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I have read a great deal on the web about teachers making their classrooms paperless, which brings the following question to mind: "Why can’t school administration become paperless too?" How many times in the course of my job do I use paper in the line of duty? Is it necessary to have physical copies of everything I do as a school principal? The answer to that last question is a 99% no of course. The 1% are usually district level documents that someone is just not quite comfortable yet with having a cyber-copy only. In reality it is possible to eliminate much of the paper used during the course of carrying out administrator duties, and to do so with inexpensive tools.  Here’s my suggested list of tools to make the role of principal or school administrator paperless too.

• Google Docs: Google Docs’ sharing feature makes the act of copying and distributing a document of any kind, whether wordprocessing, spreadsheet, or presentation, just plain sinful. For example, if you want to provide your faculty with agenda, why not share a a Google Document version of it with them? Then, just send them an email invite. Or, if you want them to have a copy of a professional development presentation, send them an email invite to it as well. There’s little need to provide staff with copies of documents any more. Of course, the administrator has to be willing to allow staff to use their technology during meetings, but what 21st century school leader is going to ban staff or meeting participants from using technology? Might as well have your meetings in the dark.

• Email: Of course email is considered just a bit passé by many, but there is no better tool that allows you to put directions and information in writing to your staff. For example, if you need to get procedures to your staff regarding an up-coming open house, send it to them by email. If you need to get a parent message to a teacher, send it by email too. The amazing but simple thing about email is you have a written record of what you sent so there can be no dispute about what was said. But what about the teacher who does not read his email regularly? Sorry, but he wouldn’t survive in my school, and probably not in my district. Perhaps he needs to find a job in the jungle somewhere, away from the 21st century world of technology.
• Dropbox: Dropbox is another one of those tools that can make school administration paperless. While sharing single documents through Google Docs works well, occasionally there are multiple, lengthy documents or media that I want to share more efficiently. With Dropbox, I can place all those items in a folder and share that folder with whichever staff members need access. For example, I created an accreditation folder in Dropbox that contained all of the data and documents the accreditation team needed and invited them to share that folder. There was no need to make piles of copies of data and documents and place them in folders or notebooks. They had access to everything electronically. Dropbox makes making copies of any major documents an anachronism.

• Evernote: I don’t even have a yellow legal pad in my possession any more. Evernote’s abilities to give the user a platform to take notes makes tablets (not the electronic kind) a total waste of money. For example, while sitting in a meeting, I can take notes on those proceedings. The features that make Evernote most useful for this are: 1) instant access on any of my technological devices and 2) ability to share the resulting document with anyone else. Evernote has apps for the desktop, smartphones, and all tablets, so getting to your notes is even quicker than digging them out of your briefcase. Being able to share those notes with others either through social media or through email means no trips to the copier when you want to share them. Evernote is the most versatile piece of software in a battle against using paper for adminstrative purposes.

• Diigo: I only recently began using Diigo more in my role as administrator. I have always shared resources and interesting ideas with staff, but often it was done through either a handout or by email. Email will keep you paperless, but when it comes to sharing links to web resources, Diigo does so much better. I have set up Diigo groups geared to specific staff members and invited them to join. Now, I can post links to Web resources to those groups and because Diigo sends emails when those have been updated, my staff gets updates rather quickly. Diigo is an excellent way to share resources quickly and easily with staff members and even parents.

• Skype or Google Talk:  Because our entire staff has Skype accounts and is logged in immediately in the mornings, Skype has become an excellent way to share out information even more quickly. For example, if I need to announce a procedural change for an event later in the day, I can get that out instantaneously by sending it out by Skype. Staff can just as quickly ask for clarification too. Google Talk functions in the same manner of course, except it messages individuals rather than groups. Both these tools take away the need to write short notes or memos. These are more tools to keep me away from the copier or from reaching for the notepad.
• Blogger (Or Other Blog Platform): Having a school newsletter on paper is another anachronistic habit. There are so many ways to create and distribute information in a newsletter-format, it makes no sense to print them any more. Blogging, however, is one of the easiest ways to provide newsletter-like information to staff or parents. A blog gives administrators the ability to share school news with constituent groups quickly and easily, and students can’t lose them on the way home to school. Blogs also allow for the delivery of multimedia content too. That’s something you can’t deliver through a paper copy.

Of course there are other tools out there that could contribute to making the job of school administrator as paperless as possible. These are just some of my personal, most-used tools. If we want to encourage our teachers to become paperless and use the copier less, then as school leaders we need to take the lead and engage in becoming paperless too.

One of the ways school leaders can model 21st century teaching and learning is by engaging with their staff in the use of 21st century tools. One category of tools that is quite easy for administrators to implement is communication and collaboration tools. There are quite a few communication and collaboration tools available, but here’s two that I have used with the staff and my school and some ideas on how to use them.

