Development and Design in the ID World

     There are so many resources available today that can provide assistance and guidance to a PM when they are developing a project timeline. Because of this, it can be overwhelming to know where to start or where to get help. For this assignment, I am going to provide two incredibly helpful resources I had never seen before until doing my own search today. I hope these resources can be helpful to you as you plan a project timeline or schedule. (*Note: I am providing only two of many resources out there. For the purpose of this assignment, I have tried to provide resources that are less well-known in hopes of providing new resources to others.) Tom’s Planner : Tom’s Planner is a website that provides Gantt charts in a simple and easy-to-use format. When you start a project timeline, it provides you with the ability to add tasks, large milestones, and specific dates to the timeline. Icons, color-coordination, and drag-and-drop features make this platform easy and eng...

     To better understand the factors that affect communication and what is deemed effective communication, I viewed a piece of communication that was presented in three different modalities from “ The Art of Effective Communication ”. After hearing the message communicated in each modality, I recorded my interpretation of the message, the factors that influenced this interpretation of the message, and my overall impression of the form of communication. You can view my thoughts for each communication form below. Email: The beginning of the email sounded a bit pushy, demanding, and a bit off-putting. Often times, when you insert words like “that” into “in that all day meeting today”, it can immediately make a sentence sound negative or condescending. (I am pretty sure everyone can think of an argument where someone used the word “that” to make a clear point that they are not happy.) Additionally, the email keeps bringing up the writer’s needs and presents it in a demanding...

     Shortly before I became an ID at the company I work for currently, they decided to take on the task of writing their own curriculum series. The plan was to create workbooks, instructor guides, and digital content for blended courses they could sell as well as run within their charter school. They decided to develop courses for the four main subjects – Social Studies, Science, ELA, and Math – for Grades 1-6 before diving into the production of Middle and High School courses. When it came time to develop the elementary Math courses, the stakeholders had a very specific vision in mind for how they wanted the Math courses to be laid out and written. They hired a brand new PM and had communicated the vision to the PM many times to ensure she understood the needs and vision of the Math courses. As an ID, part of my role consisted of overseeing the Grade 3 contracted writers/SMEs and coaching them in our vision for the Math course as they developed the lessons. Unfortunatel...

Welcome! I am so glad you are here! Whether you are new to the world of ID or consider yourself an old-timer, there is something here for you! From distance learning models to project management best practices, you will find tips and tools here to assist you in your ID career. Feel free to leave a comment or question below. Happy reading!