Questions/Ideas for Saving Paper

11/12/2009

Let's use this as a forum for sharing ideas about how to cut our paper use even more. Per Dr. B's email: "We have more technology available than any school except KIS. This should allow us to cut copies. At the current rate we will increase the number of copies for this school year with 2 less teachers and 30ish less kids."

We know there are teams/departments out there thinking creatively and adjusting planning and instruction. Please share ideas and questions here!

14 Comments

Paula Breen

11/11/2009 10:17:41 pm

I get so frustrated with students that lose their copies and ask for another, especially since I know we are trying to limit how many we make. Tomorrow, I am going to have all of my students who lost their project sheets copy it down by hand. It will take some time, but it should save me making extra copies and hopefully encourage those students to be more responsible. Just a thought...

Bernard Waugh

11/11/2009 10:19:55 pm

Admittedly, this challenge would be infinitly easier with 1 to 1 computer student ratio... however, I tried to approach this at the beginning of the year by challenging myself to not copy anything. Then if I could not figure out any way to get around it, I copied. I am sure I will find myself doing a little more copying now, but it was a good way to really figure out what did and did not work in my class.

Sara Newell

11/11/2009 10:29:45 pm

I have tried to only copy vocabulary homework and tests. With tests I have made class copies and had them write their answers on a lined sheet of paper. Also, when we put things in their daybook we have worked a lot on making them take notes instead of giving them notes with blanks to fill in. It was a struggle for them at first, but now they are rocking it out.

Anna Watson

11/11/2009 10:47:35 pm

One thing I have been doing for students that seems to help when I need to give student's a hard copy of something is trying to shrink two copies onto one piece of paper. This way, I only end up making half as many copies and then the students can have the questions (or whatever) right in front of them.

Another suggestion: quizmaker from Discovery Education-students can take quizzes online!

Carrie Johnson

11/11/2009 10:58:54 pm

I have decided to purge my files and only copy items that I feel are essential to me teaching the text. I try to make all worksheets class copies (30) and have students copy on paper. I am also using my textbooks more praticing math skills and review questions placing all answers in their notebooks. CPS and I didn't get along last week but I hope to get it figured out and start using it more in class to save on notebook paper even more.

Cara

11/12/2009 11:08:15 pm

One good thing I see coming out of this is that teachers are finding ways for students to be the ones to construct their own notes/study materials. A student-drawn organizer or student-created notes in their own words are more likely to result in student understanding and remembering. There are many different ways for students to organize your content. Let me know if you need some fresh ideas!

Leslie Fitzpatrick

11/13/2009 02:35:24 am

Similar to Anna, I make EVERYTHING a double sided half sheet. If it's one sheet I cut it in half and put the bottom on the back.

Regina Parker

11/17/2009 08:44:14 pm

There are some copies I cannot get around making, since my students do not have textbooks, but it has occurred to me that I can make class sets of these instead of making a copy for every student. I'll also try to have the students copy into their daybooks more, even though it is slower.

Lou Mueller

11/17/2009 09:13:23 pm

I have transfered all tests (reading assessments) to tag board and hand out plastics to go with them. The students use via-a-vis markers to code and use test stratagies. The students now enter their answers via CPS. The only issue is cleaning off the plastic but I find that Eagle Talons are a great way not to get your hands dirty.

Anita Parker

11/17/2009 10:30:16 pm

I plan to go back to class sets of tests which will save lots of copies, but my concern is that by doing that, my students will forget their strategies when it comes to EOG's.
Having students create their own notes is a great way to save paper, but it definitely slows you down. We hardly finish our curriculum now. I'm wondering what will happen.

Grier

11/18/2009 02:37:54 am

I shared in the curriculum meeting that I use mimio to give students a set of questions to direct their reading. This definitely slows students down. There are alos challenges because of the pace of some readers. I use the target notes that Cara shared with us last year and I use four square to help students chunk information. It is a task to get students that are not motivated to do much of anything to get them to write more. I am trying by making class sets when possible, shrinking material to get it on one page or less. I am concerned that it will come back to haunt me in May because they will not have anything concrete to go to when it ocmes to assesments. I am eager to try alternative assessments but Ineed more insight on how to do this.

Danah Hughes

11/18/2009 10:34:07 pm

Coming from an EC stand perspective…
Some students need a copy of note or need a test to write on. Although the CPS remotes are great they can be very complicated and confusing to some of our students with disabilities. You may want to monitor these students closely to see if they are struggling with the CPS systems, or writing down extensive notes. With that said, a lot of our EC students NEED writing practice! Its one thing for them to have writing based disabilities and another to just not do their work. For students that truly need notes I encourage you to provide those modifications but if they are lazy or need writing practice MAKE THEM WRITE. If you are unsure of a student and/or where their abilities are feel free to talk to their caseload manager.

Dan McDermott

11/29/2009 08:03:31 pm

What is the process for administering a CPS activity to students that missed the original activity?

Cara

11/30/2009 10:27:10 am

Dan - Check the CPS blog (the previous post), but I will send you the answer that Beth provided when this was asked at the planning meetings. I think it's basically to re-engage the lesson and then manually merge the grade into the original column on the gradebook.

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