Google Docs:  Google Docs gives users the ability to share and modify word-processing documents,  spreadsheet documents, presentations, and forms. Users can also upload documents to Google Docs for sharing as well. In my role as principal, here’s some of the ways I’ve used this tool collaboratively:

1. School Improvement Planning: I uploaded our school improvement template to Google Docs and shared it out to staff. We used the same document in our planning meetings too. It made our school improvement planning even more collaborative. Any collaborative project works with Google Docs.
2. Scheduling Observations: I sent a Google Docs invite to staff to a document indicating the times I was available for their observations. Teachers signed up in blocks of available time for both their observation and post conference. Made scheduling much easier without having multiple people accessing my calendar which sometimes has confidential items on it.
3. Meeting Agendas: Instead of using copies, I have created the meeting agendas and placed them on Google Docs. Another way to go paperless.

Skype: Skype is one of those tools we find quite useful at our school. We have no intercom system, so this is an excellent way for staff to communicate during the school day when it is needed. It also has other interesting uses as well.

1. Impromptu Snow Day Faculty Meeting: During inclement weather last year, we all found ourselves snowed-in at our respective homes. Because we have all connected through Skype, we suddenly found ourselves discussing some school issues from the comfort and safety of our homes. We shared our thoughts and even arrived at a decision without the need for a meeting later that week.
2. Discussion Forum: On more than one occasion, one of our staff members have thrown out a discussion topic on Skype during the day that prompted some major discussion. Teachers could just comment and add to the discussion as the opportunity to do so arose. It is common practice for someone to also throw an idea out there for feedback too. Skype is a natural forum for that too.

There’s nothing fancy about our use of these tools for collaboration. It is so easy to implement simple uses for these tools. Leaders who want their teachers engaging in 21st century collaborative tools must be engaged in their use too.


What are your favorite 21st century collaborative tools? How are you using them to engage staff collaboratively? Please share.

If you're looking for some tools to put into your digital, administrative toolbox, or if you're looking for Web tools to teach to an administrator, here's my top ten that I use during the course of my job as a school administrator.

1. Evernote: I've posted about this one many times, but it often is the first application I open in the morning. As I've said before, I use it to create my Weekly To-Do List and my Daily Administrator Log. I also use it, along with Diigo to capture resources throughout the week to share with teaching staff and others. In addition, I  use it for quick notes during a classroom visit, or meeting notes. Add an iPad app and an Android app, and I can use this one anywhere. This is by far my favorite tool as administrator. Check out Evernote for yourself.  http://www.evernote.com/
2. Twitter: I been using Twitter the longest. I've had a Twitter account since 2008. One way I use Twitter is through a school Twitter account to make  announcements.  Another way I use Twitter is through my  personal-professional Twitter account to share resources with my larger PLN and to engage in the international conversation about education. It is my premier tool for connecting with other educators. http://twitter.com/
3. Diigo: This social bookmarking tool serves as one of my two resource collection tools. Evernote is the other. I use Diigo to bookmark resources, annotate interesting Web articles, cache interesting pages, and capture images. It is my primary bookmarking, resource collecting, and resource sharing tool. http://www.diigo.com  
4. Google Docs: I use Google Docs more often than Microsoft Office or any other Office Suite. I actually use it all: spreadsheets, word processing, forms, and presentations. The biggest advantage is that I can use it for collaborative documents. Things like an observation sign up sheet or my student parking registration system are a breeze on Google Docs. http://www.google.com/
5. Blogger: I try to post to the blog often, but like many others, it is a challenge to run a school and find  time to write worthwhile blog posts. Still, throughout the day, I often log into to blogger to start drafts of future blogs. It is another way for me to share and connect with other educators worldwide. http://www.google.com/
6. Dropbox: I access Dropbox every day as well. My administrative documents library follows me everywhere I go because of this app. I save all my documents into this application folder, and with the desktop apps installed on both my home and school computer, they follow me. Add the iPad and Android apps, and I can access these documents anywhere I happen to be. http://www.dropbox.com/
7. Edmodo: Edmodo is obviously an excellent tool for the classroom. It's social media-like environment enables interaction and facilitates class activities. From an administrative perspective, it can also be a tool for sharing on a wider network of fellow administrators and educators. http://www.edmodo.com/
8. Slideshare: I use this Web tool just a bit less than the others, but it is an excellent presentation sharing tool. I use it to share presentations from the trainings I do during the course of the year. http://www.slideshare.net/
9. Prezi: I am still learning this one, but it is an excellent alternative to the sometimes overused PowerPoint. With an Educator account and the desktop versions of the application, I can easily create presentations that are distinguished from slide presentations. http://prezi.com/
10. Embedit.in: This tool allows users to create embed codes for presentations and documents to place on Web pages. For example, I have used this app to create embedded versions of our student handbook and curriculum guide. It allows users to present documents on the Web in viewers instead of links of icons. http://embedit.in/

Recently, a colleague suggested I try a web site called Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a visual interface that allows users to create what are called "Webmixes." A "Webmix" consists of content gathered from around the web. Each web site in a Webmix is represented with a tile and an icon, either selected by the user or derived from the web site. It is basically a tool to organize web sites and web services on one page. Users can share their Webmixes through social media or by URL.