TEL242 DHTI CommSpot

Hello Students!
Today you will embrace the 21st century and chart the progress of your DHTI proposals via Blog channel. This is an excellent way to share with the class your ideas and websites for integrating digital technologies - both new and not-so-new, into the home and surrounding environment. Here are some keys points:

• Although you are collaborating with a project partner, your blog is your own writing and also will serve as a vehicle for you to formally exchange your ideas and update the progress of assumed responsibility with your partner. Think of it as a diary that everyone is allowed to read.
• Your proposal will be assessed separately and form 25% of the grade which is shared with your partner.
• The balance of your grade will be assessed weekly via the progress and organization demonstrated at your blog, by the level of technical maturity shown in your approach, and by the quality of execution of the technical elements you put to practice in the lab using the equipment and materials provided to you.
• Jon will serve as the project coordinator and consultant and will track his "employees'" progress in this environment and offer feedback to each group via his own blog. 
• Since this is a public arena, we will protect each other's privacy by using first names only.
• Although you may blog continuously through the week, time will be allotted the last hour of class during which you will document your activity.
• Remember, when working on this type of project, progress is not always linear and more often than not, one can become stuck on a particular aspect. Let everyone know you need help!!!! 
• Each student will take time to review the blogs of the other teams and offer advice and/or solutions if you can, just as you would if this were a real company. The amount of feedback you offer each other will also be an element of assessment.

The Final Product: The Proposal
Keeping in the spirit of the modern age, your proposals will be published in an e-Portfolio. (Whaaaaat?) An e-portfolio is similar to a website but we will have a common format and online location for your work. The format is something we will work on as a class and will contain at a minimum the following items:

• Executive summary
• Drawings and renderings  
• Timetables/schedules
• Bills-of-material and pricing, including options 
• Supporting technical documentation

The supporting technical documentation will be a separate glossary that is accessed via hyper links within the body of the proposal, and from which the reader can easily return to the originating page.

That's it for now. I will have more information on the e-portfolio technical details after I have a conference with my "boss".