PARTICIPATION IN OCCUPATION 2- Affordances Week 3 & 4

In the last two weeks we have been talking about Affordance, what it means and how it relates to our activities.

It can be described as, "a quality of an object, or an environment, that allows an individual to perform an action" (Crepeau, 2003. pp191). So an example from Christiansen & Townsend (2010) is related to knowing the affordance of a door. How it has a flat horizontal handle and that affords the pushing of the door, and those with a vertical handle afford the pulling of a door.

I can relate affordances to volleyball through the aspects of aesthetics, spirituality and health.

Aesthetics relates to volleyball for me because it includes the aspects of technique complexity and how something more complex may be more beautiful to the individual. I can relate this to me personally as in volleyball there are certain moves or collections of moves that require complex strategies and moves. My feeling of a beautiful/ complex move is executing a spike properly. It takes the right footwork, good timing, a high jump, right arm movements (utilising both- dominant one for the spike and non-dominant for propelling), strong hit on the ball, good angles when aiming the hit and accurate placing of the ball. This, as you can see, is a complex move and in my eyes is beautiful if executed accurately and all aspects are considered.

In relation to spirituality, the main aspects that relate to me are the sense of connection with others and how sports are a tradition in my family.

I feel that as volleyball is a team sport you have a connection with others. This connection is through being in a team and having similar skills to your team member and attitudes (WINNING!). Also by getting to know your team members you make a friendship with them. But you can make an overall connection with your team and the opposition as can connect with each other through common interest as both there to play volleyball.

Also the second aspect I mentioned was how there is sense of spirituality in relation to sport in general being a family tradition. This tradition comes from both sides of the family my mum’s side of the family played sports like rugby, netball, badminton and golf. My dad’s side of the family played sports like rugby, hockey, cricket and golf. My sister played cricket and touch and still plays volleyball netball and basketball. And I have played golf in the past and currently play volleyball, basketball and netball. Because of my families past in sports, it has encouraged me to play currently as they have been introduced to me since I was small and they are an essential part of my life.

The third aspect of affordance is in relation to health. This can be related to physical health (fitness) and also social interaction/ social health, both to me as important as each other.

I can contribute to good health through volleyball as by moving around the court can increase my fitness levels. Also it contributes to increasing my strength, endurance, co-ordination, timing, balance and basic volleyball skills.

I am also able to cater to my social health and wellbeing through the regular interaction with others. It provides a way of increasing my rapport with others, meeting new people and catching up on the regular gossip!


VOLLEYBALL WEEK 3 & 4:

In the past couple of weeks playing volleyball we have managed to win both games!! I have also had to fill in for some teams which have been fun and a way of engaging with others. It’s interesting the different dynamics teams have and how I have to adapt the way I usually play to fit in with their style. For example in volleyball you are allowed three hits on your side of the net before it goes over. My team tries to do this every time to enhance control, however the team I played for was only concerned about getting it over in one hit. This can relate to what I have said above about what I see as beautiful and what others see as beautiful and the different aspects of complexity for each person e.g. some people who have just started find smaller things more complex that people who have played before.


References:

Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. (2004). Introduction to occupation: the art and science of living. New Jersey: Pearson


Crepeau E. ( 2003 ). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In Crepeau E., Cohn E, & Schell B (Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy ( 10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins

PARTICIPATION IN OCCUPATION 2- Ergonomics: Week 2

In the second tutorial we talked about the idea of ergonomics and how they relate to our activity.

Ergonomics can be defined as it, "aims to design appliances, technical systems and tasks in such a way as to improve human safety, health and comfort".

Ergonomics (human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with understanding of interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the profession that applied theory, principles, data and method to design, in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance (Dul & Weerdmeester, 2008).

Ergonomics can relate to person, occupation and environment.

Aspects to do with the person include:

• Time available
• Financial resources
• Personal space
• Sense of the individual (putting your stamp on something)
• Age and were you are on the time line
• Particular responsibilities

I can relate some of these aspects back to my activity through the aspect of particular responsibilities I have. These include being there on time, playing fair, participating to my best at the activity and supporting my other team mate and communicating with them.

Age and gender isn’t of concern in the competition I am involved in. It contains teams which are either same gender or mixed and range from ages of around 12- 50 yrs old. With the mixed ages in teams and also rules for mixed genders produces a variety of skill levels in teams and makes it a fair opportunity for everyone.

Aspects to do with activity include:

• Robustness of material- making you feel more competent
• Degree of engagement necessary for the task
• Costs
• Time of day, year

An example of one of these aspects in relation to my activity is the degree of engagement that is necessary for the task. This is because as I am in a social competition it is not expected of you to have great skills and put a great amount of effort in. I personally have a competitive personality so I try and engage myself as much as possible; however it’s clear some are there just for a social outing.

