Keeping learning journeys on a flash drive

[laurendugdale22]

Im thinking of keeping children's learning journeys on seperate Flash drives and letting parents take these flash drives home, instead of having hard copies or even emailing. The files will be password protected, so only i and parents can open them. Does anyway else do this? Im just sick of heavy folders everywhere and expensive printer ink bills!!
Thanks

[hectors house]

Or you could just save them on your computer and e-mail new observations to parents each week - I would worry about them being lost even with a password, and they are expensive to buy. Or you could try one of the on-line observation/ EYFS monitoring companies - I registered with Orbit but haven't started using them yet, as much as I hate handwriting them im not sure I want all my observations looking exactly the same.

I know what you mean about ink - my printer is flashing telling me it is running low on black/yellow & red - needed to print something off for a parent earlier and it won't let me print in blue!

[laurendugdale22]

The only thing is i have been advised against programmes like orbit by my Childminder development worker because of the uploading of photos and use of names, and to get out of paying ICO for storing information on computers they told me to use a external hard drive and memory sticks. so that what i do, but i print everything off too and want to cut that out. I will ask my CDW and parents next week and post back their opinions.

Thanks

[rickysmiths]

I do my LJ in an A4 40 plain page Exercise books. I write in the and stick in photos and examples of work.

The exercise books cost under £1 and last for approx 9mth-1year. I prob don't use one pen while completing a book. Yes there is some cost in the photos and printing out one black and white observation sheet every 6 weeks or so and the post it notes and NCMA sticks I use but all in all a lot less than printing it out from the computer all the time.

[sarah707]

The only thing is i have been advised against programmes like orbit by my Childminder development worker because of the uploading of photos and use of names, and to get out of paying ICO for storing information on computers they told me to use a external hard drive and memory sticks. so that what i do, but i print everything off too and want to cut that out. I will ask my CDW and parents next week and post back their opinions.

Thanks

You need to take further advice about ICO registration.

My information is that if you take digital photos or use any digital mediia you must register.

Hth :D

[hectors house]

The only thing is i have been advised against programmes like orbit by my Childminder development worker because of the uploading of photos and use of names, and to get out of paying ICO for storing information on computers they told me to use a external hard drive and memory sticks. so that what i do, but i print everything off too and want to cut that out. I will ask my CDW and parents next week and post back their opinions.

Thanks

Sorry your DO is wrong - you are using a digital camera to take the photos, it doesn't matter how you store them whether on camera memory card, computer, external hard drive flash drive or if you take them straight to Boots, print them off and delete them - the man at the ICO told me the only way round not registering is to go back to using a camera with a film and have it developed. I have just paid my £35 - haven't got anything to show for it yet, certificate not arrived now, other than piece of mind that I am not breaking any rules.