instructional design

The Five Biggest Ideas On The Future of Health Care Design

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Here’s something that might help when designing educational materials.  While this is geared towards the health care industry, it is an excellent reference source to consider when creating educational materials-especially when we think about The Patient.  Consider your user, when designing your online classroom.

Health Care Design

This article states: “The practice of medicine changes constantly, and your product will have to change as well.” If we think about our curriculum as constantly changing we know our online class materials will need constant changing and updating too.

MassCUE: Connecting the Dots

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Connecgtng the Dots

I spent the day in Marlborough, Massachusetts Connecting the Dots with others investigating some of the hot issues in education.  We rotated through 35 minute discussions and shared challenges, information, ideas and best practices with our peers from around the region.

This event also featured a special keynote, Ron Crouch, who with his amazing ability with numbers helped us better understand the demographics of our region and how that information will shape the needs of the area education organizations in the months and years to come.

 Ron’s presentation was fascinating and I am still absorbing the pages of information and data he shared.

More than just a briefing, this fast paced planning session brought together K-12 district and Department of Education staff to discuss, reflect, and prepare for what is to come.  

I participated in roundtable group discussions on topics such as:

•   Classroom Technologies
•   Funding Challenges and Opportunities
•   Professional Development
•   Social Media
•   Online Learning and Digital Content

It was a day well worth the foggy drive out east.

I am looking forward to presenting at the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators’ [MassCUE’s] 2011 Annual Technology Conference, This 2-day event-October 26 & 27th, 2011- is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents [M.A.S.S.].

MassCUE 2011

Vintage PinUp Clothing Photo Shoot

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Standing Pose

Standing Pose

Standing Pose

Standing Pose

Adora Sitting

Adora Sitting

Adora_sittingThese images will eventually find themselves into an eCourse: Learning how-to pose for Vintage PinUp photographs. Right now they need to be put into the editing process and finalized for production into the eCourse and other areas over on Vintage PinUp Clothing

Bicycles Built for Two

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Tandem Bike

The overall project plan support, and are, supported by the Instructional Design [ID] documents as they are constructed in much the same way. Similar to a couple riding a bicycle built for two the overall project plan balances with the ID design document as both work in tandem moving the project forward.

While the design document is composed of learning objectives, key points of content and concepts along with processes and activities. The project plan works with the design document via the initiating  and planning stages [creating project charter & identifying stakeholders].

Both ‘riders’ of the tandem bicycle might take turns riding in the front or back of the bicycle or even propelling the bicycle solo, for short periods of time.  Yet, a bicycle built for two arrives at its destination [the specified project stages of completion], fastest and in best form, when both riders are working in unison.

The instructional design process is similar to the project management process in that both spend a vast portion of their life span in the analysis and planning stages. Just as one may ‘plan and plot’ the path for a long bike ride, adjustments to the bike, changes in weather, and even detours can cause riders to change course and make adjustments yet the bicycle [and riders] do arrive.

The similarities are that it is all about the journey, not the destination.  Both the Instructional Designer and Project Manager are headed to the same destination-project completion.

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.