POST 6: PROJECT REFLECTION

PROMPT:

Reflect on your experiences designing, planning and implementing a project with minimal adult intervention. Consider these questions to help write your reflection:

• What challenges do you face in this type of project?  How did you overcome the challenges?
• Did the project proceed as planned?  If not, were the problems unforeseeable? unpreventable? insurmountable?
• If you were to be involved in a project like this again, would you approach it differently? Why or why not?
• If another IDC class attempts a redesign of the school website in the future, what advice would you give them?

MY   THOUGHTS:

I loved working on this assignment. From the members of our group to the tasks we were given, I always felt at home developing the website. Even the little hiccups along the way were fun to sort out. It really was a great project.

 It was a unique assignment, to say the least. We worked with an unclear timeline and a working environment that was constantly changing. The project itself  began as a side project and slowly began to eat up more of our time. The group that began work on the website went through a few... reorganizations of its own, as students were added to and removed from the group. This changing dynamic, however,  is par for the course in IDC, so we knew how to be flexible.

I spent 10 minutes on this. I hope someone laughed.

The roles within the group were pretty defined. Ben and Emil were the engineers. I dealt with content management. Tanuja and Zoe also worked with content. Other people had jobs too, but they came and went. At one point, the entire class was slated to work on the website. I'm sure that would have been great too, but there's something to be said about a small group of like-minded nudniks working together to accomplish a common goal.

We knew each other well and enjoyed each other's company. Perhaps, dare I say it, a little too much. At times, we may have gotten a little side-tracked. 

(Ms. Cuttle, I don't appreciate that all-knowing smirk.)

Yes, it's true that if I had been stuck with a group of students I didn't like as much, the site might have been finished in a day. Nevertheless, the group dynamic worked well. We all had our own unique interests, and therefore different responsibilities on the site. I would say if I had to look for one challenge I faced during the project, it would have to be dealing with the constant "unknown" that comes with working in the real world.

The IDCICT Motto

There were times when I wasn't sure what our next task was to be. There were times when we as a group were unsure of the permissions we had or needed to do something on the site. These uncertainties were times when we would have to ask for clarification and wait for an answer. It was a little annoying to wait for so many green lights, but that's the nature of the work world. I understand that.

It's hard to overcome such challenges, but the way to deal with them is to keep busy. When we had to pause work on the website, we always had other work to occupy our time. I had my placement and the Tech Advocacy assignment for a while. By the time we started the Seminar Unit, when we didn't have other work to do, the site had progressed to the point where we were doing 1000 things at once, and could switch tasks when we had to wait for something.

Most of the project was kept according to a short-term plan. Ms. Cuttle would make enough decisions to last the week or so, and we would execute them. When we were done, we'd go back to distract her some more. We'd then work out the plan for the next week and go back to work (Think "dog" + "frisbee").

Any complications that did occur, be they regarding permissions, current events, or other such concerns were out of our hands. We did the best with what we could.

Problems with tech or time-management were our responsibility. We* worked as an awesome team to fix any technological problems that came up. As far as I can remember, almost all problems were unforeseeable.

If I were to be involved in this project again, I would make sure to begin with a detailed plan outlining all responsibilities and due dates. I would use the same students from beginning to end. All Admin Approval would be gained after the plan was completed with no need to stop once we start working.

Please get the joke.... Please get the joke..... Please oh please.....

It's probably not going to happen. I get it. If only the assignment were more predictable, something we could plan in advance, it'd be so much easier to navigate. Other than that, I would keep everything the same. If I were the teacher, I would get a small group of people to work on the project. I'd give them time each day to work on it. While helping them when they need it, I'd aim to give them an adult-free environment to experience their first task in the real world. It's a good system, and were it not for the little hiccups here or there, it's perfect.

Hiccup.

Future IDC students, listen up. This project is about more than a grade. It's about giving back to your school and learning what the real world is like. You won't always know what needs to be done or how you're going to do it. Just remember to listen to others and keep everyone updated. Try new things. Teach yourself how to navigate Wordpress. Step outside your comfort zone, but don't break anything. Bring ideas to the table and stay calm if they're scrapped. Be realistic with your goals and your timing. Try to manage without a teacher holding your hand. It's okay. You can do it. When dealing with the website, it's important to have a plan and travel with a buddy. Remember, when it comes to flashy things, teachers are just as bad as you. You all have the potential to spend a period talking about cats. Fight the urge.