Cloud Computing in Schools
Cloud computing is one of the amazing new technologies empowering both professional and personal online worlds. Cloud computing is the process that works by leveraging the world wide web and some of the distant computers it is comprised of, allowing collaboration of multiple people simultaneously in the same or different locations. It can allow everything from real time interaction with a single document, to utilizing programs that never have to be installed on your personal computer. Examples of cloud computing that you may have heard of are iCloud and GoogleDrive. Check out the infographic below!
A great benefit to cloud computing in schools is that the information in the cloud can be accessed from any computer simply be logging in to its holding account on the Internet. Teachers and students can access their information in their own room as well as in the computer lab or in other rooms. Recently in my school, we have begun using Google Drive to share information among teachers and between classes. The goal is for classes and grades to collaborate. For example, third grade students will type their writing pieces on a word processor on the cloud and will give access to fifth graders. Fifth grade students would then edit and suggest revisions to the third graders on the document that is saved in the cloud.
Personally, I love to use cloud computing for projects. For school I can work on group projects at the same time on the same document as other group members. No longer do we have to select a person to collect all the information and combine it into one presentation. Now we just all get on the same document in the cloud and work collaboratively as we share ideas and add to each other’s work. I’ve used Google Drive throughout the Credential Program and it’s been an amazing resource.
Cloud Computing promotes collaboration and this is something we are trying to encourage in our schools. With cloud computing there is less hassle with finding documents, and less opportunity to misplace or forget documents. Cloud Computing is one of the many technologies being introduced in our schools and I believe it is the way of the future. Staff will soon be using this to share all necessary documents or even plan together and work on documents together. Students will be collaborating with peers, older/younger students and their teacher while maintaining a positive access to technology.
Some helpful resources to learn more about cloud computing can be found here:
http://www.tabletsforschools.org.uk/how-cloud-computing-can-help-in-education/
