I have been using cloud techonolgy for a while without really realizing it. When this group first presented I asked my partner (the real techie in our family) what he knew about cloud computing, to get a better idea of what it was, and he didn’t really have a clear idea what it was either […]
Continue reading Silver linings Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Cloud Computing Experience As a firm believer and supporter of the anytime, anywhere access to needs I have used and embraced cloud technology in my personal and educational use. The latter primarily through Google Apps: Email, Docs, Presentations, Group discussions, blogs and websites. I also use other email services with folder organisations for communication, storage and […]
Continue reading Cloud Computing – Appropriate in order to Innovate Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Hi Kerry-Ann,
I like your ideas on the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. I think developing countries will be greatly benefitted by cloud computing. Also entrepreneurs who use technology (internet) to conduct business no longer have to worry about data backup, space to hold electronic devices and overhead cost to purchase technologies needed for their company. Cloud Computing definitely remove those worries. Great posting Kerry-Ann.
Hi Conroy,
Thanks Conroy. I agree with the potential benefits for developing countries. I think this would be a viable option at my college as we experience endless problems with our server and networks and the costs to upgrade are exhorbitant. What are the options available to you? Are you considering cloud computing in any areas on a higher administrative level at any institution you are associated with?
Kerry-Ann
I have being using cloud technology for over ten years. I can vividly remember being introduced to cloud technology as students at university; it was an exciting time because it would erase my traditional ways of carrying out certain functions. In recent time my use of cloud technology has significantly increased. It is part of […]
Continue reading Cloud Technology being a Vehicle Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Conroy,
I guess security is the major issue here. Then again, what is really private? I am of the view that once your thoughts are presented in print or uttered then it becomes public materials. If I trust banks with all my money then I will continue to work with cloud technology.
Everton
Hi Everton,
That is an excellent idea but most banks are regional or national but not international like cloud computing. Also in cloud computing, your ideas can be sold to persons without you knowing, with your money is different.
Cloud computing has been a central part of my MET experience, but I have yet to use it in my professional life. Since starting MET many, many moons ago, I’ve gotten much more comfortable with cloud computing options like Google Docs, wikis, multimedia publishing tools, etc. The usability of these has improved, even over just […]
Continue reading Considering cloud solutions Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
I started using cloud technology long before I realised it. This probably holds true for a lot of people. Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and a bunch of other common social networks we are familiar with have all moved to the cloud. That tells me anyone who uses email, or another app from these providers is already […]
Continue reading My Bio is walking on Cloud Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Hi there, I also didn’t realize I was using cloud technology before this class. I think you are right that most people don’t even realize they are using different kinds of “clouds’ to hold and store information.
Hi Jenaca and ifeoma,
I have being using cloud technology long before I realized that I was using this technology. I was not until in January of this year that I realized that I was using a technology known as cloud technology. Therefore I concur with you that “most people don’t even realize they are using different kinds of “clouds’ to hold and store information.”
I do not have personal experience using cloud technology in a school environment and while overseas teaching in Japan had little knowledge of the existence of such online software. Looking back it could have been beneficial then but I think as many others have pointed out, privacy issues would likely have been a barrier to […]
Continue reading “Banking” on clouds Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Hey, Jay.
I liked your comparison of banking to cloud computing – entrusting your money / files to someone else and getting it when you need it… maybe from a bank across the globe! Your comparison had me thinking, though. I don’t care if I get the same $20 bill I gave my bank. I DO care if I get the same file back from Google that I gave them. I don’t care much what a bank does with my non-unique-to-me money. I DO care what happens to my personal files, pictures, and ideas, and where they end up, and if someone has a copy of them.
Perhaps cloud computing is more like running a mint or federal reserve… sending money “out there”, but not allowing copying or destruction of it?
Yes these are definitely holes in my banking analogy and I agree it is essential with cloud services such as Google that a person gets back the exact, unique-to-them data that is uploaded and without the risk of it’s replication and non-consented distribution.
Jay,
The bank example is a good one. It’s amazing how many persons trust the bank with millions of dollars but are skeptical about doing the same with information. Which is more important? I have a strong feeling that all the skeptics will eventually buy into the cloud idea. This definitely seems to be the way forward especially as persons are now investing in mobile devices.
Everton
Banks have insurance. Money is replaceable. Data is unique.
Hi Jay,
I like your comparison; that is so creative. I agree with you that bank and cloud technology are similar but to a certain extent. In my view, data can be sold without your knowledge but money is not so. Also in light of David’s view, money is insured but can data be insured? I f cloud technology collapse could we retrieve our data?
