February 2nd- 7th

 15/5s

Task	0% complete, 50% complete, 100% complete	Role/Decisions	To do…..
Reading /WBS Resource	100%	2 + hours to complete	Apply to project
Team Meeting Via Google +	25%	1.5+ hr Thursday Conference on MTVT project Create Questions Discuss WBS 1+ hr Sunday	Meet Sunday Meeting with Dr. Mims at 5:00 via Google +
			torial videos Determine dates
Respond to email questions update group /To do list	10%	1 hr +  To do list Questions Start Charter	Continue communication throughout semester. Discuss roles and responsibilities. Upcoming assignments and task
Review MTVT sites	1%	2 hours Layout/lesson plans/templates Research Tech Tools	Tutorial for lesson plan, list resources ed tools
Creation of Reflection Journal   and 15/5s	100%	Reflection (Blooms) 30+ min	Reflect on this weeks assignments. Continue throughout the semester

This week I completed the required reading from the Project Managing eLearning: Chapter 3 Alessi & Trollip text: Chapter 13, p. 530-533. I responded in the Google Communities and shared a resource tool for a Work Break Down Structure. I also familiarized myself with a scheduling tool, Ganntt. I had to watch several of the tutorial videos in order to truly understand its functionality. I think I am struggling with this because we still don’t have a clear understanding of the clients needs.

Client: Our team met two times via Google+ to discuss the meeting Rick had with Dr. Mims. After this discussion we created a list of questions which we would need to discuss with Dr. Mims. We also discussed the creation of the Charter which is due next week.  As a team, we will meet with Dr. Mims to clarify questions and define a scope this coming Monday. In the mean time, I have been reviewing Dr. Mims Google Sites, Wikki and the newly created Wordpress site that our group will be developing.

We are also researching and compiling new technology tools to add to the MTVT site. Kim came across an awesome Voice Thread that I hope we can incorporate into the site.  

In the beginning of the course I was clueless on estimating time and budgeting. I am still somewhat hesitant on these estimations, but after reading the article by Sam Barnes, Effective Strategy to Estimate Time for Your Design Project, I have grown more comfortable. It is better to grow more comfortable with these issues now as we will not have this opportunity when we are designing this for a client under a real time-frame. I often find that when it comes to charging someone (or collecting money from a friend for example) I become uncomfortable.  This discomfort is further emphasized when I am “billing” someone for technology that I am not entirely acquainted with. Barnes suggests three approaches when you are confronted with technology you have minimal experience:   

•    Negotiate a paid for functional specification phase as a first step;
•    Consider hiring an expert; and
•    Research in your own time and make your best guess. 

In some instances you may be able to negotiate a “trial” or “mini” project with the client in order to research the functions and develop the planning stage before committing to the whole project. This way you can research the unfamiliar technology and deliver a functional specification to the client.

Since this project is only based on hypothetical costs, it is a great opportunity for me to develop an idea of the time and cost of deliverables.

Client: Our team as been communicating daily throughout the week via text message, Google + and via email. We also had the opportunity to meet as a group. The more we discuss, the more questions we have.   

Based on current understanding, Dr. Mims would like us to further develop his Worpress site, Making Thinking Visible with Technology for an upcoming conference this May. He has four wants for this project:

1. Create a tutorial MTVT lesson Plan (How to add and incorporate technology.);

2. Develop a Pool of 30 Plus lesson plans (With Student work examples and testimonials links with visuals);

3. New technology (List/Examples); and

4. Post: Social Media Twitter/Facebook.

This course reminds me of the first course I took in the program with Dr. Tamim, but this is much more involved and detailed.  I also worked independently on my instructional unit.  Since this class is much more intense, having a group to rely on and work with is beneficial. As I’ve said before, I also worked on the IDT Newly enrolled student website for the University of Memphis. However, when we worked on the IDT website there were more group members and work was divided in smaller increments.

Once again setting up meeting dates and communicating with team members was beneficial.  We plan to continue to do this throughout the semester.

A Google Doc was created for the Project Charter. This will be completed by the entire group throughout the week. I think our group is still a bit overwhelmed and unclear on the exact expectations, but meeting with the client as a group and having a series of set questions will allow us to pin point those topic for which we are unclear. I am still curious to know how Dr. Mims tutorial on the lesson plan is to be created, as well as how finding thirty people to submit lesson plans with students work and testimonials will be accomplished.