Diaries

[localzuk]

Why do staff in schools still get given paper diaries? We give out laptops to all teachers, and exchange email accounts to all staff - so they all have access to a computerised diary. Why do we insist on buying bits of paper all the time?

[powdarrmonkey]

Because it's too much for them, bless their little cotton socks.

[strawberry]

Becuase its much easier just to let teachers do as they wish and provide then with a million ways of doing things rather than stifling their creativity with the right way!.

[localzuk]

The average meeting comes about like this at the moment:

Person 1 proposes meeting to person 2. Person 2 checks paper diary and sets a time. Person 2 and Person 1 go off to Person 3, Person 3 checks diary and finds time doesn't suit, so all 3 have to find a new suitable time. Repeat for each extra person.

So a meeting can take several hours to be agreed.

By email it would be as simple as this:

Person 1 looks in the calendars of person 2, 3 etc... and chooses a time, then creates the meeting in their calendar, adding each person.

Each person then confirms and voila, done. Can take as little as 2 minutes.

[pooley]

The average meeting comes about like this at the moment:

Person 1 proposes meeting to person 2. Person 2 checks paper diary and sets a time. Person 2 and Person 1 go off to Person 3, Person 3 checks diary and finds time doesn't suit, so all 3 have to find a new suitable time. Repeat for each extra person.

So a meeting can take several hours to be agreed.

By email it would be as simple as this:

Person 1 looks in the calendars of person 2, 3 etc... and chooses a time, then creates the meeting in their calendar, adding each person.

Each person then confirms and voila, done. Can take as little as 2 minutes.

Ahh yes but your assuming Person 1,2 & 3 have common sense and a logical mind, these are teachers you know

[localzuk]

I have just been told that when exchange was introduced here, no training was given! That's just ridiculous. I think an INSET session may well be in order here.

[Sylv3r]

This is the first year we won't be providing diaries to staff as we wish to push the use of electronic calendars through our FirstClass system.

If staff prefer to still use a diary they have to purchase either themself or through department capitation.

I use a PDA with my calendar as well as the headteacher and a couple of other senior members of staff and we find it so much easier.

[OutToLunch]

I find the good old paper based whole school diary very handy when I want to write "Exchange Server is down" to be noted in morning briefing

[Pete10141748]

I suspect it's something to with the astounding lack of computer literate people employed in schools.

[daz666]

well call me old fashiond but i like the good old paper diary as when im out on school tech visits and the internet is down or the computers are slow you dont have to wait for a paper diary to bootup login and find the site is down. plus we dont have pdas etc.......

[localzuk]

well call me old fashiond but i like the good old paper diary as when im out on school tech visits and the internet is down or the computers are slow you dont have to wait for a paper diary to bootup login and find the site is down. plus we dont have pdas etc.......

Get a PDA then. You can get Palm Tungsten E2 for £100 (or less if you shop around). Or a HP iPaq 220 for £120 (and you can claim £20 back from HP I think at the moment).

[ahuxham]

Get a PDA then. You can get Palm Tungsten E2 for £100 (or less if you shop around). Or a HP iPaq 220 for £120 (and you can claim £20 back from HP I think at the moment).

Give me the money than with that attitude.

Paper diaries are awesome, sitting here next to me, never have the downfall of a slow machine waiting for appointments, I can take if anywhere, and if my laptop fails, I have all the information I need.

You know, NOT EVERYTHING in a school has to be done electronic, or in some way bolted within the ICT deployment in school.

[daz666]

Hmm £2.00 versus £100-120 pounds i know the one im going for......

[localzuk]

Give me the money than with that attitude.

Paper diaries are awesome, sitting here next to me, never have the downfall of a slow machine waiting for appointments, I can take if anywhere, and if my laptop fails, I have all the information I need.

You know, NOT EVERYTHING in a school has to be done electronic, or in some way bolted within the ICT deployment in school.

Hmm £2.00 versus £100-120 pounds i know the one im going for......

So both of you can't read then?

A few posts above, I described the process of arranging meetings with a paper diary, and then one with the electronic system. The time saved by using an electronic system would far outweigh the initial investment cost.

Do you see IBM using paper diaries? How about the county council? RM?

Yes, not everything needs to be done with ICT, but the point of ICT is to make people's lives easier and make tasks that previously took an age to do now take a couple of seconds. I doubt you say 'I prefer to write my letters out by hand, because computers could be down' or 'I'll pay for everything with cash, as the computer systems running card payments may be down'...

Diaries are a very obvious area of life which should be electronic.

[LeMarchand]

Give me the money than with that attitude.

Mine cost £0 (free mobile upgrade).