Hi Jay,
It is amusing to read your thoughts on cloud computing in terms of Japan and banks, as the country has a reputation for being ahead of the technological curve, as parodied in this Onion article, but trying to get a couple thousand yen from an ATM past the bank’s early closing hour (7 pm for most parts of Japan I visited) was next to impossible. Mobile phones could do so many things (I was there prior to the iPhone 3 world-wide release) and no doubt they are still turned off and tucked away in school bags across the country. If data is similar to money, using Japan’s model, we’d have ten to twenty USB drives dangling from our mobile phones. However, on the upside, if we lost our phone somewhere, it would most likely be waiting for us, untampered, at the nearby kōban/police station. A very unique place, ne?
Kairu
“What are the benefits to converting a business or school district to cloud computing?” As many have posted, I believe that there are many benefits to converting to a cloud. The storage allowance is endless and allows users to keep excessive amounts of data etc in a private storage space. Another benefit is the low […]
Continue reading Benefits of Cloud Computing Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Jenaca, great points.
This had me thinking, though:
“The storage allowance is endless and allows users to keep excessive amounts of data etc in a private storage space.”
When will we run out of space? Will we ever? Will people who have wasted space online (old emails for example) be held accountable some day? Where / when will the endless space… end?
Mcquaid,
Interesting questions. I would really like to know more about this unlimited space. This have me thinking about the universe with endless possibilities and countless stars, planets etc. This seems to be the same concept. I personally wouldn’t have any problems turning over my content to an organization such as Google. I put my money in Scotia Bank every month and don’t even think about it in terms of security. I have this same feelings with my online files.
Everton
I’m a bit cautious on the self-regulated notion of cloud computing. I take a different viewpoint that there are some problems with it, in that cloud computing service providers have little accountability. Google, for example, is poor at this. Have you ever had a data problem with their products? If so, who did you call to get it resolved? It’s pretty much a rhetorical question because I don’t think there is anyone to call. Perhaps very large institutions get assigned a representative though, I don’t know.
Recently in our school district, we have a had a change in policy in regards to student files and information. We are now required to hold on to field trip forms for 50 years. Yes, you read that correctly. Also, any assignments, tests or other materials with student identification on it is to be kept […]
Continue reading Benefits of the cloud for a school? Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
Interesting post. In Chile I have not heard about a project of converting a school district into could storing. However, there is a network of teachers that allows them to upload all the documents they use for their classes (e.g. plans, rubrics of evaluation, assessments, etc) through a Moodle Site. Generally these documents are related to the integration of a technology in instruction. By sharing this information, teachers from different locations can replay an activity in their own context (although I think that in some cases they should consider modifying these activities according to the needs of their students).
Angela.
Wow! 50 Years is a very long time, that seems crazy to me! It definitely sounds like your school would benefit from converting to cloud because of all the files you are required to keep. I’m wondering if it is in your school districts future for this conversion?
Jenaca
Your post made me think of our CPP (career and program planning) program, where students get a folder (physical) in grade 9 and start filling in portions, and then this folder follows them through high school. Problem: in high school, the students have multiple teachers. Therefore, who is responsible for keeping hold of the folder? At our school, the TA (teacher advisor, homeroom teacher) keeps the folder. usually. No one in high school really seems to do anything with them. It becomes a dormant file that stays with the TA for the year, and then hopefully gets passed to the next TA for the following year. It would make SO MUCH SENSE for this system to be digitized and cloud-based. You could set it up with a tool like a google calendar that notifies the student when they should be revisiting and updating.
You also made me think about how much school data is ALREADY in the cloud, based on the file saving practices of individual teachers. I exclusively use google docs for word processing, so what does that tell you about how much of my planning, tests, etc are already in the cloud?
50 years? Seriously? It seems that the cost of doing this would outweigh the cost of any possible lawsuit arising out of the loss of the documents.
Emily
In Ontario we are trying out e-Portfolios for student to maintain in the cloud for their entire school experience, volunteer experience, extracurricular etc…so that they can use this in future resume-building. It is brand new, and I still need to find out where the server will be – I expect that it is with D2L whose server is exclusively in Ontario. We have to keep transcripts for all students for 55 years – but for field trips? Interesting- sounds like protection against future litigious actions by students as to what might happen on a field trip!
Wow! That really makes you think what do we really need and what is just taking up space. I went to my google docs the other day and found old assignments from a couple of years ago – does this really need to take up storage space on some server some where? Really?
Cloud computing fits your situation as it won’t be long before you are out of space. Why do you need to keep those files that long? Do you think this policy will be reviewed soon?
Everton
I can only hope that the district thought through this policy carefully. But of course I’m cynical and instead think that the powers that be in charge of our education system are woefully out of touch with teachers and the reality of teaching. Some teachers have speculated that holding on to these forms is for insurance purposes. Honestly, I can understand holding onto them for a certain amount of time but certainly not 50 years and certainly not in physical form.
