Using Technology to Work More Efficiently

If I knew then what I know now . . .

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NYS SPDG Our money is invested in people

(Project staff and districts) We wanted a collaborative project but

struggled with supporting travel or even video bridging to bring people together

Phone conferences and email just don’t cut it for significant, synergistic planning

We soldiered on, but our product could have been better

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Logic models LM can and should be the roadmap If created by evaluators and Project

Director without input from potential beneficiaries, there’s a lack of reality to the logic!

Collaboration at this point, BEFORE major Project design elements are created, can save much angst

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Technology marches on New and free or low-cost technology

Even in three years, options for video conferences without expensive bridges have proliferated

Options like DimDim offer video/audio conferencing with desktop sharing, whiteboards and chat pods

Document creation and editing using a wiki avoids overlapping/conflicting edits and keeps documents dynamic

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Using a techie cache Wikis are great places to keep it all

together Build a wiki with places for data,

resources, documents in progress Invite key people to participate Use wiki preferences to open only

relevant sections to different stakeholders

No one can use the excuse of “I don’t have the most current version . . .” 5

Keeping it all together Consider a project organizer application

Everything in one place, everyone’s agreed upon actions in one place

Easy to set and send reminders The application, and not you, does the

nagging Can interface with other applications Basecamp is one such application that also

provides whiteboard (and chatpod functions for

an additional fee)6

Nothing’s perfect . . . Are there potential issues? Sure . . .

Not everyone comes trippingly to technology; be ready to create “wiki for dummies” documentation and do some hand-holding

Be certain to pick applications that do not have banner ads or other security issues; Wikispaces and DimDim both seem pretty acceptable to sensitive servers

Make accommodations – not just for people with physical disabilities, but for those who just will not use technology. Pair them with a techie, perhaps

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Resources DimDim http://my.dimdim.com

Free for limited service, or $200/year with bells and whistles

Does require participant call in, no 800 # Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com

Free for limited service, $50/year some bells and whistles, $200/year full ride

Basecamp http://basecamphq.com/ Free for limited service, from $24/mo for

more features 8