Although we’re quite firmly in the age of Websites, Learning Platforms and Blogs, there’s still something about print-based communication that won’t go away, and I for one am glad about that. I wouldn’t like to read my Saturday edition of The Independent online. It just wouldn’t feel right not being able to spread the paper and its various supplements around the living room.
I think the same applies for some school communication with parents. The web site and/or the Learning Platform are very useful tools and are here to stay, but there are some things that might just be better printed off.
Whilst browsing this month’s edition of Stuff magazine, I came across an article about a website (yep, that internet thing is still involved 
) that will do a one off print run from your pdf file and return it to you on glossy paper from £35 a run. I thought that might be about as cheap as the school copier if you use glossy paper.
The site has online design software for you to use, (free) and the turnaround from you submitting to getting your work back is about a week.
The site is here and a case study about a school publication here.
I was reminded of a newspaper day I did way back in the mists of time when all we had were BBC computers and we really did ‘cut and paste’, but it was one of the best days I had and years later a couple of pupils commented on it when I bumped into them. I wonder whether a newspaper club, or a project around a publishing theme might encourage reluctant writers and/or raise the motivation for better ones and therefore raise standards?
