Project Schedule and Estimating Activity Duration

In this week’s blog, we were  ask to conduct a web search (listservs, message boards, blogs) and locate at least two resources that would be useful in estimating the costs, effort, and/or activity durations associated with ID projects.  Explore the sites and consider how you might use them to help plan a project’s schedule, budget, or break down a project’s tasks.

One web resource I located is Clarizen. The website states:

The site is called “Clarizen For Project Managers”. Clarizen’s online project management software helps your team work more efficiently, effectively, and achieve better results. It’s the only project management solution to merge the power of the cloud with social communications. You can use it to:

• Eliminate work chaos by standardizing core processes
• Gain real-time visibility into projects
• Build high-performance teams and speed up the pace of doing business
• Increase efficiency of project execution”

http://www.clarizen.com/

The second web resource  that I explore is Businessball.  

            A project manage is able to find a variety of information relative to their project needs. This source specifies how to use Gantt charts, what should be included, and gives an example of what it will look like. It goes through each step of the project life cycle and explains what elements should be considered when planning a project. It is very detailed and specific.

                                                                                          

http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm

Communicating Effectively

This week we watched three modalities of delivering the same message. The differences were simple but interesting.

How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?

Email: Jane communication to Mark seems fairly clear. The interpretation of the message is based solely on the words written with no urgency. Dr. Stolovitch stated, in the weeks ‘media resource that a message should be communicated with a clear purpose that stated the situation (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.). Jane email message began with a clear purpose.

Voicemail: In the voicemail message a sense of an urgent was conveyed more than in the email. It is not so much that the words were different but the tone was more businesslike. The fact that she picks up a phone rather than sending an email make the need more pressing.

Face-to-face: The face-to-face message was less formal to me than the email or voicemail.  The delivery of this message didn’t seem as if the report was as pressing as previously mentioned in the email and voicemail requests. Her body language is pleasant and easygoing. She is smiling and seems relaxed. This is probably the least urgent of the three modalities.

What factors influenced how you perceived the message?

I think the email message is the most effective. It is clear, concise and straight to the point. The direction is clear of what is needed as well as a direction on how to return the information. Although, the voicemail conveys the most urgency.

Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?

The email form of the message best conveys the true meaning and intent of the message. It is clear and directly to the point.

What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?
Good communication is vital.   Without effective communication all parties can suffer. The consequences are that the method chosen to communicate can affect the sense of urgency and important of information needed.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

The Art of Effective Communication. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2017, fromhttp://mym.cdn.laureatemedia.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

Learning from a Project “ Post-mortem”

One of my most memorable project don't was incorporating LMS in a course, when I did not fully understand what I was doing. I was the only technology teacher in the school and was trying to integrate technology into the lessons. I really did not want to lose valuable classroom time (and test-prep time) by adding more unnecessary content about how to use the technology. After days on YouTube and other tutorial trying to learn the LMS, I formed several lessons of content to integrate into our class time. I had an information page, syllabus page, notes, surveys, quizzes and links to other resources. Being that we were in a computer class, I felt the technology can somehow handle itself. I was sure it would work out fine in the “technology class”.

The class I used was favorable to the new technology. They students had a positive attitude about the LMS at the start. The biggest problem we faced was accountability. Many of the students were not used to keeping up with their assignment online. Student were so accustomed to having paper in hand, so searching for information online was new and to some just weird.

Using the new technology in the classroom to enhance learning, was a requirement in the class. I ran into barriers with not knowing how to use the LMS, and not anticipating the student resistant . As most teachers are, I was sure that I will make the best of my tryout in using our LMS and hope the future will be even better.