Project Team Communication

This week we have explored techniques to effectively communicate within a project team.  We utilized the Multimedia Program: "The Art of Effective Communication" to identify key features of different types of communication that would be commonly used in a project team setting: email, voicemail and face to face.

I found the language of all of the messages to be very informal and nonspecific but that it was only in the face to face setting that this seemed to work.  Both email and voicemail would probably require a more formal manner of communication to clearly relay the desired outcomes.  Portny et al define formal and informal communications as (p.357):

-Formal communications are preplanned and conducted in a standard format in accordance with an established schedule. 

-Informal communications occur as people think of information they want to share.

(Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, 2008)

It seems that the more we move away from face to face interactions the more formal we need to be in our communication to ensure our messages are received.  I also believe that it would have to be a requirement to have some kind of full access log for all project team members to utilize.  If all team members could record communications in this log and read the communications of other members then it would be easier to relay information and thoughts that come from the informal conversations that occur so often in face to face settings.

In the online high school we have a contact log where instructors, advisors and administration is able to record all contact with students and then utilize this log when contacting students.  This way everyone has updated information on the student’s progress and needs.  I believe that a similar model would work for a project team log as well.

Thank you.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Why Project Management is a Necessity in Instructional Design?

My worst experience, best experience and defining moment in Instructional Design were all wrapped into a year and half long experience.  My first experience in the educational industry was to create a hybrid/blended curriculum that could be used for “at-risk” high school students who were not allowed or unable to attend school during the day.  All of the students were overage and under credit for average high school students, in addition most of them were also young parents.  The problem that I faced is that by the time I arrived to begin this project, writing the curriculum, the school already had the students meeting regularly every week.  I was forced to run the program while creating the program.

At the end of the year and a half I was able to complete the Math program and start the English and Science programs with plans to add a Special Education component to each content area.  I had learned so much about teaching, online curriculum development, and the world of hybrid/blended education.  It turned out to be a true bittersweet experience.  This experience showed me the necessity of project management and as I learn more about project management, the need to follow a project management process.  Portny et al define project management as (p. 3), “the process of guiding a project from its beginning through its performance to its closure” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, 2008)

Some of the weaknesses that made the project difficult were:

1.      The requirement to achieve all levels of the project at the same time; there was no process

2.      Limited resources and not knowing what resources were required before the implementation of the project

3.      I had to be the project manager, the curriculum designer, and the math/science teacher; spread so thin I was not able to complete anything before starting something new

Some of the strengths that made the project successful were:

1.      Flexibility to be creative and explore different options

2.      Though the number of people working on the project was low, everyone had extensive experience in their fields of study

3.      Did not have to worry about location or recruitment of students

Analyzing the project management process presented in our textbook, I believe that more focus in the “Define” and “Start” phases (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, 2008) would have relieved some of the difficulties and made the project stronger. 

Thank you.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

End of Course Reflection

Honestly, as I began this course, I did not I believe that I could find out more about learning than I had already learned in my teacher licensing program.  I was wrong.  My previous training and experiences were primarily focused on K-12 Youth learners, not adult learners.  I did find that some of my past knowledge was applicable to adult learners but I had to first understand the differences between adult learners and youth learners.  The top three differences between adult learners and youth learners that I found are:

1. Content Needs 
2.  Technology Usage
3.  Motivational Strategies

“Content Needs”

Adult learners and youth learners are similar in the identification of learning styles and multiple intelligences.  For both groups an instructor needs to understand their student population and design curriculum that supports the range of learning styles/intelligences in the classroom. My thinking is similar to that of Gardner‘s reminders of multiple intelligences (p.15 – 16):

o   “Each person posses all eight intelligences.”

o   “Most people can adapt each intelligence to an adequate level of competency.”

o   “Intelligences usually work together in complex ways.”

o   “There are many ways to be intelligent in each category.”

This also coincides with Gilbert and Swanier’s research on how students/learners learning style can change and fluctuate within a unit and or lesson.  So I have learned that I strongly believe in creating a classroom environment that supports different learning styles/intelligences even though I am primarily a visual learner and teacher.   I also believe solutions in a balance of extremes have become more of a norm than an anomaly.   Proof of this is found in the newest efforts to promote optimal learning with differentiation, RTI (Response to Instruction), Bloom’s Taxonomy, and all the strategies they come with for teachers to follow.  The entire list of theories and principles see that different learners learn in different ways and not any one tactic will reach all students.

