But first a definition....We use the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry. In actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information (about.com). My understanding of IT that it relates to data or information processing whether it be in the form of computer hardware or software or information portrayed in a visual format i.e cameras I Pads etc.
IT Prevalence
Did you know there is 31billion searches on google every month, in 2006 this number was just 2.7 billion. Technology and in particular the Internet has grown an incredible rate in the last 10 years. When researching this question i did what most people do and I googled. i wrote in prevalence of information technology and it came back with About 5,970,000 results. It is through It that we have so much knowledge of the world Did you know, this is a you tube clip which gives an example of just how much we know about the world now because of It. There is 600million PCs (personal computers) in the world, but if you want to include embedded computers like in your oven, AC, dispenser etc, the number goes up 10 times the number of PCs......that is alot of computers!!
Technology is something that i have grown up with, I can remember my first cell phone, it was a Nokia and i think everyone in my school that owned a cell phone had the exact same one. My cell phones have progressed since then and although now i am not quite up to date with the latest technologies, mostly because of finance reason, i have still come along way from my black and white small screened Nokia days. Technology is something that i feel confident about using, sure i don't have a clue about the ins and outs of how it all works, its like magic to me but i know the right buttons to press to make things do what i want. The Internet is a very good friend of mine, it helps me with my study, listen to music, watch movies and TV programmes talk to friends display and look at photos and find out information about ANYTHING and find out hoe to get ANYWHERE!!!!
My Grandad likes to be hip and up with what all the kids are doing now days and unfortunately for me this means giving him tireless lessons on the joys of cutting and pasting, using google and teaching him that the music coming from his pocket is his cell phone ringing. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but when you have grown up with technology like my generation has it becomes second nature to us. we are completely comfortable any new gadget that comes our way, and personally i can not imagine my life with out it.
Since this blog is a part of my Occupational therapy it seems fitting to relate IT to OT. we all use IT in our lives and it enables us to live independently, so id say IT defiantly has its place in OT. It can be used as an aid for ADL's such as banking or shopping online, for online support groups, it can act as a reminder or as memory aids on Mobile phones, it can serve as a communication device or can be used for education the list goes on as there is so many ways IT can be used as a part of occupational therapy. however it should never be used in compensation for the real thing i.e if a client is able to go out and do there shopping and banking in the community then this should be encouraged over doing it on the computer. Computers do have the potential to make people lazy and OTs must be careful to ensure this doesn't happen. Assistive technology is a filed of OT which is going to grow in leaps and bounds in the years to come and IT is at the sole of this. take the iPad for example, its uses in occupational therapy practice are already displaying vast positive outcomes You tube clip this is a link of a therapy session using the iPad with a boy with Autism. Blog link this is the link to a blog about the iPad being used in schools for students with special needs. Although this is just one form of OT that i believe will become a valuable tool in OT practice there are many others the Nintendo Wii being one of them, the iPad however is a good example of how technology has evolved and fills us of possibilities of where it might go in the future.
Ethical Considerations
When you say cheese for a photo you wouldn't normally think wheres this photo going to end up, but you can never be to careful now days, if you don't want strangers seeing your photos you best just stay behind the camera. With websites like facebook, twitter and fliker photos can be seen by millions of people. there are certain precautions you can take to stop this from happening but it requires you to be so vigilant about the tips and traps of the Internet. When taking photos that you intend to share on a public site or on the Internet at all ethics begins to play a role. you should always gain consent from the people involved.
Intellectual Property
In law, intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term for various legal entitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas, or other intangibles in their expressed form. (wikipidea, 2007). I interpret this to mean you can not steal or copy information of the mind, ideas, art works, symbols writing basically anything which was thought up by someone else. During OT practice it is often to give reasoning for your decisions and this may require you to use others research, it is important that you acknowledge that it is the work of someone else that you are using and they are not your own thoughts and ideas.
Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property Retrieved May 2nd, 2011,
Social Justice
"Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being" (wikipedia, 2011). I understand this to mean to the old saying 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Its about creating a society which is fair and everybody is treated evenly with the dignity they deserve. As Occupational therapist working in the health profession it is vital that we up hold social justice especially as we are working with vulnerable people, we must treat them with dignity and respect and not be degrading. Treat them as we would like to be treated.
Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Justice Retrieved May 2nd, 2011,
Informed consent
"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. In order to give informed consent, the individual concerned must have adequate reasoning faculties and be in possession of all relevant facts at the time consent is given". (wikipedia, 2011). every person must be made awear of what they are giving consent to and agree to all the terms. if the person is not of 'sound' mind, this meaning they are intoxicated, suffering from a mental illness or have cognitive delays then they are not in a position to give informed consent. As occupational therapists our clients must be fully informed of all aspects of their treatment and give informed consent before treatment begins.
Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_Consent Retrieved May 2nd, 2011,
Social Justice
"Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being" (wikipedia, 2011). I understand this to mean to the old saying 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Its about creating a society which is fair and everybody is treated evenly with the dignity they deserve. As Occupational therapist working in the health profession it is vital that we up hold social justice especially as we are working with vulnerable people, we must treat them with dignity and respect and not be degrading. Treat them as we would like to be treated.
Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Justice Retrieved May 2nd, 2011,
Informed consent
"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. In order to give informed consent, the individual concerned must have adequate reasoning faculties and be in possession of all relevant facts at the time consent is given". (wikipedia, 2011). every person must be made awear of what they are giving consent to and agree to all the terms. if the person is not of 'sound' mind, this meaning they are intoxicated, suffering from a mental illness or have cognitive delays then they are not in a position to give informed consent. As occupational therapists our clients must be fully informed of all aspects of their treatment and give informed consent before treatment begins.
Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_Consent Retrieved May 2nd, 2011,
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