These are accompanying slides for Jason Neiffer's presentation "Workflow: Making the Tools Work for You" at NCCE 2011 in Portland, Oregon.

1. things done in a web
workflow: getting
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 my
3 March 2011
NCCE 2011, Por tland, Oregon

2. About me…

3. I am not a guru…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/3449574196/sizes/m/

4. Agenda
• The Problem
• The Complications
• The Solution

5. The Problem…

6. The problem…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kogakure/153741685/sizes/z/in/

8. 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.”

9. 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…”

10. 1989!

11. The Complication…

12. http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/wp-
content/uploads/2009/07/
authoring_tools3.jpg

14. 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

21. The lesson?

22. The Solution…

23. 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

24. Goal
Create a regular set of
steps to process
information, content and
knowledge…

25. 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, enhance or modify
4. Adopt new tools carefully: don’t assume that
you need to use EVERYTHING that is cool,
nifty or otherwise handy
5. Don’t follow these rules: ignore the rules if
you stumble on something that works better
for you!

26. Assumption
You already have a basic
set of tools that have
adopted and like…

27. M y B a s i c To o l s e t

28. Capture tool: RSS
Reader

29. Tool organization: XMarks

30. Capture tool: Dropbox

31. Capture tool: Evernote

32. Archiving/Sharing Tool:
Delicious Social Bookmarking

33. Sharing: RSS in
WordPress/Moodle

34. Sharing tool: Shareaholic

35. Capture/reading tool:
Instapaper

36. Devices:
Laptop, desktop, iPad, iPhone

37. L e t ’s d e v e l o p a
workflow!

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 1. Review

42. 1. Review

43. 2. Set up traps

44. 2. Set up traps

45. 2. Set up traps

46. 2. Set up traps

47. 3. Process Results

48. 4. Archive: Delicious

49. 4. Archive: Instapaper

50. 4. Share: RSS Feeds

51. 4. Share: Shareaholic

52. 4. Share: Shareaholic

53. 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?

54. Scenario
I am a Curriculum Director for an
online K-12 program. I am in
charge of mentoring students,
teachers and site facilitators on
various technical processes related
to our learning management system,
student information system and other
assets.

55. 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.

56. Workflow Process
• Check existing resources: Site Facilitator/Student/Parent Blog, Moodle (LMS)
1.
• Set up traps for information: Need screen capture software
2.
• Process collected results: Student, parent, teacher or site facilitator asks for
help, I use the screen capture software to create a series of screen shots
3.
• Share: Blogs and Moodle
4.
• Review
5.

59. In review…
• Questions:
– Time?
– Right tools for the job?
– More efficient way to do the job?

60. Skitch for Mac

61. Screen Presso for PC

63. Workflow Process: Email
• Establish regular email practice (check email 3
1. times a day)
• Choose action items: immediate action, short term
2. action, long term action
• Immediate action: complete, schedule, share
3.
• Short term action: Schedule, archive, share
4.
• Long term action: Schedule, archive, share
5.

64. 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, Shareaholic)
3.
• 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.

65. 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

66. Long-term strategies

67. 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

68. “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

69. “Weekly review”
Davis Allen’s Getting Things Done
http://www.flickr.com/photos/labeteslair/3396433643/sizes/z/

70. Limit email/voicemail
distractions
Timothy Ferriss’s Four Hour Workweek
And
Merlin Mann’s Inbox Zero

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

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

73. Additional Resources
Mark Hurst’s
Bit Literacy
…available in print, audio book and via Kindle

74. Additional Resources
http://www.lifehacker.com

75. Additional Resources
http://www.webworkerdaily.com

76. Questions?

77. Thank you!
Jason Neiffer
http://www.neiffer.com
http://www.tec hsavvyteac her.com
Twitter: @tec hsavvyteac h @neiffer