Well the semester is nearly over, and I’ve been busily putting the finishing touches on my final project: a PowerPoint presentation and the less than 15-page paper that will accompany it.
It’s fun using all the techniques and theories we’ve discussed this semester, although it is a bit more difficult to complete with little time and feedback. Oh well. I write more when I get further along..
I’m further along….present my PowerPoint presentation to the class and received lots of great feedback in addition to stirring up some spirited conversation, which I always think is a good thing when you’re creative training materials. The presentation itself, a high level overview for teachers about what blogs are and how they may be used in a classroom setting includes the following sections:
History of Blogs
What’s It All About?
Blog Topics
Layout and Design
Blogs in Education
Blogs for Teachers
Blogs for Students
Terms
Group Activity
The comments received included a discussion about including ethics in blogging as well as blog etiquette. However, these topics will likely be separate trainings, as Dr. Foreman is creating a 45-hour training course for teachers in education. It should be noted, however, that I will briefly mention these topics in this presentation as a means to introduce attendees to the concepts which they’ll be learning later in another training. Enjoy!
Who are the users? All ages, but seems to target 20-30-year-old
Information chunk (gestalt principle, amount information)information is chunked nicely in various catgories
Relevance (graphics, content, reading level, text) lots of fun, artistic graphics are included
Labeling (visual with text) good, but text is hard to read
Consistency (visual, text) very consistent, but text is hard to read
Other comments
Detail (too much on one page or one screen) too much information is included are many of the web pages. Liked the video about his home, animals, art, etc.
On Interactivity
Orientation (Can you find the path, and know your way around?) pretty easy to find your way around
Navigation (Branching) o Functionality (Does it work?) yes
Information access (Multiple entry and exit? Logical path?) logical path around the website
Other comments
On Screen Design
Attractive (first impression) very cool design (hip hop, modern, amazing and fun!)
Resolution: good
Color: good, but the text color is too hard to read
Lay out: very well laid out
Readability: difficult to read, needs better font, and less text
Other comments: Is this more of a portfolio piece, or more about his life. Sometimes not clear what it’s all about! Nice work, though!
Okay, so I admit it. I was on vacation when we went to go hear Joseph Kahne’s presentation about the civic potential of video games. So, I’ll have to keep this short and sweet.
From what I’ve read, as well as experienced in the corporate world, video games can be an excellent resource relating to training by actively engaging learners by keeping their attention. Positive or negative, they’re a useful tool. Further research online reveals a distinct division of their use due to what some would say are the violent nature of video games. In my humble opinion, they’re a great tool to use if you have the tie, money and support of your training organization. But sometimes, you might have so much work to do that you have to put them on the back burner for use another time.
The semester is really flying by. Everyone was back in class and it was nice to see everyone again.
Kim discussed “The Design of Everyday Living” and small groups of 2-5 people were given an hour after the break to discuss their 2-5 minute projects which well present next week. Mine happened to be working with Arl and Jeff about “What is ITEC?” I’ve been handed audio duties for our presentation, which I’m working on this weekend using GarageBand.
Marcus Pon also stopped by to show the group his ITEC 830 final and how it’s currently being used. Interesting.
Some of Kim’s comments about “The Design of Everyday Living”: (the group brought in several objects/pictures etc. showing objects that have good and bad design points/flaws)
Affordance: what’s it used for by looking at. If it’s good design, the item/object does what it is supposed to do. It invites one to use!
Causality: cause and effect
Information Design: functionality and aesthetics are important!
Perceived affordances
Causality
Visible constraints: limitation of the actions possible or perceived from an object’s appearance
Mapping: the natural relationship between controls and displays/a set of possible relations between objects
Transfer effects
Idioms and Population: stereotypes
Conceptual Models: people have mental models of how things work. Models, it should be noted, my be wrong.
Individual differences
Why design is hard
Many so called human errors are actually errors in design!
Human factors became important as human performance limitations reached when handling complex machinery.
Final Projects: Kim mentioned our final projects would be something we’d do on your job or to help others solve problems, or maybe it’s a problem you might have which you want to solve. 30-40 hours spent (possibly) on your project with about 4-5 weeks to complete them. Please discuss with Kim if you have any questions.
We chatted about our class projects as well as a small group project relating to Chapter 1 in “The Design of Everyday Things” Kim said for to check the website and bring something to class which is designed for one purpose but doesn’t work very well!
The class really enjoyed a great presentation from Rod Dunican: “Project Management and Collaboration for Learning”
Clients of his include Chevron, Cisco, Gap, Nike, JD Power, GM, Citibank, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of Michigan, in addition to many others.
Types of work he’s completed include:
Sexual harassment training
Management/Executive workshops
Year-long management immersion (for Nike)
Train-the-trainer programs
Change management initiatives
Marketing program rollouts
Software & Hardware training
Soft skills, sales, and much more
The overall information Rod wanted to impress with us is that if you go into project management, “you can do anything” and “do work that you love to do!”
