Get Your Head IN the CLOUDS!!
Dec 3rd, 2009 by Cathy Jo Nelson
I’ve been hearing more and more about “Cloud Computing.” I must confess I’ve been there via the Google tools for quite some time. Our library’s calendar is done using Google Spreadsheet, and there are several people who have editing privileges from school. We use the Google forms feature to do any number of surveys, from interest inventories, exit surveys, book recommendations and even a self-checking quiz for our recent New Moon Book Discussion/Book to Movie celebration. A friend and I (Fran Bullington) created a summer presentation together last June using cloud computing, and never once met face to face until the day of the presentation!
A featured article – clearing up the cloud of confusion
So it was pleasing to see a featured article written by my esteemed friend (and sometimes curmudgeon-remember winter is rapidly approaching him in Mankato, Minnesota) Doug Johnson in the ISTE member magazine Learning & Leading with Technology that focused on this topic–cloud computing. Check it out!
Thanks Doug
I am delighted to see the article, and even more delighted that my friend wrote it. Thanks, Doug, for sharing about this in your own blog. You are right! I will never have need of a flash drive again. And I just added a new tool (new to me anyway) to my toolbox for cloud computing–> DropBox. 
DropBox allows me to work on files at home or at school and keep them synched. Sometimes I HAVE to use the dreaded programs like Word, but DropBox allows me to work at home or at school (wherever I have a connection) and have the most up to date version of the document either place — as long as I have an Internet connection anyway. Makes that netbook purchase SO worth it!
The current perfect solution
Cloud Computing is the perfect solution for kids who want to work on their files at school and at home, but either can’t keep up with or don’t care to be bothered with flash drives! I promise I am advocating the benefits to my students (and teachers too!) in the library.
FlickrCC Image: ‘Cloud Computing‘
FlickrCC Image: ‘Acer Aspire One Netbook first impressions‘
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for the comments about the article. It’s not the most technical piece in the world, but I hope it helps people understand the concept and gets them excited. Read quickly since it will probably be out of date tomorrow!
All the best,
Doug
Cloud computing is here! I think cloud computing makes our life easier! I advocate using Google docs. Before leaving GCSD I was leading our tech team in exploring Cloud computing with all the districts servers. With one login from anywhere in the world, teachers, parents, and student can have access to school. Teacher would have access to district servers from home. Upfront cost were really high long term cost would pay for itself and more. Dell has partnered with a third party to offer government and private business cloud computing. thanks for shairng.
Cathy,
I think your perspective is right on. Our support demands on the netbooks have been tiny compared to laptops and the students are really taking off. Critical to netbook success are network infrastructure, vision and training. If you can get those aspects together, some really fun stuff can come about! Thanks for throwing a spotlight on this approach.