So, we decided to try to do something about it here in Plymouth. What Crockett and his colleagues, Ted Behn, Zana Tauriainen, and Judy Mayle decided to do was to use technology to help teachers record and report student data in less than half the time they had been spending filling out paper forms. I think our approach is unique because it really started off with a basic teacher need that had not been met. If you multiply that by the number of students served, the amount of time in paperwork adds up quickly. It doesn't take a calculator to see that paperwork time can be overwhelming.
Chances are that a lot of good thinking has already gone into existing work.
So, if you can build off it, it can save you time and money. In the case of Plymouth-Canton, they had experimented with an electronic goals and objectives program for special education teachers built on the Apple IIe. Hunt Riegel, a special education consultant, developed the program for the Plymouth Canton School District. The software was limited to goals and objectives but teachers found it useful. This was the challenge for the development team.