Thanks for the comments. This post seemed to generate a lot of comments even if we’re a little off topic.
I’m the crazy band and choir teacher who careens into her English classroom with ears ringing. I’m also the one that’s constantly calling IT about the state of the wireless network (don’t get me started) and the one in the staff meeting who is multitasking on my iPhone. I think I’m three courses (not including […]
Continue reading Michelle’s Cloudy Thoughts Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
I agree that when you can’t have internet access, the world of the cloud closes hard. That’s why I like applications like Evernote that has a foot in both worlds – I can still take notes on any device that I have installed the application on – and then as soon as I do have access to the internet Evernote synchronizes everything and the files I created on the device now flies into the cloud…I need to find other applications that do the same thing to overcome the problem of limited internet access everywhere you go.
Hi Michelle, issues with Internet connections are also one of the questions/concerns I have. Even my reliable home connection experiences the occasional hiccup, and when travelling it’s sometimes hard to find a reliable connection. Free wireless is available in so many places, but it’s not always a speedy, reliable connection. I like Brenda’s note about tools that have “a foot in both worlds”.
Dear Brenda and Andrea,
I like Brenda’s note about “a foot in both world’s” 🙂 Evernote is one of those apps that I am trying to use more.
After frustrating network issues lately, I’m not as enthused as I was about the cloud from the time I posted, lol.
Thanks for the comments.
What are the benefits to converting a business or school district to cloud computing?” The benefits of of cloud computing cannot be ignored and seems to be the future of data storage. With the changing space of the classroom environment, and the issues of security and privacy being of paramount importance, the stage is now […]
Continue reading Reflection Posted in: Week 08: Files in the Cloud
HI Everton,
I agree with your post on the benefits of converting a business or school district to cloud computing. I believe that more storage and lower costs are the most enticing reasons to convert. Glad to see you are taking advantage of our dropbox cloud:)
Jenaca
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
Tamara Wong 10:07 am on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I forgot to mention something that had bothered me while watching the Google videos about safety and security. The narrator of the videos kept mentioning that they don’t share your information. However, have you ever noticed the ads on the side of you gmail screen? They usually pertain to the information within your email. This suggests that they share your info with ad companies doesn’t it? How else would they have specific ads geared towards you?
Tamara
ashleyross 1:07 am on October 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Tamara,
I actually had the same thoughts on the ads in Gmail when I started doing research for this assignment. Ironically enough, Google was nice enough to provide a video explaining (in great detail) exactly how the ads work. You can view the article and video here: https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=6603. You can also check out the Google Dashboard (https://www.google.com/dashboard/b/0/), which provides a transparent view of all of the data that is associated with your Google account.
I think the only way for your information to be completely secure is if you have a computer that never connects to the internet (unless someone steals your computer). The moment you connect to the internet your data is accessible. You can obviously prevent access using firewalls and malware protection but someone could gain access by you simply clicking on a webpage or accessing a compromised wireless network at a cafe or hotel where the data being transferred to and from your computer can be captured using packet sniffers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_analyzer).
We also haven’t really talked about social engineering (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_(security), which is when someone is manipulated into giving up information that will allow someone to access their data. This obviously goes well beyond someone reading your Gmail and usually plays a key role in identity theft, etc.
Everton Walker 1:07 pm on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Tamara,
Great observations! That’s a great point. I don’t think our information is really secret. The same way banks take our money and lend it to others without our consent then the same is applied here. I guess they are saying it’s free storage so they can do whatever they want. I too never knew what cloud technology was about even though I was always using it. When I saw it on CNN I was thinking otherwise.
Everton
mcquaid 3:58 pm on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the kind words, Tamara.
I thought it was rather ironic that you were having an “internal” struggle about putting files out there / “externally”.
An excellent example of student portfolios is the work done at New Brunswick’s Centre d’apprentissage du Haut-Madawaska (http://cahm.elg.ca/). The blogging (WordPress) portfolios that students keep over their years there are excellent.
hall 6:27 pm on October 27, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Tamara,
I did not know cloud technology prior to this progamme although I was using Gmail, Yahoo Mail for several years. I think security of cloud technology has been a hot topic for many people. When we are freely given something we must mindful that there can negative impacts on us. In most cases when something is given to an individual there are normally consequences. In light this cloud technology may affect negatively. Many individual are of the view that the negative effect of cloud technology is security.
jenaca 1:53 am on October 28, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I also didn’t know what cloud technology was prior to this week’s discussion. I also use Gmail and other sources of the “cloud”, however wasn’t exactly sure what it was.
I agree that the negative aspect of cloud computing is security. I believe one day, everything may be out in the open for others to see.