliking switches, which can be difficult 4 individuls with artheritis

Tutorial #7 Posting Youtube Videos and Flickr Badges to Blog!

Task One: Explain the step by step process required to embed You Tube videos into your Blog . Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.

- Log on to youtube and search the video that you want to post onto your blog
- Log onto your own blog in a new tab
- To post the chosen video onto your blog copy the URL from youtube and paste it on your blog under the new post heading.
- Give the pasted youtube video a heading and click 'publish post'


Task Two: Explain the step by step process required to embed a Flickr Badge into your Blog . Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.

- Log on to both your flickr and blog accounts in seperate tabs
- On your flickr account click 'tools' at the bottom of the page
- on the right hand side click on build a badge and follow the instructions
- once fonts and photos are chosen copy the URL
- Go to blog and click on 'customize'
- Go to 'add page element'
- Click on 'HTML/javascript' and paste URL into box
- Give your badge a name and save the changes

Tutorial #6 The internet and On-line communities

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating

The community that I am going to be investigating is Myspace
www.myspace.com

What is the brief or focus of this community.

MySpace is a popular social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for people of all ages around the world

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute?

Myspace offers services such as a general Profile setting,where you can update your mood, as well as your fav movies, bands, t.v shows etc as well as being able to up-load photo's video's, audio-clips etc to your general profile, write blogs, as well as a comment space, where people can leave you comments. You can style your myspace page to match your personality, by colour co-ordinating it, adding slide-shows, quiz results and joining groups that interest you.
Myspace features in general are: Bulletins,Groups,MySpaceIM,MySpaceTV,MySpace Mobile,MySpace News, MySpace Classifieds and MySpace Karaoke.


This site is extremely interactive, with you having the ability to link to every public profile on face-book, you can watch video clips, and view photo's on Myspace, and even sign on to recieve your favourite bands new blog.

People contribute to Myspace by upload their own music, there have been a new wave of band who have become famous due to promoting their music on my-space! people also contribute by uploading photo's blogs and joining groups that they feel are important to them. They also contribute by leaving comments on fellow my-spacer pages


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking?

The reason why I have a My-space page is so its easier to stay in touch with my friends & family who are in a different part of the country. It's easy to see what they are up to with their lifes by having a quick look at their page, and you can look at photo's that they have posted to see what they have been up. I think a lot of people use my-space for this reason as its quicker and easier than posting a letter these days.

Other people may be seeking friendship from other people and wanting to get to know other people in there own area. Relationships may also be formed over myspace but it isn’t something I would do,as you never know if the person contacting you is telling the truth, or if they are some-one prowling on unassuming, naive people.


Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt).
you can join hundreds of thousands of groups:
Activities (258131 groups)
Automotive (56390 groups)
Business & Entrepreneurs (25696 groups)
Cities & Neighborhoods (44369 groups)
Companies / Co-workers (40109 groups)
Computers & Internet (18990 groups)
Countries & Regional (14911 groups)
Cultures & Community (90529 groups)
Entertainment (395449 groups)
Family & Home (54542 groups)
Fan Clubs (273493 groups)
Fashion & Style (86038 groups)
Film & Television (51012 groups)
Food, Drink & Wine (45263 groups)
Games (75199 groups)
Gay, Lesbian & Bi (42520 groups)
Government & Politics (35143 groups)
Health, Wellness, Fitness (30779 groups)
Hobbies & Crafts (37904 groups)
Literature & Arts (35171 groups)
Money & Investing (15672 groups)
Music (355313 groups)
Nightlife & Clubs (67833 groups)
Non-Profit & Philanthropic (23240 groups)
Other (1470810 groups)
Pets & Animals (41627 groups)
Places & Travel (21011 groups)
Professional Organizations (50950 groups)
Recreation & Sports (150304 groups)
Religion & Beliefs (118518 groups)
Romance & Relationships (73636 groups)
Schools & Alumni (195876 groups)
Science & History (10417 groups)
Sorority/Fraternities (33809 groups)
And discuss anything, for example:
Posted: 27 Dec 2006, 19:24 Let's make our own list of 1,000 places to see before you die.

1,000: Cinque Terre (Italy)
999: Sistine Chapel (Rome, Italy)
998: The Louvre (Paris, France)
997: Machu Picchu (Lost City of the Incas), Peru
996: Glacier Moreno, Argentina
995: Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
994: Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
993: The ruins of Bagan, Burma
992: Angkor Wat-Siem Reap, Cambodia
991: Taj Mahal- Agra, India
990: Patagonia, Chile
989: Angelina's for Hot Chocolate--Paris, France
988: Eiffel Tower of course--Paris, France
987: Great Wall--China
986: Tiger Leaping Gorge--China
985: Himalayan Mountains--India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, etc...
984: Alhambra-- Grenada, Spain
983: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
982: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum--Phnom Penh, Cambodia
981: Choeung Ek Killing Fields-- Phnom Penh, Cambodia
980: Glacier National Park, Montana
979: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/Montana

and so on and so fourth!!

Considering material presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability.
My-space has a page specially dedicated to safety and security: http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.viewpage&placement=safety_pagehome.
You have the ability to set your profile to private, therefore only your friends or immediate contacts can view your details, but if your profile isn't set to private, then any videos or pictures you have uploaded become available for anybody on the internet to use. Also people add you all the time and you have no idea who they are.



Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community e.g. communities reliant on geographic proximity
You are given the oppertunity to meet people all over the world, and you get the ability to find out other peoples perspectives on a certain topic. It's easy to get to, for example, no having to travel anywhere as you can do it all in the comfort of your own home! People can communicate with other people who have the same interests, or have the same illness etc.


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can.
There is no actual face to face stuff, its all over the internet, so you lose some sense of sociability....some people spend all their time in front of a computer, rather than getting out into the community and communicating with people, which is'nt good for building social skills.

Scarfie Days

Tutorial #4 & #5 - video production!

Task Four (Blog Posting): Provide a brief summary of the services offered by U Tube. Information can be drawn from the week five tutorial hand out.

You tube is a very popular websites and one of the biggest growing websites in the world. Youtube is a website where users can upload, view and share video content, movie clips, TV clips, music videos and video blogging on everything and everything, people post daily blogs about whats happening in their lifes, you can watch that illegal movie trailer before it gets taken down, and you can watch that funny video clip all your friends want you to watch, eg the evolution of dance (check it out, its awesome!). You tube great because it’s easy to use and navigate around and it has something to interest everybody available on it!




Task Five (Blog Posting): Provide a brief account (1-2 paragraphs) on how the use of planning (storyboarding and scripting)aided your groups short film.

A story board is a visual aid of the different shots and ideas your film will entail in order. Its beneficial to use a story board because it helps show the flow and direction that the group wanted to take while shooting this video clip. It also helps deciede the best order to show the video clips in, and wether or not the current order flows very well. The story board also ensured that we kept on track and didnt go off from the theme and images we decieded to film!

Tutorial #3 creating a blog!

Task Four: Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Blogger (this will be your third posting. Information can be drawn from the attached hand out). In addition to this name one other Blog host.

Blogger.com is a website that offers tools needed for creating your own online blog. A blog is a page where you can write about your current thoughts, moods, feeling, opinions, idea's, anything you want to talk about and share with the world or your friends

You can create a personal profile on your blog, upload photos and videos and link to other websites that you found interesting and want to tell other people about!

Setting up an account is free and easy, you can choose from a range of existing templates or for a bit more of a challenge and a more personalised blog you van create your own.


One other blog host is www.blogster.com!

Supermassive Black Hole - Muse