Issue with the assignment
I’m a little uncomfortable with the assignment for this week. It seems extremely IT-focused on data centres– IT vendors and integrators wanting to sell pre-fab solutions to institutions which happen to include educational institutions.
The HP solution made me laugh — a private cloud? It was a rack of servers you buy and install in your facility with virtual computing and desktop monitoring that would be available in any modern network setup. Nice branding sleight-of-hand. Note that in its K12 offering, HP (as an integrator) offers the BrainHoney LMS/CMS from Agilix. Are the other “instructional tools” offered in its solution cloud-based? Doesn’t look like it… there are a bunch of utilities and gadgets HP throws together as an integrator… perhaps with access to Microsoft’s LiveDrive cloud service… but Microsoft also emphasizes the use of its standard office suite.
I’m curious why we’re focusing on pure IT issues rather than educational ventures. What about educational-focused Software-as-a-Service like Brain Honey’s CMS? BrainHoney is free to use by educators, and it’s accessible through regular web browsers from anywhere. It seems a more cloud-based educational venture than a pure IT solution.
What about The JASON Project? It’s a completely cloud-based classroom management system and middle-school science curriculum with textbook content, games, videos that are all referenced to state (and provincial) education standards. It’s free to use and it provides easy access to high quality curricula, quizzes, lesson plans, assignment management to anyhow who chooses to use them to teach science.
I may be off base here if my classmates intend to include IT infrastructure analysis as part of their careers, but my expectation was to focus on educational ventures rather than IT ventures that happen to sell to educators.
Am I misunderstanding?
Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
mcquaid 3:22 pm on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the well-laid-out thoughts (as always), David.
I don’t think you are really off the mark. We found that there were many cloud-related things to cover (more than I initially thought there would be). The three of us wanted to cover several bases well instead of giving a too-general look at the topic. Without meaning to sound defensive (I’m OK with open criticism), we decided that the main topics we went with would do the best job we could in giving an informative package for an EVA looking to know more / invest in cloud computing, specifically in the educational field.
On a personal note, I see many educational ventures like the top of a cloud pyramid, occupying less space than the levels below – without a lot of support behind the scenes, scads of infrastructure and other hurdles – the programs students, teachers, or admins want to use wouldn’t even be available. I know, for example, that people in my district and own school are pining for things like iPads and other devices, but without significant changes from the ground up, we’ll never see these useful things in our students’ hands.
Jim 6:36 pm on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
Your response is exactly the kind of thing one would expect of an EVA. IT issues intersect with educational ventures and anyone in any decision making position in the education sector must grapple with such issues. In a number of large school districts that I am aware of, there is a sort of give and take between the IT departments and the academic departments. Each have their priorities and each dept uses their own lens to examine issues such as scalability, privacy, usability, and so on. We are pleased that you have identified this as a tension, and that you are a little uncomfortable, but as an EVA or EMA there is plenty of techie hyperbole that must be cut through before decisions can be made.
schiong 3:30 pm on October 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi David,
I share your point of view. I wear my IT hat when the topic is IT related. Change my hat when the topic is different.
I came across this LMS few days ago (http://www.instructure.com/).
The look and feel reminds me of WebCT. I believe it is free.
Most schools do not have IT people who could develop their own LMS.
And, what is the point in creating your own when there are several LMS (free and paid versions) out there.
Let me share this link: http://www.ncomputing.com/
These are nice devices that would go well with Green Computing, Education, and Cloud computing.
Even with Cloud computing, the school still needs to provide computers to their educators.
Some schools might not have the budget.
I just thought of sharing the link above regarding NComputing.
It could replace the regular PC’s we have in schools at affordable price.
If I am not mistaken, it only requires 5 volts.
Yes, I have used them before. I did a consulting work for an NGO about 3 or 4 years ago.
cheers,
smc
themusicwoman 11:53 am on November 2, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dear David,
Thanks for bringing up a totally different view and perspective. Perhaps I’ve not been doing what I keep telling my students: think for yourself, lol. Perhaps a little blindsided by the slick rather than what is educational?
You make me think about how technology as a whole is percieved and implemented within the education system. I think the reality is the bottom dollar. As much as school districts would like to offer the newest tools, hardware and software, we all know that much of the equipment in schools is old and decrepit. The education system is struggling to keep up with technology.
Thanks for making me think.