Thank you to everyone who participated and added to our weekly cloud activities and discussions. We hope we helped facilitate a deeper understanding about the exciting opportunities and services – as well as the controversial issues – surrounding cloud learning in K-12. The cloud has already been instrumental in cutting costs for businesses and creating […]
Continue reading Wrapping up the Cloud Posted in: General, Week 06:
Before looking at this week’s presentation, I was thinking that Cloud computing will widen the gap of the digital divide. After educating myself I came to realize that actually, it doesn’t. It will help remove the digital divide. Instead of investing heavily in infrastructure and purchasing physical servers, software, data center storages, or network equipments, […]
Continue reading Week 6 Activity #9 Future Potential Posted in: Week 06:
The Supreme Court of South Carolina recently ruled that webmail cannot be classified as online storage and are therefore not covered by the Stored Communications Act of 1986. The case involved a woman who hacked into her husband’s online email accounts to see if he was being unfaithful. This may have some interesting repercussions regarding the cloud […]
Continue reading interesting case regarding ‘Stored Communications Act’ Posted in: Week 06:
I think that education’s adoption of cloud products is going to progress as fast as they adopt other methodologies. What I mean by this is that they will definitely consider it because of how cost effective it can make things but because of the sensitive nature of the information that will be floating around via […]
Continue reading Activity 9 Posted in: Week 06:
I think that Education’s adoption of cloud based services is inevitable. As mentioned in this week’s OER: they reduce the cost for schools, IT departments, and users. The concern that many people will continue to have is in the protection and privacy of the individual users and the intellectual property created and stored. Once people […]
Continue reading Week 6, Activity #9 Posted in: Week 06:
Group 6 did a great job for me of distinguishing between the 3 major categories of Cloud Computing – SaaS. IaaS, and PaaS (http://cloudlearning.weebly.com/what-is-cloud-learning.html). In my own school division, I’ve seen increasing use of Saas, but I know that many school divisions have really moved towards that direction, using Google Apps, Microsoft services, or other cloud tools as critical players – for example for providing all students and sometimes staff with email and other essential services. I can see this becoming more prevalent. While I’ve personally heard of few divisions using the cloud for infrastructure or platform, and my own job is on the instructional, not infrastructure side of technology, I can certainly see huge economical benefits for doing so, under the right conditions. One obstacle, I think, will be that getting over that reluctance of giving up local control (not withstanding the security and other cautions listed by Team 6).
Peggy
After reading this weeks posted information and articles it appears that “the future
is cloudy”.
This weeks group provided an excellent summary of cloud technology and identified the fundamental components to a better understand how it is integrated into the complex world of technology and the current issues related to this new market. There appears to be both advantages and disadvantages of cloud-computing. The benefits are cost and efficiency, being closely intertwined. For an organization the capital costs can be reduced with the implementation of cloud technology through buying virtual server time and storage space, IT departments transition into an operational role and the physical space and expense of housing servers no longer exists. For students cloud-computing increases accessibility, adds mobility, improves availability and integrity of software applications, research materials and storage capacity. For faculty it provides accessibility to virtual space for delivery of educational curriculum, customization of individual courses and provides department and campus unity. For administration it will provide standardization of resources and data management, reduced costs, reduce the need for IT staff, and supports greater virtualization. Of course, there are liabilities with the cloud market and its development being in the early stages. Lack of definitive standards, the concern of lock-in of data, confidentiality of data, where cloud servers reside and regulations, licensing and cost models. The implementation of could-computing in the near future will be linked to organizational decision-makers and the organization’s level of technology awareness.
Catherine
Here’s a great infographic with some revealing statistics regarding cloud services and usage. http://mashable.com/2012/10/09/infographic-cloud/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 And a funny cartoon here: http://ca.com/cloudviews
Continue reading Week 6: Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Cloud Posted in: Week 06:
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting vantage point. It is interesting to know that the technology may be present but we may not be ready for it. Things are not always what they seem.
Nureen
Yes, thank you Ben. I also think that people are scared away from unknown terms such as “the cloud”. I believe that many people use platforms such as facebook, without even realizing that they are using the cloud. Once terms are unpacked and explained, people usually are more open to change.
