who regularly communicate outside the school via email (admissions,
purchasing, etc.) often have email on one screen and a window into their
respective programs on the other so they can check information or write
replies--no more toggling between programs. Division secretaries do the
same. But the biggest time saver is work-flow. Those who use it
effectively will often have a main document in one window, and will
cycle between programs and projects in another. Anybody who is
frequently interrupted, like most of the secretaries) quickly learn to
keep their main project on one window, and they can open and close other
items as needed.
We also have a laptop purchase incentive plan for all staff (legal and
tax reasons here drive a large part of the way we have set it up) and
the second monitor with the laptop makes a huge difference in usability.
I've even had one of the secretaries hug me after she started using
two--and how often does that happen to IT?
BUT most people will tell you they don't need a second monitor until
they actually use a second monitor, then you can't pry it out of their
hands. I've also outfitted the computers in the upper school art rooms
with dual monitors. We got the second monitors mostly by ordering new
computers with two monitors--it's much cheaper that way.
Derrel
--
Derrel Fincher
Technology Director
Graded - The American School of São Paulo
(Associação Escola Graduada de São Paulo)
dfincher@graded.br | http://www.graded.br ( http://www.graded.br/ )
(55 11) 3747-4837 | Fax (55 11) 3742-9358
>>> On Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 10:56 PM, in message
<BEE90C664115B446A455B90757747D48323110@MAIL.sevenhillsschool.org>,
Renee Ramig
<rramig@sevenhillsschool.org> wrote:
> How are your clerical staff using the 2nd monitor - which tasks,
which
> software?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Renee
>
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