The TWAIN blog

I am attempting something different with our Staff Acceptable Use Policy this year. I actually changed the AUP to include items that weren’t in the last version. By doing this, I added 3 pages to the old one which increased the print load. And that is rough when you are trying to go paperless. Printing for all staff would be 8 pages multiplied by the near 700 staff. We all know that only one page is important – the signature page. Most people don’t keep that AUP after they sign it so it is a complete waste of a resource our campuses need: Paper.

Yesterday, I converted the 8 page document into a Google Presentation and have it linked off our KISD Instructional Technology website: http://www.kerrvilleisd.net/pages/Instructional_Technology – Scroll down to Staff Acceptable Use Policy to see version links.

I kept the Paper Version that includes the paper document and the signature page. But I then used Google Forms to create a place for staff to create a “digital PIN” that combines birth year and social security numbers (not in sequence) to create the number. This number will serve as the digital signature by the staff for the AUP.

Instructions on the site are clear: You can use the paper version or the digital version but you must complete one signature form to show that the policy was read. The policy will remain on the website for the duration of the school year so that it can be referred to as needed.

I also changed the “Confirmation” page when users hit Submit on the Digital Version that thanks them because “You personally have saved 8 pages of paper by filling out this digital signature page”. I think it is valuable to let people know that by using digital forms they are saving resources. It also includes information to direct staff to the Instructional Technology website where our summer training materials are located if they missed.

All this being said, I hope it works! I would hate to get a message from someone later that by doing it this way, I violated some TEA regulation or something. I wonder if others are doing something similar?? They probably are with their Moodles, Adobe Connects, or something out there that takes time or money. We have Adobe Connect but I am using it for some other projects but I really want to model technology resources that teachers can use in their classrooms with little to no additional support.

The method I used was completely free if anyone out there wants to try it in their own district. You can convert your paper document to PDF using either Adobe Acrobat Pro (costs money) or Cute PDF (free version online). The Google Presentation and Form were done for free using Google Documents. And technically, you can even embed the survey into an email you send to staff if you needed that function.

If you check it out, let me know what you think and if you have something similar for your staff.