Completely Gutted

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris ONeal on June 1, 2007 at 6:18pm

Hmm, sounds like a fun 'starting from scratch' scenario to me. One thing I've found useful is Adobe, as I've tried transitioning to less paper. If you can swing it, Adobe professional lets you take all your paper forms and convert them to digital. That's a very easy, little step.

A second thing to consider is one of the Visioner Paperport scanners. I like these mobiles ones:
http://orders.visioneer.com/category.jsp?category=MOBILE

They're nice because all the paper receipts, forms, etc. that you get from non-paperless places can just be scanned in, then the paper itself thrown into recycling.

I think the biggest challenge, depending on what your school is like will be the PEOPLE! Some things could probably so easily go paperless, if you can convince/persuade/train people to start using a digital version of certain documents, or use email, or web for passing stuff around.

Now you've got me thinking about a lot of the paper on this desk right now. Lots of it is totally unnecessary.

So Greg, have you already started doing some 'conversion?' I'd love to hear your thoughts so far also.

~Chris

Permalink Reply by Adelyn on June 1, 2007 at 6:53pm

One of the biggest obstacles for me is the paper that comes in the mail. I also try to convert as much of it as I need to digital, throw away a bunch knowing that paper seems to attract paper and sign up for e-journals rather than in print if I can. A few of the journals that still come have both print and online. I try to recycle the print as soon as I can knowing that if needed the articles are online. Books are another issue, but soon most of them will be digital too.

Also, when I first read the situation, I think I was thinking more about what the place would physically look like. With no need for filing cabinets, copy machines, copy machine paper storage, paper folding machines, industrial hole punches and staplers etc, etc, there will be a lot more room.

I also thought immediately that I would want a couple of digital devices--a laptop but also something smaller to replace when I take a small pad and pencil--some sort of PDA, but I have never really found one I like.

This is an interesting topic for me as I am moving to a new job and have just found out that the office I share with another person is very small. I am going to have to get to think aobut how to reduce the paper that I bring in, and not create more!

Permalink Reply by David Warlick on June 2, 2007 at 3:56am

Paper is, in a real way, a tie that binds. If you are communicating with paper, then you have to be in a position to hand your paper off to other people. No need -- any more. So in what way's are our offices designed to handoff paper -- and is there any binding at all when we can communicate through digital networks. The answer is, "of course!" We're bound by voice and eye contact. Free from paper, might we work even more cohesively as a group. So think about the arrangement of your office furniture as a way of creating a work environment as ongoing collaboration. I'm talking flexible here. light-weight, efficient desks that can be rolled around for meeting, and then back into corners for solitary work. Also think about group displays of digital content, and technologies that enable group interaction with that content.

On challenge is establishing a group/office filing system that is usable by the group. When you filing system is invisible then more care will be needed to assure that it remains group-effective and efficient. Plan plan plan. Also plan for an evolution of the filing system -- think outside the box...literally. No filing cabinets, now containers. What can you do with information if you don't have to stuff it in containers. Think a lot about folksononmies -- tagging. How can you rely on tags to maintain an ongoing digital library that is responsive to your evolving projects.

Facilitate a wall-less office. I'm not talking literally without walls, but an office that each worker carries with them, over their shoulder, in their pocket, in their ear -- computers, handhelds, and phones that are fully syncable.

2¢ Worth!

Permalink Reply by Greg Farr on June 2, 2007 at 8:24pm

Wow. Thank you! Chris, Adelyn, and David...

It's interesting to see how your input combined with my staff's and my thinking so far is beginning to take shape.

From the very beginning of talking with my staff about Everything 2.0, they have expressed apprehensions. If you would like to read their initial expressions of this, please see the Shannon 2.0 wiki, Chapter 7, Dissonance Issues.

In my conversations with staff they are telling me they are most apprehensive about losing f2f time with students. Interestingly enough, the more I've visited with others about technology and education, the more I am perceiving a fear that the use of technology adversely affects the interpersonal relationships with students. (!)

As I point out that proper use of technology is a) merely a tool for improving efficiency, AND b) a means of establishing a widespread (i.e. Global) collaborative learning environment - and that both of these should actually INCREASE time students spend in interpersonal relationships - I am met with doubt or skepticism.

Obviously, what I am going to have to do is model the 2.0 experience for my staff. Here's where your input, especially David's, begins to loop back around to my original desire for ideas as to what an paperless office would look like...

Stay with me here, I'm beating around the bush, but getting to my first major Ah Ha! of this discussion.

My office staff is aware of my plan to re-do my office. So, when I asked an assistant principal and a counselor what I could do with the space in my office where three lateral filing cabinets had been, they responded immediately, "put in a couch". What, I asked next, should I do if I took my desk out? "Chairs, and a coffee table," was their answer.

AH HA!!! Suddenly, I began to see that if my office becomes a place that INCREASES interpersonal f2f time - directly because technology has created an improved efficiency in my "paper management", I think I will make major inroads in addressing one of the staff's main concerns.

"Look, we can sit and visit and plan more because I have more time now," is the message an Office2.0 might send.

Of course, SOMEWHERE in the office I need my basic work station. David, again, following up with your input, I went and looked at moveable work stations. As a result I ended up buying a USB Hub Work Station. Not a desk, but an area perfect for my cpu, monitor, speakers, phone, etc. And it has a USB hub with 4 outlets conveniently located and accessible where staff and students can come in and share pictures from their cameras, flash drive presentations, etc.

I am giving serious thought to installing a projector and being able to show presentations on a wall.

Picture This:

7:30 am Dept Chair Meeting in my office. Imagine the agenda for the meeting is being displayed on my wall. I tell them that I'll take notes for the meeting on my laptop. As we discuss items, they watch as I type the notes. I ask if I recorded everything properly, they agree, and then watch as the notes are emailed to their rooms. "Hands free, my friends, here have another cup of coffee and doughnut."

What do you think, are we moving in the right direction?