I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem
I hate paper.
Well, that’s a very strong statement, and probably not 100% true, but when I do start to hate it is when there is more around than what is really necessary. When you consider how much paper goes through my pigeon hole in the staff room, the notes that leave the office, and the sheets that come across my desk, it’s a lot of paper. If I don’t need to have it printed on paper, I’d rather have it some other way. So there’s my problem.
Then I know there’s a problem many of us have at school. The photocopier. It’s a frustrating mechnical animal. Especially the older machine that seems to have been deliberately engineered to cause trouble after the service contract has expired, what with all its jams and misfeeds.
There’s a simple solution to our problems. Stop photocopying.
There may be some times when it’s useful or even necessary, but are there ways that are more efficient in terms of cost, time, eco-friendliness and learning benefit?
Holy Family at Luddenham is obviously asking a similar question, so when I saw that somewhere there was thinking what I was secretly thinking here (ok, the office staff would say my thinking was not so secret to them), I thought it might be good to blog about it to get it out of my system.
Just don’t expect me to produce and photocopy a survey for people to complete about the topic. Yes, I can see the irony. I might email you if I feel so inclined…
Photo credit: Day in the Life by zebble
5 Comments Already, Leave Yours Too
Hi Robert,
I agree totally that we have to cut down on our use of paper. I was amazed by the stats at Holy Family. Ours are probably just as bad - or worse as we are a larger school.
While computers should be helping to diminish paper, there are limitations. I have had classes save work to computer folders which I then corrected online. HOWEVER, students typing the work were painfully slow (and I have more computers in the Library than there are in classrooms) and marking the results online seemed to take longer - when I could access staffnet from home (not always available)
Another issue is that I am finding that many kids now are bringing in homework on their thumbdrives and coming to the Library to try to open them when they can’t in the classroom. However, they often have used Word 2007 which does not open using our older Word 2003.
I do think it worthwhile to raise the issue at a briefing - again, and maybe brainstorm how individual teachers are trying to cut back.
Maybe we could get one of the grades to take it on as a problem-solving activity as part of their units (e.g. Year 5 and Rainforests; Year 2 as part of Kids Care; Year 4 as part of their Community unit;
Let’s all work together on this. Don’t let it beat us.
Cheers
Judy
Judy,
Thanks for your comment. I really like the idea of empowering our students to find some solutions. Not only could it have some great creative results, but it’s just the kind of challenging, relevant learning we want which is not worksheet-dependant!
It’s amazing how the colour printing at school has reduced since we’ve changed our printer over, and printing in colour has become a more deliberate choice to make. Maybe a similar vein can be taken… maybe photocopying is just too easy?
Hi Robert,
I agree that a solution to the ‘paper problems’ requires a collaborative approach. I like your idea about asking the students for ideas. I also agree with the idea that we need to look at our learning activities. Are ‘Worksheet-dependent’ activities truly reflective of the type of teaching & learning that is relevant to today’s students?
HFS will be interested in your discussions about this topic.Keep us posted!
Hi Frances,
Welcome to our blog! I’ve been following HFS Conversations for a while and it’s always great to keep in touch with the work of other schools.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - what it critical to this issue is why we’re photocopying; if it results in “entertaining” or “occupying” students because we’re not well prepared, or because we’re afraid of stepping out of our comfort zones and into the more daunting world of 21st Century learning, then it truly is a waste of paper, because very little is being achieved.
I think we will need to start counting our paper use. Being a school nearly twice the size of HFS, I dare say the numbers will be huge!
Back again Robert! I also like to keep in touch with what others are doing & saying…they might have some answers for some of our questions!!
Anyway…we’ve discussed the ‘paper’ issues from many different angles. Another issue we’ve found is the perceived need for us as teachers to have ‘proof’ of activities from every child. Of course it is necessary for us to be able to have examples of the students’ work for assessment etc….but need it be always in a paper form. There are issues of access and acceptance of this way of show casing work…but we are trying a few ideas! At the moment we have gone back to trialling having each teacher store & use their own class’s paper.
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