The first issue that caught my eye this
week was that everyone, including myself, has expressed concerns about the
other professionals involved in their projects. Maybe we are all control freaks, or maybe we
just love our students, but it made me think about what I can possibly do to
make sure I am getting the responses I need from the professors involved. One student pointed out that
I need to implement a program that is extremely user friendly. This made me think that I should be
exploring options that our professors are already familiar with at the
university.
I originally wanted to use Blackboard for my
project; another student recommended I look into it further
because it has the capability to do everything I need.
However questioning revealed what I was afraid of, using Blackboard is not
a requirement for professors at Lamar University so there is no way to ensure I
would have grades to look at throughout the semester.I had my first IT meeting Friday to specifically talk about my project and the program options I would have. I am happy to say we came to an agreement on the Grades First program that the Athletic Department and Advising Center utilize. It turns out I’ll be able to use it for free because of licensing that was already purchased. So I killed two birds with one stone! Funding issue avoided, and program to implement picked out. I am extremely excited!
Changes:
While completing the assignment I decided to add an initial
e-mail that will go out to all professors on campus explaining the program and
their need for involvement.
A specific change that came about from reading everyone’s comments is to make sure everyone involved knows what’s going on. I realized I hadn’t set a specific time to meet with our Stars
Program. This program is where my
students will go for tutoring when assigned.
I need to ensure their buy-in to my project by fully explaining
the benefits of the program, and my expectations for their involvement. My site supervisor agreed during our meeting because aside from the actual professors, they are the only other people involved in the project that don't already have direct ties to the participating students. 
Wow! You got a lot done this week. I like all the changes that you made and that you were able to use something that is already used by the University and did not cost more.
ReplyDeleteI'll be following!