3Ps (in Project Management)
Project
Project Manager
Project Management
What’s a Project? (Class discussed which of the following are projects and which would NOT be a project)
Developing a Photoshop training course
Maintaining a student learning portal
Creating a customized database report
Building a house
Going bald
Facilitating weekly project manager meeting
What’s a project anyway?
A temporary endeavor to produce a unique product or outcome
Defined as a set of tasks
Defined timeframe
Defined milestones
Defined results
Why?
Almost all jobs are now project based! You need to deliver results on time and on budget. The project manager really is in charge. They’re the grease, the glue, the ring leader!
Project Management:
A systematic approach to managing a project or projects. Centered around:
Scope/time/cost/resources/quality
Leadership and team building
Industry-standard tools and techniques
One of the more interesting aspects of this talk was a diagram he included about all of the various things a project manager needs to focus on and/or is responsible for including:
Cost/quality
Development/team goals
Internal business needs
Communication
Client goals
Desired project/planning results
Another interesting discussion was risks vs. problems:
Risks are potential problems
Problems need to be fixed
The team which a project manager works on/handles logistics for includes IDs, SMEs (subject matter experts), web designers/developers, solution architects (LMS), and clients/talent/other. Everyone brings their expertise to the table and collaboration is critical!
5 Phases in Project Management
Initiate: sales, solution planning: who are the key stakeholders? Perform a needs assessment. Statement of work (SOW) (hours/pay/etc.)
Plan: solutions, design: schedules, resources, kick-off meetings (project plan using perhaps Microsoft Project)
See #4
Monitor and Execute: solution development (The Work!). Includes status meetings, task updates, project change requests, issues and risk log, milestone sign off and documentation, QA testing, Alpha and Beta testing, and/or reporting project information to Finance
Close: Celebrate your success. You’re done! It’s a good idea if possible to celebrate your success with the folks involved on the project.
(Remember to figure out who is going to sign off on a project!)
Network! It will help you find freelance projects and clients. Lots of people he went to school with are the same people who refer him for jobs. Other organizations include ASTD, ISPI, STC, and Toastmasters! These are some of the organizations which are great to be involved in.
Salaries: Typically $80-$95 per hour, but remember you have to pay for your own insurance, as well as other coverage as needed.
Final Project Idea:
After some clarification from Kim, I think the final project which I’d like to work on is one she suggested, about creating curriculum about blogging and how it can be an effective Web 2.o tool. Kim said to follow up with her at our next class.
What an exciting event! I thought I’d collect all the cards and brochures I collected at this event and share the various websites, discoveries, etc. etc. This was the perfect event for some networking as well as learn about various technologies and their applications towards learning and various other subjects.
For example:
www.jingproject.com: Part of techsmith, the same company that also produces snagit, this software, when downloaded, allows you to add visuals to your online conversations. Interesting concept.
The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) (www.iskme.org): According to their website, they are “an independent, nonprofit research institute that helps schools, colleges, universities, and the organizations that support them expand their capacity to collect and share information, apply it to well-defined problems, and create human-centered, knowledge-driven environments focused on learning and success. ISKME achieves this goal by conducting social science research and evaluation, developing and sharing innovation, and facilitating knowledge sharing and field building:
Conducts research and evaluation in information sharing and knowledge sharing in the education sector
Creating and supporting innovations in education research, policy, and practice
Providing field-building activities, conferences and workshops in knowledge collaboration and innovation
In examining and assisting K-12 and higher education, ISKME also helps philanthropic organizations and government agencies examine and improve their own and their grantees’ processes for continuous improvement, evaluation, and learning.” Enough said!
One project of the Institute for the Study of KNowledge Management in Education (ISKME) is Open Educational Resources (OER) that “partners with K-12 schools, teacher education centers, universities, government, and other education stakeholders to develop and offer training programs and support, develop knowledge collaborative environments, and conduct research and evaluations. Teachers, whether they make lesson plans, or have teaching strategies to share, contribute to a growing global education community based on access.”
Spot.US Community Funded reporting. According the to their card, “they’re a nonprofit community funded reporting project that commission journalists to investigate important and often overlooked stories. We give the public a freelance budget and serve as a marketplace where independent reporters, community members and news organizations can come together and collaborate.”
Open Architecture Network (www.openarchitecturenetwork.org): Post your drawings, sketches, photos, CAD files, etc. to share your expertise. Collaborate around the globe to develop projects from concept to completion. Network with 10,000+ designers world-wide or sponsor on of the 1600+ projects.”
Update the way you relate: (www.nomee.com): Software that organizes all of your contacts, interests and information about you that you wish to share on your desktop. It seems fairly easy to use, and I’m still in the process of “trying it out.” Created a “nomee newsmaker card” that I can share with others.
