Re: Save the trees (and forms)

[bshwom@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Barbara Shwom)]

Katie,

Here's how we go paperless (well, almost paperless), with only two computers.

We have two tutors working at a time, each with a computer available. When
students come in to the Writing Place, they provide vital statistics on a
sign-in sheet--which takes only one line.  The rest of the
information--about the assignment, the reason for coming, the goals,
etc.--the tutor elicits in conversation.  At the end of every session, the
tutor takes five minutes and fills in a computerized database entry, with
both the information from the sign-in sheet and what they determined from
initial conversation and from their work.

All this was made much easier by getting our computers networked and using
a networkable database like Filemaker, which allows two computers to have
simultaneous access to the database.Also, with multi-tasking computers like
Macs or Windows machines, we can have the database and a word-processing
program or other kinds of programs running at the same time, so we don't
need to "sacrifice" the computer to the database. We can switch back and
forth between the database and whatever other applications we want to use.


Right now we have very old and very slow computers, but even so it works
well enough.

I guess we all have our own different worst nightmares. I don't deal well
at all with paper. I lose it all the time. It's been a long time since I
lost a computer file, though (knock on wood, as my mother would say).

Barbara





>Elisabeth,
>        I dream of such things. Here's where the dream becomese a
>nightmare, though, for me.  How do we do this?  Keep the computer on at
>all times tuned into the data base?  Ask the client to fill in his/her
>form on the computer (even though some still detest those infernal
>machines?).  We only have two computers in our little w.l., a fact I am
>not displeased with btw;  it would be difficult for us to keep one
>dedicated for this use only.
>        But now if we wanna talk clothesless in the river, you've got my
>attention!
>                        Katie


**********************
Barbara Shwom
Northwestern University
The Writing Program
1902 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208

Phone: 847/491-7690
Fax: 847/328-5536
E-mail: bshwom@nwu.edu
**********************