Aspects to do with environment include:

• Physical environment
• Distractions from the game
• Accessibility of the venue
• Culture
• Seasons
• Political environment

An example of this in relation to my activity is through the accessibility and physical environment of the venue. I am lucky as the venue is 2 minutes up the road from my house so very easy to access and the hall is only new so spring courts which are good to move around on and easier on your body.

VOLLEYBALL WEEK 1 & 2

I feel as I have been playing volleyball for two weeks now I haven’t analysed the aspect of ergonomics. For next Tuesday I feel like ill have a better understanding to the link to person occupation and environment and how these can be viewed in an ergonomic view.

Reference:

Dul, j. & Weerdmeester,B. (2008). Ergonomics for Beginners: A Quick reference Guide (3 ed.). USA: Taylor & Francis

PARTICIPATION IN OCCUPATION 2 (2nd semester) Introduction:

For this course an activity had to be chosen that we were currently participating in. The activity also had to be something we doing for at least 9 weeks. I am currently playing social volleyball so I chose that as my activity.



What does volleyball mean to me?

I have played volleyball since I was about 16 and always enjoyed it. I’ve played in competitions in the past and liked the competitive side of it. But being in a social grade is good to as there is less pressure to do well and you can have more fun. I really enjoy team sports because of the social aspects of it on and off the court. Volleyball for me is a great activity to increase my fitness and also catch up with friends and meet new people.



What is this activity like?

Volleyball is structured sport and has positions on the court where people need to stand. It can also be quite tactical as different moves can be played and dummy shots played to trick the opposition. Also you rotate around the court to the position on your left so you have to be skilled at all areas on the court.



What would it mean to me if I was an Occupational Therapist?

As an Occupational Therapist Volleyball could be beneficial in many ways. It would be a good way to help a client increase social skills and give them an opportunity for social engagement. Also it can use as a way promoting physical activity and increase fitness levels. Volleyball can be used as meaningful occupation for someone and may be seen as a therapeutic activity. Also it can be used as a way of increasing skills for example co-ordination and timing.



Practical Consideration

I will be able to participate in this activity for at least 2hrs a week. This is because a typical game goes for 1hr but I also participate in filling in for other teams or doing the score for other teams. So I’m there from about 6 to 9 at night.

Also another practice consideration I thought about was - do I have time to do this for this amount of time each week? I feel that if I manage my workload I will be able to have time to fit everything in!

Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is described as technology that is used to assist people in completing tasks with less effort and increasing the independance of an individual. Also with the new technologies being introduced in the workplace, more people with disabilites are able to have a job that they greatly deserve (De Jonge, Joslyn & Redger 2007).
So assistive  technology is technology that can be used to compensate or assisit someone who may have a disability. For example hearing aids are used for people who have hearing loss.

The assistive technology i though was the coolest was the interactive SMART boards
These SMART boards range in sizes and functions and are available all over the world. They can be used for educational, business and even government purposes. Link to the SMART board website here

Average size:

• 165.7 cm × 125.7 cm  (can be larger or smaller)

Some Functions Include:

• Hands on learning and interaction
• Able to use google maps
• Transfer file from your desktop straight onto the board
• Interactive games

Average Price:

• Around $1200 NZ dollars

This equipment can increase occupational capacity as it is controled by touch. This may aid people who have difficulty holding a pen to write on the white board , possibly from rheumatoid arthritis. Also it is used fo educational purposes in schools so can be a fun way to educate people. Interactive games can be used to increase general physical activity and co-ordination. Also it reiterates the occupational concept of play and how it can be meaningful to others.

Here is a YouTube clip which gives a demonstration on how you can use the SMART Board and its capabilities.

This video clip off YouTube is a really good explanation of how a SMART Board works and tips on how to work it.





This clip is of a demonstration on how to work a SMART Board. This video clip is purposely made to teach people how to use the it so is clearly instructed.

Reference:

De Jonge, D., Joslyn, M., & Rodger, S. (2007). Assistive technology in the workplace. USA: Mosby Elsevler

Tutorial Seven: Linking to Blogs of Interest and Exchanging Comments

For this tute we were expected to link blogs of interest to our page and also have a comment on blogs we had questions for or were interested in.

From my top five blogs (links found in top right of your screen) i chose my favourite which was the WiiHab rehabilitaion blog. This blog has videos and information on how the Wii console is used in rehabilitation!
Heres what i commented on the blog!

Sarah said...

Hi im a 2nd year OT student and would if never even though to use a form of gaming console as a rehabilitation device! Awesome idea and would love to hear more about it!!

Tutorial Six: The Internet and Online Communities

The online communities i have chosen are in relation to depressions support and online chatting websites.


Here are the three i chose:

1. Depression facebook group- Link 

This is a place where you can Join a depression group and chat online to each other. You have to sign up to facebook to use it but it seems like a nice place to talk to others with depression. The explantion of the group says there will be no judgement, and if so they will be kick out of the group. Also there are over 4000 people who have joined!