I fully agree Jen. I don’t think we realize how much we all use the cloud, and how difficult it would be if it were suddenly there no longer. I think the future trend will be more as Iaas and PaaS (and of course continued Saas – Software as Service). From my own school division perspective – we are getting teachers, school administrators, and division personnel quite comfortable now with Saas; the other two will require additional changes in thinking. I had not quite realized the distinctions before your presentations this week, but I am now definitely seeing the separations. And they are important distinctions. You’ve given me much food for thought this week.
Peggy
i was just thinking the other day…”what if google was gone?”
Thanks for sharing that infographic Ben. It seems as though the Cloud entails so much secrecy and unknowingness about its inner workings that people don’t know what to believe. It also has intrinsic properties built into it in that if you lose your information on a specific device and have it backed up to the cloud, you can easily restore it. My only concern with cloud technologies is how safe they are to hackers. One would think that the hacker community would be all over this and would love nothing more than bragging rights to bringing down the cloud. In terms of actual sustainability, it seems pretty reliable. Then again, only time can tell whether this will be the case.
Manny
From the research that I have been doing in this, and other, classes, combined with the information that has been presented by the BC government this year, I can actually see the potential for a massive shift in learning in the next 5 years. I imagine that cloud computing will be a big part of this […]
Continue reading Week 6: Last Activity Posted in: General, Week 06:
Hi Rebecca,
I think you make a great point about how it is often hard to make long-term projections in the future of technology because of the rapid pace at which things now develop and change. With that said though, I too think the biggest change for cloud computing and learning would be in regards to its widespread use and that we would see it become commonly used in most school districts.
I agree I think we will see a big shift in the amount of cloud computing applications that are used in the classroom. As for the technology that they will be using it is hard to predict. One prediction is that we will be using Virtual Worlds that are integrated with a LMS system. It would allow for students to learn while they look and interact within the virtual world. It also will allow for collaboration and can be done online without a need for a building. As this would allow for cost savings I can definitely see this as a possibility. That said these are all guesses and depends on so many variables that we just can’t predict.
This idea is so fitting for the research I have just completed for my project. Even though many people (educators, administration, parents) see the need for an overhaul in the education system and everyone is floating around predictions about how this might manifest itself….. it is such a huge shift in paradigm that it may take something really, really big to provide the impetus for this change to occur. And yes, the cost savings is undeniable – once it’s up and running. However, the start up costs and the funds for development and research still have to come from somewhere first…. and where does it come from? Private sector? Dismantling classrooms? Teacher layoffs?
PC
Excellent case study, and very relevant to what I do. Several years ago I wrote our division media release form – it needs revision and it’s great to have the samples you posted. I’ve also recently become my division’s LAFOIP go-to person (LAFOIP = SK version of FIPPA). Hasn’t been high on my list of tasks but […]
Continue reading Week 6: Cloud Computing – Limitations Posted in: Week 06:
That is a tough question. If the FB page was under the school’s umbrella, it would need a ton of monitoring as anyone could post something on the page. That said, I like the potential FB offers for the sharing of information. If it were me, I might assign a couple of teachers to the page and have them remove any inappropriate postings. I only use FB personally but I am wondering if there is a security setting that requires all wall postings to get approval first by the page’s owner. That would certainly make it more manageable.
I’m not so worried about new posts to the groups – but it’s easy to a link to anyone who has posted on the group board to that person’s FB page. If they don’t set up security tightly – and with FB rules often changing that’s easy to miss – it’s easy to read that person’s wall perhaps, or see their pictures, and picture comments. You can then follow those links to yet someone else. I can see that it might be pretty easy to catch photos and comments of people who intended no direct connection to a particular group.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for using the Cloud, but interested in several points you wisely raised on your limitations page. Just wondering how others might feel about this specific FB issue. Try it sometime – see what you can find stalking people from groups you belong to.
Peggy, you have raised a chronic issue with FB, or in particular it’s user who do not understand the security aspect, therefore, do not access the securiy option selecting various settings to limit access to others. For those that do, also have to be diligent with ensuring they update their settings as Facebook is continuouly upgrading. I only use FB on a personal level and limit who I accept as my friends, but often wonder about inactivating because so much concern is generated around privacy and what is appropriate. However, then you are not in the loop or current when you don’t engage in all this social media. Just trying to keep up with it is a challenge. I don’t have time to be curious about other people’s lives but fully aware that others certainly do.