What a fun, if a bit hectic class. Lots of fun disussions and presentations tonight.
Kim mentioned the mid-term and final presentation for the first time, which we had a lot of discussion about to clarify exactly what is due. Kim mentioned that over Spring Break she wants us to work on taking our blogs and condensing them into a Wiki (perhaps using PBWiki), which is another great use of Web 2.0 technology. Now that we’re more comfortable with blogs, this will be an excellent way for us to learn more. Practice makes perfect! This is also an excellent example of you having a portfolio piece.
Class activities for today
Web 2.0 Techology (Second Life)
Digital Learners
Group Presentations
Podcasts: 2 Groups create single blogs in class, then each individual will create their own podcast and post to their blog. No criteria, so it’s our chance to be creative! Blog will be related to our thoughts about Dr. Ellen Wagner’s presentation. Kim says we can use GarageBand or Audacity software. Ethan has posted in-class audio files online as well as tutorials about how to create a podcast.
Discussion: After viewing an amazing video, “A Vision of Student’s Today” we discussed various articles we’ve read. Lively discussion about these articles, including that higher education may not be prepared to change with the world, although students and their needs have changed. Kim mentioned 21st century skills, which are skills to teach to students (K-12). Discussed the 6 elements and Bridge to 21st century learning:
Emphasize core subjects
Emphasize learning skills (new)
Use 21st Century tools to develop learning skills
Teach and learn in 21st century context: globalizing curriculum, social justics, and environmental issues
Teach and learn 21st century content: art, civic, creativity, empathy, design, storytelling, etc.
Use 21st century assessment that measures 21st century skills
Digital Learners: “Growing Up with Google: What it Means to Education”: Discussion
Student mindset different than their boss, a different dynamic if you will as they are 21st century learners using various technologies which people of a different generation might not understand and incorrectly assume they are using for all the wrong reasons
Don’t assume there is a depth of knowledge!
Tools are not the problem, often it’s the training!
Presentations
Second Life: Virtual World: an avatar (you in a virtual world/a character. You can “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.” Be a different person, race, color etc. You can be anything you want to be!
Education is Second Life: How virtual worlds can be used in education. I found this to be quite interesting and useful, although some companies may unfortunately be slow to use.
Here’s the podcast I came up with from all of our group discussion. Enjoy!
For the majority of today’s session, we had the pleasure of a class discussion with Dr. Ellen Wagner. Rather than bore you with all the fun details, I thought a bulleted list on what was mentioned might be a nice change of pace from the usual blog entry. This was an exciting, interactive discussion with everyone in the group. I really enjoyed the interaction of everyone, sharing ideas from both the corporate world as well as education world. While Dr. Bonk’s lecture via webcam was intriguing, there is something more enticing about having the lecturer in the room with you where you can experience all the great nuances from everyone in attendance.
* She has the courage according the Dr. Foreman to have switched from academia to business
* Formerly directed e-learning at Adobe as a Senior Director and previous to this position worked for Macromedia for several years
* Now with her new company, Sage Road Solutions
* Concerns: commercially successful Web 2.0 products which may not be in the best for educational purposes!
* Free beer vs. a free puppy: just because something is free, doesn’t mean there isn’t a cost to it at some point. So beware!
* Global flat world: Dr. Wagner had to get up quite often at 3:30 a.m. as a remote worker while her boss and most of her co-workers were in Bangalore. All the travel wasn’t as pretty as you might think it might be.
* Rich Internet Applications: Google Earth, for example: interactivity, which has more impact on learning from desktop to browser
* Transparency can be dramatic and huge: no secrets! Be careful what you post online
* She’s concerned about accessibility for senior: Went to see her mom, who had a 14.4 Internet connection, which was painfully slow.
* Mentioned the Hype Cycle, which is a graphic representation about how a certain technology or technology can be on a bell curve of interest by its users.
* Mentioned the Diffusion of Innovations theory from Everett Rogers which details how certain technologies are accepted and used throughout various cultures/societies etc.
Script (a few sentences as requested by Dr. Foreman for us to discuss and use as we work on our podcasts in class next week!):
- What did you learn?
Web 2.o is probably thing of the past, Web 3.0 is probably already here, and just because something is commercially successful doesn’t mean it’s best for education!, interesting use of the Wii in the future relating to virtual life
- What are your takeaways?
Learn to add a little bit of something extra to your instructional design projects. Not just what you’re asked to do, but using new/more/different instructional technologies
- What keeps you up at night?
My upstairs neighbor who walks around most of the night as he owns a nightclub and stomps back and forth. Not knowing if I’ll have a job if the current hostile takeover at Genentech goes through, but what can I change? Ensuring I’m using the most up-to-date technologies in my projects, which I hope will be fun, informative, and useful!
