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Project Management Roles & Cool Titles

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Light bulb Idea

As I have mentioned, I am currently in an Online Project Management course, whereas we are working in groups on solving a project management issue [ours is partially real and some what fabricated-which is fine with our professor].One task last week was to choose our Project Management Roles.  I am the Idea Developer for our group.

If you want to read some really interesting role titles, check out Automattic This is the startup group who are best known for a little project called WordPress.  It is worth a quick scroll to read some of these titles.

My favorites:

  • Happiness Engineer[they actually have about 6 of these],
  • Digital Entomologist,
  • Systems Wrangler,
  • Outernationalist [his name is Ze Fontainhas],
  • PollDaddy Jr,
  • Design Wacko,
  • Schmooze Engineer,
  • Lightbulb Engineer,
  • and wouldn’t you love to hear your child announce they were going to grow up to be a
    • Bug Exorcist or Master of Suggestion?

Makes you want to re-think your title doesn’t it?

Working With The Hampshire Educational Collaborative [HEC]

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Learning Algebraic Relations and Functions

Over the last 3 months I have been working with The Hampshire Educational Collaborative [HEC] developing a new Online Algebra course geared towards high school students looking to recover credit for Algebra. This is a pilot program, we are currently working with Western Massachusetts School Districts to test this course.

This is not the Algebra I remember, in fact had I had this type of interactivity available when I was learning Algebra, I firmly believe I would now remember more of my Algebra.  It is amazing how the Algebra is presented….and all online.

I also worked on creating an eLearning Coaches online course, whereas learning coaches [some of whom are Algebra teachers, some specialist teachers-all of whom have enormous amounts of patience] were taught [and refreshed] in learning skills.  To assist the Algebra students in learning approaches to studying, problem-solving and sometimes basic time management skills.  All fabulous skills & habits for the 21st Century.

Additionally, I maintain a blog which is where I also lodge other pertinent research.

Joining The Institute for Digital Media Arts [IDMA]

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IMDA Home Page

Another group I am happy & proud to be working with is  The Institute for Digital Media Arts [IDMA].   I am creating a Web Design Diploma for them.

  • The Web Design Diploma offers students the opportunity to explore the design of websites, interactive media, and other digital technologies. Following a project-based curriculum, students will immediately gain knowledge and learn skills about tools and technologies used in designing and creating digital products.
  • Student studies will focus on design, functionality, target audience, and user experience. The studies will remain grounded in the fundamentals of information architecture, basic front and back end web development, and interactive media design.
  • These courses are developed to be presented completely online.

Fun and exciting times, online.

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Mental Pictures, Telling Stories & Lessons Learned

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I’m nearly complete with a Graduate Certificate Program I’ve been enrolled in since Jan 2010.  I so enjoy learning and learning online…..well, I’ve been doing this since 1994. The current course is all about Project Management and we’ve been discussing Project Management [PM] Roles.

Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne

Speaking of PM Roles I am reminded of an old book, written in 1939, called ‘Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Mary Anne.’ For those too young to remember, the story goes:

Mike and Mary Anne are a team and after many years of working successfully together, Mike and Mary Anne face competition from modern, diesel-powered shovels. Seeking an area of the country where his less modern steam shovel can still find work, Mike finds a small town that is about to build a new town hall. The authorities react with disbelief when Mike makes the claim that he and his steam shovel Mary Anne can dig the cellar in a single day; they protest that it would take a hundred men a week. Mike insists that Mary Anne can indeed finish the job in one day, though he has some private doubts.

At sun-up the next day, Mike and Mary Anne begin work and just manage to complete the task by sundown. However, they have neglected to dig themselves a ramp so they can drive out. A child who had been watching makes the suggestion that Mike take the job of janitor for the town hall, and that Mary Anne should become the boiler for the town hall’s heating system.  Wikipedia

It just goes to show how our roles change during a project and how powerful stories can be when helping to solidify learning.  Check out Mike and Mary Anne.

Even More Free Tools for the Virtual Instructor

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The learning curves have been steep, over the past couple of weeks.  I have been introduced to a few more free tools I wanted to share.

  • Zoho.com is an autoresponder and so much more. While this autoresponder is secure, I have to admit the back end of this system can get ‘geeky’ so be prepared and you do not always have the ‘pretty’ options to make forms look swanky.  Function and form.
  • Text’em allows you to text from the comfort of your own computer. This learning curve is quite simple and you can have an account up, running and be texting within moments. The wonder of this process is that you do not have to reveal your phone number, within your texts.  These is an inbox-email-type system to read responses to your text and create further responses.  This is perfect for a Virtual Instructor who does not want to have their contact information out there.  A couple of slight drawbacks: the system in not instantaneous [it took about 15 minutes to process an outgoing text & nearly as long to receive a reply to that text-during testing phase].  And you have to collect your contacts’ providers.

All and all, these freebies are worth a look.  Let me know what you think.

Drive: What Motivates Us?

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Last fall I heard Daniel Pink speak at Westfield State College, Westfield, MA[who BTW have a wonderful Speakers Series, if you are ever in the area during the school year on a given Monday night].  For years, I’ve been a big fan of Mr. Pink’s work and was thrilled to hear him in person.  He was promoting his newest book Drive.  Here is a fabulous video illustrating Daniel’s point.   Enjoy!