Action Plan

“I can’t find ANYTHING anymore.”

Written by Robin Michel

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Between June and September my school switched to Google. Cue the thunderclap and lightning effects! There have been a variety of consequences and experiences, both positive and disruptive, as our community – students, teachers, administrators, support staff and parents – variously, implemented and grappled with the changes. We are all doing our best to learn and to help each other as we communicate, deliver programs, access information and fulfil requirements. If there is one phrase that I have heard over and over in panic, frustration and sometimes genuine defeat, it is this:

I can’t find ANYTHING anymore.

What exactly do they mean?

I am interested in deeply exploring and understanding the challenges as a result of the changeover because I am fascinated by both statement and question. Are we all having the same problem or are there many different problems? Are user groups experiencing the same problems or are the types problems specific to individuals. Are the problems user related or technical in nature?

This past summer I started a project overhauling my home using the ideas of Marie Kondo in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It was a transformative experience. You should see my sock drawer! Its a thing of beauty. I am curious to see whether the new procedures I am learning can apply to the digital environment. If they do apply and I identify a need, how can I effectively teach new procedures to an entire school?

Questions initiate a process that just might lead to an action plan.

7 thoughts on ““I can’t find ANYTHING anymore.””

  1. Robin,

    There are lots of C21 members (like myself) well versed in the Google world as our schools made the transition a few years back. You have come to the right place to get your questions answered. Google drive is an amazing place if you know how it thinks/works. Happy to help.

    J

  2. We are just starting the process of using Google Apps for Education across the Junior School, for both students and Faculty. I am sure that it will be an interesting journey with ups and downs.

  3. I have convinced my school to begin to move in the direction of GAFE and use Google Drive with my Grade threes. There are great opportunities for sharing and organization. But I feel your pain, often I am searching for which of my google accounts something is stored in. Good luck! My experience so far has indicated that it is worth it!

  4. Robin; I love the analogy between your sock drawer and your online “stuff”. I too am striving to be organized in this new Google environment and to be able to efficiently find what I need. I look forward to continuing to read you blog and tweets to learn from and with you!

    Rosemary

  5. Hi Robin,

    Great reflection on a practical challenge of change.

    Getting into the weeds for a moment, here: If you use desktop syncing (which makes your Google Drive work just like any folder on the computer), you can suddenly keep Google Docs and regular files in the same place, which feels like magic and really helps with organization.

    The other little trick I’ve been leaning on is to STAR my frequently-used files. If I have a presentation coming up tomorrow, I’ll start the slides file for easy access as I’m working on it. If I’m watching the results of a survey, I’ll star the responses spreadsheet.

    Organization is knowing how to find things quickly – it’s a retrieval system, not a browsing system. See http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/productivity/organization/file-so-you-can-find-anything-instantly?page=all for more.

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