First, I'd like to say I quickly realized that I'm very familiar with the Plus Delta chart; it's a T chart with one side being "positive or things to be continued" balanced against the "negative or things that need to change". I've used this Plus Delta chart as I'm sure many others have as well and I appreciate the simplicity and strong application that it affords in the analysis of what works and doesn't in any situation.
Two of this weeks' readings really stand out to me in terms of figuring out what worked, didn't, and what could be learned. The first is "eSkwela: Community-based E-learning Centers for Out-of-School Youth and Adults, Philippines". As I was reading through, I thought to myself, "Wow; they did a lot of preparation and considered many factors to get this program going". I was stunned by the statistical data showing how many Filipino students don't even make it past 6th grade revealing how great the need is for continuing education in the Philippines.
What worked for the planners of "eSkwela": Blended learning-centered instruction with LMS, teacher-facilitated instruction with pace and need of each learner considered, and collaborative group activities and projects.Quality standards are used and based on the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Course evaluation rubrics were developed and reviews are routinely done. Targeted community involvement and mobilization Teacher training and support Infrastructure deployment Monitoring and evaluation
What didn't work for the planners of "eSkwela": They had a lot of bureaucratic issues; "bidding preparations and procurement processes, financial transactions, contract negotiations, different reporting structures, cultures, and protocols among agencies and offices". They had only two project staff to handle issues these two members were "new" and lacked experience.
How one can apply the lessons learned from the "eSkwela Project":
First and foremost, having the right staff to spearhead an innovation project is integral for success. The people who should have been chosen are those that have years of experience dealing with the specific sectors that were problematic. When I prepare for my ePortfolio initiative, I will use staff (early adopters) that have a wide array of experience to help me. Secondly, having two people to handle the massive bureaucratic mess, which they had initially anticipated, was a big mistake. Two people couldn't have possibly dealt with the several locations and each of their own red tape. This is definitely something to consider as I put a team together to help me implement my innovation plan.
The other selection that stood out to me is 'L.A. cancels iPads-in-the schools program: a failure of vision, not technology". (Please forgive my change in format. Blackboard isn't cooperating and I've run out of patience.) What worked: Ipads were put in the hands of kids. What didn't work: Failure of both Apple and the LAUSD to be prepared for such a large scale roll-out. Kids could remove the security profile by the IT department and the school didn't follow Apple guidelines. Lessons to be applied: Following the technical guidelines for hardware and/or programs is a must. Checking security and making sure that infrastructure is ready for an initiative is equally critical for success.
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