workflow: getting
                                                                                         things done in a
                                                                                          web 2.0 world
                          Jason Neiffer
C u r r i c u l u m   D i r e c t o r,   M o n t a n a   D i g i t a l   A c a d e m y
                          21 October 2010
                          MVU PD Webinar
About me…
I am not a guru…




http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/3449574196/sizes/m/
Agenda

•The Problem
•The Complications
•The Solution
The Problem…
The problem…




http://www.flickr.com/photos/kogakure/153741685/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Whoa!
• “The average „knowledge worker‟ --
  basically, anyone who works on a
  computer – gets about 93 e-mails a
  day…”
• “Because people can be connected
  24/7, many of them are.”
Not new…
“In this breakthrough
book, Richard Saul
Wurman explains why
the information
explosion has backfired
leaving us stranded
between mere facts and
real understanding…”
1989!
The Complication…
http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/wp-
content/uploads/2009/07/authoring_tools3.jp
g
The core problem…


“But, if we moved to a Web-based
collaboration tool, it'd mean that I and my
colleagues would have to keep track of
changes on that tool…”
         -- Mitch Wagner, Information Week
The lesson?
The Solution…
Workflow

                                   “A workflow consists
                                   of a sequence of
                                   connected steps…”



        “A defined set of development stages
        applied to a content item…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workflow
http://www.ensemble.cms.vt.edu/user-manual/glossary/index.html
Goal


Create a regular set of
steps to process
information, content and
knowledge…
The rules
1. Start with one process: develop more
   over time
2. Less is more: don‟t use four tools when
   two will accomplish the same task
3. Review and evaluate: regularly review
   and evaluate, then eliminate or modify
4. Don’t follow these rules: ignore the
   rules if you stumble on something that
   works better for you!
Assumption


You already have a
basic set of tools that you
like and adopted…
M y B a s i c To o l s e t
Capture tool: RSS Reader
Tool organization: XMarks
Capture tool: Dropbox
Archiving/Sharing Tool:
Delicious Social Bookmarking
Sharing: RSS in
WordPress/Moodle
Sharing tool: Shareaholic
Capture/reading tool:
     Instapaper
Devices:
Laptop, desktop, iPad
L e t ’s d e v e l o p a
     workflow!
Scenario

I am a world geography teacher
that has a unit for each continent.
I am looking for fresh, current
content to support my unit on
Africa as the textbook is dated
and isn‟t as engaging as I would
like it to be.
Workflow Process
     • Check existing resources
1.   • Consider new topics

     • Set up traps for information
2.

     • Process collected results
3.

     • Archive AND/OR
4.   • Share

     • Review
5.
Workflow Process
            With Tools
     • Check existing resources (Web Search; Delicious)
1.   • Consider new topics



     • Set up traps for information (Google Reader)
2.

     • Process collected results (Google Reader)
3.

     • Archive (Delicious, Instapaper) AND/OR
4.   • Share (Shareoholic; Delicious RSS Feeds w/WordPress and Moodle)



     • Review
5.
1. Review
1. Review
2. Set up traps
2. Set up traps
2. Set up traps
2. Set up traps
3. Process Results
4. Archive: Delicious
4. Archive: Instapaper
4. Share: RSS Feeds
4. Share: Shareaholic
4. Share: Shareaholic
5. Review
• Too wide a net? Too narrow a net?
• Still useful?
• Capturing too much information for my
  current projects?
• Using the right tools?
• Able to process the information?
Tweak for other projects
•   Dissertation research
•   Professional reading
•   PLN collaboration/communication
•   Fresh content
•   Exposure to new ideas and resources
•   Complete projects and action items
•   Have fun
Workflow Process: Email
      • Establish regular email practice (check email 3
1.      times a day)

      • Choose action items: immediate action, short
2.      term action, long term action

      • Immediate action: complete, schedule, share
3.

      • Short term action: Schedule, archive, share
4.

      • Long term action: Schedule, archive, share
5.
Workflow Process: Email
           With Tools
      • Establish regular email practice (Gmail; check 3 times a day with weekly
        review on Sunday mornings to find lost or forgotten action items)
1.

      • Choose action items: immediate action, short term action, long term action
2.
      • Immediate action: complete, schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on
        iPad), archive (Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox) share (Delicious,
3.      Shareaholic)


      • Short term action: Schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on iPad),
        archive (Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox), share (Delicious, Sharaholic)
4.

      • Long term action: Schedule (Google Calendar, CalenGoo on iPad), archive
        (Delicious, InstaPaper, Dropbox), share (Delicious, Sharaholic)
5.
Long-term strategies
Less is more…


• Don‟t use tools to try to gather all
  information; use filters to gather only
  information you think you would use
• Example: the RSS Feed for the New York
  Times or even my local newspaper
“Media Diet”
        (Mark Hurst‟s Bit Literacy)

Stars

• “Rare sources that consistently give useful, relevant information”
• In workflow: tools that are the core tools you use all the time

Scans

• “Reliably deliver at least some relevant information”
• In workflow: tools that may not be used every day, but so something very well

Targets

• “Sources good for a targeted, single use”
• In workflow: highly specialized tool that you use for special projects

Tryouts

• “Sources that are applying to be in your lineup, but are applying to be there)
• In workflow: new tools form discovery or referral that could end up above
“Weekly review”
Davis Allen‟s Getting Things Done




    http://www.flickr.com/photos/labeteslair/3396433643/sizes/z/
Limit email/voicemail
        distractions
Timothy Ferriss‟s Four Hour Workweek
                 And


     Merlin Mann‟s Inbox Zero
Additional Resources


David Allen‟s
Getting Things
Done: The Art of
Stress-Free
Productivity
…available in print, audio book and via Kindle
Additional Resources


           Timothy Ferriss‟s
           The 4-Hour
           Workweek
           …available in print, audio book and via Kindle
Additional Resources



Mark Hurst‟s
Bit Literacy
…available in print, audio book and via Kindle
Additional Resources
 http://www.lifehacker.com
Additional Resources
http://www.webworkerdaily.com
Questions?
Thank you!
          Jason Neiffer
        http://www.neiffer.com
http://www.montanadigitalacademy.org
        Twitter: techsavvyteach

Workflow Version 1.0