While I attended a workshop this weekend, I came across a technology coach who was presenting about areas she wished she had thought about more before her school transitioned into a paperless school. That idea has always been fascinating to me and a deterrent I think for many schools to take this on is simply the idea that it's not possible. Going paperless means exactly as it sounds, removing all paper from school, this includes handouts, permission slips, and everything else.
Here are some things the presenter wished she thought about beforehand:
1) Clearly define WHY - She stated that her school had not put together an effective communication plan beforehand and left not only the parents and students but the teachers and administration confused about why they were going completely paperless.
2) Network and seek support - Try to find mentors and other schools or organizations who have tried this before and ask them for any tips you can.
3) Timeline it all - She mentioned that her school failed to give enough notification to the parents and staff about this transition. What ended up happening? The staff found out 2 months beforehand and parents found out about 6 weeks. This left little room for adjustments to happen and she stated 'a lot of things ended up happening unsuccessfully on the fly'. Plan well in advance and set goals and dates to achieve them by.
4) Communication is key - She stressed the importance of making daily announcements, forms, newsletters etc., as easy to access as possible for parents. We had a discussion about this and there was still no general consensus about what route to go. This is a big factor in my mind and I'm still left undecided. Do you post things daily? twice a week? Through e-mail? What I can take from this is you have to pick something and be very CONSISTENT.
5) Prototype, trial, and test - She said this was a biggie. She wished she tested it out with one class beforehand instead of jumping right into it.
Anything else you can think of?
Regards,
Dave
Hi David! Interesting a couple of our peers also posted a blog post about the idea of paperless schools! I think the idea of paperless schools is amazing! I think it sends a great message to other schools, students and parents as well as leaves a lasting effect on the environment.
ReplyDeleteI found a great website that describes the pro's and con's of this!
https://sites.google.com/site/creatingapaperlessclassroom/pros-of-a-paperless-classroom