Why choose the Cloud?
Imagine saying goodbye to the copy machine and your filing cabinet. What about never needing to hand out extra copies to disorganized students again? Do you think you can do that? With Cloud computing, this can be a reality. Cloud computing puts together a variety of tasks in one convenient spot. It includes "collaboration, file storage, visualization, and access to computing cycles" (NMC, 2014, p. 36). Whether you choose a public or private cloud, it can change the way you access information. Since mobile devices are being used frequently, the cloud is easily accessible from anywhere.
How does it work?
Cloud computing works "using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet as opposed to a local server" (Weaver, 2013). Using a familiar system such as Google Drive or Dropbox, all information can be stored online via the cloud server. While these hosts store data, they also are "raising serious concerns about the security of such data" (Davis & Cavanagh, 2014). It will present a new challenge to school districts as they need to decide how they are going to manage the security and privacy of student information on the cloud. According to David and Cavanagh (2014), " 25% of districts had no policies at all regarding classroom teacher use." There are simple solutions to this so your school can easily adapt to the benefits of using a cloud. Districts with contracts should "require companies to disclose in the contracts how student data might be sold, transferred, or mined" (Davis & Cavanagh, 2014). Districts should also require teachers to use only approved cloud services. Since using the cloud server cuts the costs out of additional IT support, the issue of privacy is one that is worth dealing with.
The Cloud in Education:
There are many advantages to using cloud computing in education that extend both to staff and students. Using it is a collaboration tool and for storage would reach the top of the list. It can allow staff to edit ongoing data about students and collaborate on lesson plans. Since it automatically saves content, there is no worrying about losing information or flash drives. With lesson planning, not only can word documents be uploaded, there can also be photos, music, videos, etc. The ability to collaborate with peers across the school, district, and even state to work on common assessments and units can happen much easier. In the classroom, the cloud can be used to eliminate the need for print resources and extra copies. All handouts can be stored online and students can submit their work online. Students can work together on projects without being in the same room. Students on homebound or sick at home can have access to the same information as students in class, without missing beat. The accessibility from anywhere with internet access, from a variety of mobile devices is another advantage that makes collaboration easier.
Would you like to try Cloud in your class? Check out the links below to learn more about the advantages of using Cloud-based technology in your classroom.
10 Things every teacher should know how to do with Google Docs
6 Unexpected Ways You Can Use Dropbox
Imagine saying goodbye to the copy machine and your filing cabinet. What about never needing to hand out extra copies to disorganized students again? Do you think you can do that? With Cloud computing, this can be a reality. Cloud computing puts together a variety of tasks in one convenient spot. It includes "collaboration, file storage, visualization, and access to computing cycles" (NMC, 2014, p. 36). Whether you choose a public or private cloud, it can change the way you access information. Since mobile devices are being used frequently, the cloud is easily accessible from anywhere.
How does it work?
Cloud computing works "using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet as opposed to a local server" (Weaver, 2013). Using a familiar system such as Google Drive or Dropbox, all information can be stored online via the cloud server. While these hosts store data, they also are "raising serious concerns about the security of such data" (Davis & Cavanagh, 2014). It will present a new challenge to school districts as they need to decide how they are going to manage the security and privacy of student information on the cloud. According to David and Cavanagh (2014), " 25% of districts had no policies at all regarding classroom teacher use." There are simple solutions to this so your school can easily adapt to the benefits of using a cloud. Districts with contracts should "require companies to disclose in the contracts how student data might be sold, transferred, or mined" (Davis & Cavanagh, 2014). Districts should also require teachers to use only approved cloud services. Since using the cloud server cuts the costs out of additional IT support, the issue of privacy is one that is worth dealing with.
The Cloud in Education:
There are many advantages to using cloud computing in education that extend both to staff and students. Using it is a collaboration tool and for storage would reach the top of the list. It can allow staff to edit ongoing data about students and collaborate on lesson plans. Since it automatically saves content, there is no worrying about losing information or flash drives. With lesson planning, not only can word documents be uploaded, there can also be photos, music, videos, etc. The ability to collaborate with peers across the school, district, and even state to work on common assessments and units can happen much easier. In the classroom, the cloud can be used to eliminate the need for print resources and extra copies. All handouts can be stored online and students can submit their work online. Students can work together on projects without being in the same room. Students on homebound or sick at home can have access to the same information as students in class, without missing beat. The accessibility from anywhere with internet access, from a variety of mobile devices is another advantage that makes collaboration easier.
Would you like to try Cloud in your class? Check out the links below to learn more about the advantages of using Cloud-based technology in your classroom.
10 Things every teacher should know how to do with Google Docs
6 Unexpected Ways You Can Use Dropbox
The attached video was a short and sweet explanation of cloud usage. I appreciated the ideas for classroom usage as well. I love the idea of making our classrooms more eco-friendly - by using clouds, we can reduce our paper usage. Just one more positive impact of technology! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great point Cait-reducing paper waste! I am trying to reduce the amount of paper master files I have stored away in my filing cabinet. I will say that when a colleague offers to share something I do always ask for a soft copy instead of a hard copy, but, can you believe it, some of them actually shy away from sharing soft copies?
DeleteCait,
DeleteIt definitely provides an eco-friendly approach to teaching. Just last week our office staff was sharing that we used an enormous amount of copy paper so far this year. As a teacher without a text book, who provides on teacher created handouts, the cloud is a good solution for students to have access to these materials.