So both adult learners and youth learners have a range of learning styles/intelligences in one classroom setting but will require differing content.  A large difference in content would be in the technology training required for either adult learners or youth learners.

“Technology Usage”

I have learned that there are more adult learners who shy away from technology than youth learners and this difference will require that I add technology training into my curriculum, especially for online learning environments.  As with youth learners, I believe that all types of learning experiences can be created for adults in an online environment, with some creativity from the instructor.  As Fenwick and Tennant expressed, “The answer of course is that there is no one best way to understand learning, just as learners and educators are each very different and constantly changing.”

Yet technology adds so much richness and options for learning that it is critical to have all learners on board with its use in the online classroom.  From my experiences, I believe that adult learners would work on the extremes of either being for or against online learning experiences; the emphasis of these extremes could be detrimental to any type of learning experience created by the instructor.  The adult learners who are against online learning will be very adamant about their disapproval and hard to win over.  These hard to reach adult learners would require user friendly training on the online learning platform and additional support in the use of the platform.  On the other extreme the adult learners who are for online learning may expect more than what they will be offered by the instructor.  In this case the instructor should offer opportunities for these adult learners to contribute to the online content as well as be open to suggestions for changes to the platform.  Yet all of these adult learners will be “highly motivated by intrinsic factors, such as the need for knowledge and the drive to succeed” as Knowles suggested, thus bringing all of these student types together with the willingness to learn.

“Motivational Strategies”

I believe that both adult learners and youth learners would benefit motivationally by some Social Constructivism techniques.  Social Constructivism allows students to be active participants in their learning (Kim 2010) and “transform their experiences based on their knowledge and characteristics.” (Ormrod 2009)  I strongly agree with the theory that social interactions effect and enhance the learning process.  As said in Learning Theories and Instruction (p.184), “Constructivist accounts of learning and development highlight the contributions of individuals to what is learned.”

Yet since adult learners will have different as well as more experiences than youth learners this contribution to their own education may be much more critical, especially in an online classroom.  With an online classroom of adult learners, I believe that the motivational strategies that will need to be implemented will be more intrinsic than extrinsic and will relate more to the applications and relevance of the information.  In addition to finding the personal value in the course students must also have the ability to see the end of requirements and communicate regularly with the instructor and other students.

In conclusion, I feel empowered by the information I learned throughout this course about learning styles, multiple intelligences, technology usage in adult classrooms and motivational strategies.  I still feel more knowledgeable and confident in working with youth learners but in understanding the differences of adult learners I feel ready to add to my experiences with adult learners in an online environment.

My Learning Journey in Review

As my knowledge of learning theories and styles has grown I can now put names to how I learn and the techniques I have observed to work with my students.  Each week I gained a greater understanding of how to recognize my own learning and teaching styles which in turn assists me to recognize the learning styles and requirements of my students.

As I reviewed the last six weeks of learning I see an interesting pattern in my expansion of learning.  Although I consistently utilize my own experiences and perspectives to analyze the presented information, I saw a pattern of transformation of my thinking from self to general education to specific youth students to adult learners.  In addition, I observed how I was able to infuse technology into each of my thinking stages.

The major conclusions I have come to include but are not limited to:

• ·         As a scientist I do believe that we are born with certain parts required for learning and these can differ from person to person but I also recognize the impact culture and environment have on the learning process as well. 

• ·         I strongly believe that knowledge of the brain and learning is critical to creating curriculum and learning environments. 

• ·         By achieving a balance between different learning theories and strategies more students will receive the opportunity to learn in an optimal learning environment.  I believe that by presenting the information in these different forms to all students/learners they will be able to select the best way for them to remember and apply the information.

• ·         As with youth learners, I believe that all types of learning experiences can be created for adults in an online environment, with some creativity from the instructor.  As Fenwick and Tennant expressed, “The answer of course is that there is no one best way to understand learning, just as learners and educators are each very different and constantly changing.”

• ·         Social Constructivism along with Connectivism allows students to be active participants in their learning (Kim 2010) and “transform their experiences based on their knowledge and characteristics.” (Ormrod 2009)  I strongly agree with the theory that social interactions effect and enhance the learning process.  As said in Learning Theories and Instruction (p.184), “Constructivist accounts of learning and development highlight the contributions of individuals to what is learned.”