Catherine
I don’t think a school district would adopt FB as they wouldn’t have the same types of controls to monitor for inappropriate comments or cyber bullying. Also it is so easy with existing software to just set up your own private social network. I have a private social network set up in my class and I am able to monitor all comments and can easily find anything that I would find inappropriate. I clearly state to students that I would treat any comment on the site as if they said it in class. Research also shows that students don’t want a school social networking site linked to their FB account. They prefer to have it completely separate and in fact they prefer it if teachers aren’t directly involved with the site. It is found for academic sites that peer mentors have a greater impact on an academic social networking site. I think the goal of a district wide site would be for educational purposes which I don’t believe can be realized with FB.
It’s an interesting debate, whether or not to allow FB in schools, as our Kindergarten class used FB last year for it’s mode of communication out to parents. Most parents loved it, as they were familiar with the platform and didn’t need to learn anything new. We’re a private school though, and proper channels were explored before the K’s ventured into their decision to go with FB. Now, this year, the parents aren’t as comfortable and only one K class went with FB…the others created a WordPress site/blog.
I think there is real value in FB in schools, as the social networking and collaborative potential is limitless. A lot of LMS’s now are incorporating this FB-like feel to their services. Edmodo and Schoology are two great examples of companies tapping into that potential.
In Alberta, many schools and school districts are currently utilizing Facebook as a means to communicate easily with the parents, My own district, has just started limited experiments to see how it might work best here.
For in the end, yes there is a tonne of other options out there which might be safer than facebook… But is it easier for the mountain (all the people who use facebook) to come to me (my blog), or myself to come to the mountain…
Lastly, if we do not explore, and learn how to properly utilize these and similar tools. We are not meeting our students, or even society where they are at, but forcing them to fit with what makes ourselves comfortable.
As for potential legal issues, if thought is put before practice, and modelling of expectations occur, few issues will arise, and those that do can usually be handled well…
Thoughts?
There are indeed risks of using FB, however it also has many uses. This page mentions but a few, along with some suggestions on how to protect students. (http://mashable.com/2011/04/26/facebook-for-schools/). I feel schools and other educational institutions should inform teachers and students on a regular basis as to how to use the web and social media safely; there are too many useful collaborative tools out there that it is a shame not to use in class.
We hope you all have had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend. We welcome you to Week 6 of ETEC 522. This week’s topic is Cloud Learning in K – 12 Education. Please visit our Emerging Market Analysis Weebly site at http://cloudlearning.weebly.com/ We have presented an overview of the content through six areas: What is […]
Continue reading Welcome to Week 6: Cloud Learning in K – 12 Education Posted in: Week 06:
Thanks guys – this page packed a lot of useful information in a nice tidy package. It was nice to have a few different videos to watch – the repetition but with slight variations helped the information sink in, plus you had the text based article – very good to cover your bases regarding different learning preferences of your audience (us!). I had a pretty good general idea of cloud computer, but it was helpful to understand the difference between SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. One of my questions this week will be about security, and having student information resided outside Canada. I know this is an issue in my own school division. Thanks to a great start! Peggy
Hi Peggy,
Thanks for the compliments. I had a lot of questions too regarding security. Have you had a chance to view our limitations tab? Give that a read and try out the case study. I think it is going to generate an interesting discussion.
Take Care, Jen
Your presentation offers excellent resources and is well curated team – thank you.
Here is a news item and infographic, I just noticed today, that reports on workers thoughts on Cloud computing and how the IT industry may be reacting to it – along with a few good comics to inject some humor. http://mashable.com/2012/10/09/infographic-cloud/
Thanks for that Infographic. Some great truths hidden in those comics…especially how some people don’t even realize that their already using the cloud! And along with BYOD, the cloud has definitely created a few waves in our I.T. department…whether it be good, bad or ugly.
Thanks for the post!
Same in ours… I was told that when I use my own devices to access the cloud I am using up Bandwidth that was not meant for this and this is why our computer lab Wifi is slow. I have a hard time believing one little document was the cause. Maybe if everyone was accessing their Dropbox.
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visramn 9:27 pm on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you for a great week of learning. You all did an awesome job.
Nureen