A Full Paperless Classroom

[jmair]

I've been asked to sketch out a 'dream' scenario where there is a paperless, bookless, pencil and pen-less classroom. Has anybody done this? Any suggestions for me? How do you do it?

[limbo]

If there is no paper - what are students supposed to blow their nose on?

 

What is the motivation for doing this? Is it to cut down on waste, increase effeciency, make rooms more easily convertible from one subject to another? Each would have slightly different implications on how you went about it.

 

Also would make a difference if we are talking primary or secondary? And I guess the types of lessons being taught would be an impact too - art and design / technology would need slightly different methods to English.

[tmcd35]

If there is no paper - what are students supposed to blow their nose on?

 

Shirt sleeves! same as they do now, no need for them to change the habits of a lifetime

 

 

I'd start by looking at managed wireless (ruckus, 3com, etc) and then look at good quality (tough?) tablet PC's - as close to the iPad as possible is size but with more (Windows) functionality (I beleive HP have a 'slate' on the horizon that may fit this niche).

 

EDIT: I'd also want to invest in a very, very good VLE.

[elsiegee40]

Paperless classroom is a nonsense. Writing is an essential skill, you don't learn to write by using a keyboard.

 

Pupils learn using many different styles; writing and drawing are just two of them. I can see technology being used increasingly in classrooms, but it should never completely replace the pen/pencil and paper.

[featured_spectre]

ours is paperless in the sense that nobody prints anymore (aside from myself if a piece of their work is exceptional). They still use literacy across the curriculum books, homework diaries, notepads etc.

[wesleyw]

With a tablet they would still be learning to write

 

 

Wes

[dhicks]

Any suggestions for me?

 

Look at multiple projectors instead of LCD monitors - they can be mounted on the ceiling to take up no classroom space. Instead of a printer, have a network print-to-PDF "printer" that places a PDF document in your VLE when printed to.

 

--

David Hicks

[jamesb]

Paperless classroom is a nonsense. Writing is an essential skill, you don't learn to write by using a keyboard.

 

Pupils learn using many different styles; writing and drawing are just two of them. I can see technology being used increasingly in classrooms, but it should never completely replace the pen/pencil and paper.

 

While I can write, and write shorthand, usually I won't need to do so for weeks at a time. I've just looked around my desk, and while it is covered in scraps of paper I've only written one of them, several weeks ago. It's a reminder to add something to my calendar, since it was arranged while my computer was rebooting.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you, everyone should be able to write, but they should be able to write long before they hit a paperless environment. I wouldn't see anything wrong with a paperless classroom at the appropriate age.

 

Although having said that, I do think shorthand and touch-typing should be taught, and that the whole joined-up handwriting thing was a complete waste of time. Do they still do that at primary school?

[SpuffMonkey]

I've been asked to sketch out a 'dream' scenario where there is a paperless, bookless, pencil and pen-less classroom. Has anybody done this? Any suggestions for me? How do you do it?

 

Get rid of teachers & student??

[_Adam_]

The paperless goal is very difficult to achieve, and like you I am on the same road. Discounting the purist who take it as 100% paperless, it's more one of paper only when necessary (ie. art, writing skills, etc).

 

Our school is building a foundation with Scholaris as part of the solution. A web interface built on SharePoint which allows a lot of things to be done with files which would traditionally be done with paper. Teaching is done with interactive whiteboards and we're slowly adopting Acrobat for staff (very impressive, much more than looking at PDFs).

 

The list does go on, but with anyone pursuing this goal the biggest hurdle is your staff - management to encourage and guide difficult staff instead of you - and the admin/teachers who will adopt the new method rather than doing it the way it's always been done. Our principal has a long term goal for this, all I do is provide the means for it to happen by offering a paperless solution alternative where I can for him to pass on to staff.

[jmair]

The paperless goal is very difficult to achieve, and like you I am on the same road. Discounting the purist who take it as 100% paperless, it's more one of paper only when necessary (ie. art, writing skills, etc).

 

Our school is building a foundation with Scholaris as part of the solution. A web interface built on SharePoint which allows a lot of things to be done with files which would traditionally be done with paper. Teaching is done with interactive whiteboards and we're slowly adopting Acrobat for staff (very impressive, much more than looking at PDFs).

 

The list does go on, but with anyone pursuing this goal the biggest hurdle is your staff - management to encourage and guide difficult staff instead of you - and the admin/teachers who will adopt the new method rather than doing it the way it's always been done. Our principal has a long term goal for this, all I do is provide the means for it to happen by offering a paperless solution alternative where I can for him to pass on to staff.

 

First, thank you all for the replies. The reasoning for going more 'paperless' isn't about the environment, for us it's trying to take the first steps in switching from an analogue style of communication that's comfortable to most of us to a digital style of communication that's comfortable to the students.

 

_Adam_ , when you get a chance, could you PM me with some example of how you're using Sharepoint and Acrobat with students and staff?