I’m all caught up with your I&M’s.

In order to string your projects together a bit better for future reference, I placed your feedback on your personal (and private) discussion board within ELC 7340.  There are audio files in almost all cases.  I also tried to indicate your Next Steps.  If you have any questions about those, let me know.

Through Nov 17, I have a distressingly tied-up schedule.  AASL (fun!) followed by days of candidate interviews.  I am definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving!

If the wireless system permits, I will keep a Google doc of my AASL notes. Here’s the link.

Hello!  It’s Monday again.

I was very pleased with the Star Exhibition!   I learned about some new Stars, learned some new things about Old Stars, and learned some new 2.0 tricks.  Judging by the comments and the nominations, you did, too.

This assignment has been self-fulfilling in terms of feedback.  Over the next week or two, Justine will finalize your grades; this is a simple check-off procedure.

This morning I distributed all the “extra” nominations received to the various people who were nominated.  For the most part, I chose ELC email for this task – while I still really dislike ELC overall, the email function works pretty well.  (Especially since I discovered the little icon on the upper right of the “My Elearning Commons” view – which provides all email from all courses in one place.) So, in future, if you want to email me within ELC I will definitely find it.

I updated the Cohort 8/Ed.S.  calendar by adding the Spring 2010 dates. The Planner is now up to date. The Midterm Feedback form is still open, in case you haven’t done that yet – for about another week.

As for the online AP situation (where we have to remove public access to your projects) – we are still discussing.  I’ll let you know as soon as we figure this out.

Finally, looking ahead – hoo boy. We have a furlough day Friday, and UGA will be dark.  This week, Dr. Clinton goes to a conference; next week,  I go to AASL.  Busy times!  So – I reiterate: if your need is urgent,  call.  In times like these, I will definitely fall behind in normal communication – and will be happy to receive an urgent phone call to relieve some of my guilt for letting emails sit too long. All of my contact info can be found at the bottom of the ELC homepage for any of my courses.

Happy Halloween!

Hello again!

Tonight’s the night you should send your Exhibition (direct) link to Jennifer (jenngill at uga edu).

The agenda is set, complete with a schedule.  Plan to login to WebCT 7460 Wimba at 10am.

Yes, that’s right – **WebCT** Wimba 7460.  Of the several classrooms listed there, choose the top one.

Backup plan: I posted the dial-in number and PIN on the agenda as well.

Questions, IMs, phone calls welcome today and tomorrow – I’m in meetings all day Friday.  See you online!

Hello!

Today I have a minor update that some of you may have already discovered.

During our last class, I challenged Justine to find several learning objects that would support your instrument development.  She did so immediately – it’s just taken me awhile to get things hooked up.

In ELC 7340 Resources, you will now find 4 new items on these topics:

1. Surveys – Jansen
2. Qual Methods – Labaree (including a good bit on interviewing)
3. Focus Groups – Iowa State
4. Focus Groups – Krueger

I’m not necessarily expecting you to read all of these, even if you’re developing one or more of these instruments.  However, they can certainly serve as useful resources.

I owe you some communication about Saturday – coming soon.

Columbus would have either drowned in this weather or possibly rowed the Santa Maria down my street.

I’ve updated your Planner and Agenda to reflect our progress on Saturday.  We did really well to get through all of that – I wasn’t thinking we would!

I finished grading all the Designs last night.  Make sure you can see your feedback.

A reminder – no one is quite yet ready to collect data.  Once your Instruments and Materials are approved, data collection can begin (if appropriate to your project plan).   If I rambled in your feedback and didn’t make your next steps clear enough, let me know!

If anyone would like to do the Last Word tomorrow, the job is open!  Everything is ready, except for some of the Advisement details that I need to clear up today.  See you at 11!

Hello!   I have 3 more designs to grade: Laurie, Meghann, and Jim.  My goal is to finish all by Sunday.

Here’s why I’m telling you this now:  Blackboard Vista, pay attention!  I’m really frustrated with the way this system is working so poorly.

At least one student in this class received feedback in the dropbox five days after it was posted.  This is a BIG problem because we can’t waste time like that!  So: if  you’re not on the list above, check for your feedback.  Almost everyone is getting a highlighted .doc and an .mp3.   I will send you yours via email if ELC is withholding your feedback.

Another random problem noticed in another class:

• Dropbox does not display feedback, except for score
• Gradebook does not reflect graded assignments
• These have been single-student problems; in other words, it works for everybody else.  So, be particularly alert across all of your ELC courses for this kind of problem.

Your designs are looking good and I’m not taking my ELC frustrations out on them.

Hello!

We’ll talk about this more on 10/10, but in case you’re dying to know …

Our IRB application was approved.  However — don’t dash out and collect data yet (well, no one is quite to that stage anyway) — there’s one thing we must change.

No web publication.  We predicted this, as I recall.

I’ll be discussing with Dr. Clinton our specific procedure.  We need a shared, closed environment — sounds like a wiki.  However, we may opt for an even more conservative and traditional method. If you have any cool ideas, let me know.

In the meantime, just hold off on putting your project-related materials online.  Don’t take stuff down, either; most of what you have already posted is not problematical.

Designs are trickling in – I’m looking forward to reviewing them all next week.

Andy was great, wasn’t he?  Here is one public thank-you to him.

I’ve updated your Planner, although I didn’t change it much. Fixed a link or two.

I did significantly update the Graduation Checklist that’s referenced there. If you have an older version you might want to replace it.

Stay dry and flu-free!

(I’m on Twitter now if you want yet another channel to follow – mafitzger.  Definitely optional.)

Hello!

I’m almost finished with your RQs.  I plan to be completely finished today.

Tomorrow is a meeting day – and so I will definitely neglect email from this afternoon through Monday.

I will see most or all of you at 11am for the Internship info session. This is appropriate for interns at all stages of operation; bring your questions.

At 12, we’ll have a lunch break and get started asap with our class agenda.  Make sure to admire Kristie’s drawing!

At 1p, we’re in for a treat.  Andy Plemmons will come and give the 2009 AP Survivor Talk.  He is a Cohort 7 alum, and 2nd-year media specialist at Barrow Elementary in Clarke.   He will be informative and inspiring!

We’ll spend the rest of our time working through the design topic.

I don’t have anyone signed up for the Last Word – so if you’d like to volunteer (or just show up with something to share), that would be great!