This site, once you join provides the user with a environment where they can chat to other people in the group online. It may be a good place to exchange feelings and talk about what you are experiencing. However there may be risk, as there is for all online chatting networks. This means if you are using this website DO NOT give out personal details.

People who use this site may want to find others out there that suffer from depression so they can relate feelings and actions expressed. Also information shared is reciprocal so they can have automatic conversation, rathe than by email.

Ethical issues are definitly around giving out information to strangers. Simply dont give out ur personal details to people you do not know.

The benefits of this page is that you are able to chat with people all over the world. However some people may feel more comfortable if it was just people in New Zealand. This online network may be full of fakes so watch who you talk to and talk about.



2. Depression Forums- Link
This site intentions are clearly explained by their mission statement, "Our mission is to create an atmosphere that is both supportive and informative in a caring, safe environment for our members to talk to their peers about depression, anxiety, mood disorders, medications, therapy and recovery."
Also this website has direct links to other sites that focus on depression. But also anxiety, bipolar and other mental illnesses.

This website, once you join can be very interative. There are multiple forums that can more specifically target your situation. For example new members forums, depression forums and  relationship and depression forums. Anyone can join, and in these forums you can write how you are feeling and also comment on others comments in support. Also professional counselors are available to talk to and contribute to the forums.

People may contribute to the communities looking for support and also providing support to others. They may be seeking other who suffer from depression to then know they are not alone, and find other who understand their illness.

As all of the online communities i have looked at the accountability and lack of identity of the individuals is unknown. This means there could be people who are taking advantage of the forums and not being truthful.

This community is published all over the world so anybody can access it. This may have advantages like meeting new people from different places that can support you. But with the vast of people being able to access the forums means there may be even more people using it for the wrong reasons.

3. The low down- Link

This is a great website, especially for younger people. It has a interesting choise of navigating around the website and provides a supportive chat room. Also has stories of people with depression and information on the illness. 

The low down provides a very interactive atmosphere that is more safe confidentuality wise that the facebook website. It provides a navigator that takes you through each bit of the website. Also they have a message board, where if you sign up, you can write how your feeling and others that are online can support you. This is a monitorted message board so it is a safe discussion environment.

People may choose this sight if they are a young teen looking for support, or to see other people suffer from this illness also. Information is reciporcal so comments can be passed from one person to another. Also they have a free txt number to txt for support. This can provide privacy, and may make someone feel more comfortable taking about their depression.

Ethical issues that may occuar from this website is that there may be lack of identity and accountability. So people may not be genuine about the process.

This online network however provides people all around New Zealand a service where they can go and chat with other people who have depression without judgement. This community may lack the opportunity to chat with people outside of New Zealand, who may be able to better support some people that are from overseas, but living here.

Tutorial Five: Video Production Session

After making our movie in tutorial four, we then further investigated the YouTube website and its properties to further understand the video production process.

YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. These videos can be uploaded individually or by media corperations. It was founded in 2005 and in 2006 google brought YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube). So the services that YouTube provide include advertising and also it allows individials to express opinions for the world to see. How ever it can also lead to videos being published without permission.

The topic of interest i have chosen is volleyball. It is of personal interest to me and i played it all throught out high school. It relates back to occupation as it is a meaningful occupation and comes from the occupational topic of 'play'. Christiansen and Townsend (2010) describe play as self- motivated and pleasurable and also a great means for learning.

The first video clip i chose is on the history of volleyball. This clip is in more lecture type form, so slighly boing, but does touch on the basic of how it started, how the name was chosen and how quicly it has become popular all over the world. The clip only lasts about 5 minutes and links nicely onto the others.

So the second video i chose is about the basic of volleyball. It describes the rules including amout of players, boundaries and how many hits are allowed before the ball has to be hit over the net. Note: volleyball in New Zealand refers to what they call a 'bump' as a dig, so same thing.

This third video is about how to serve a volleyball. I think this skills is of great importance as if you can serve the volleyball over the net first try, its an automatic turnover and a point to the other team. The underarm serve i found from personal experience is the easiest serve to do to start with and is most reliable. But overarm serve has alot more power, especially the last one he demonstrates with the jump top-spin serve.

The fourth video clip is a demonstration on how to spike a volleyball. I chose to put this video up as there are three important hips that can be completed in volleyball. These include a dig/ bump , a set and a spike. Of all these three the spike is the hardest to master.  It requires good timing and footwork to be able to be completed properly.

The fifth and final video clip is of a game of volleyball.  I chose this one as it shows a good use of the techniques used above, and can be clarly demonstrated how these are used in play. Also if you notice one of the six players has a different colour top on. This means they are the player that hands around the back of the court, waiting for the long spikes to propell at them which they can then dig/ bump to set their team up for a spike.

References:

Christiansen, C. H. & Townsend, E. (2010). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living. (2^nd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson