Computing in the Clouds - Article #2

Hello All,                                                                                                          

The article, “Computing in the Clouds”, made some valuable attributes to what education and schools can do with cloud computing.  First, the author, Doug Johnson, brings attention to better service and lower cost cloud computing can bring to schools which benefits the financial aspect of schools.  Cloud computing relies on applications and file storage that reside on networks – internet, intranet, or local networks.  An advantage in this direction is you do not have to worry about insufficient storage on your computer, hard drive, or flash drive.  The information stored is all in a cloud, all a person would need is access to the internet.  The author points out that the best part of web-based applications is they are free, which I could not agree more.

Using cloud computing can be less expensive because students can access the cloud on lower end computers.  These netbooks, as they are referred to, need to have a full-fledge web browser, antivirus and spyware programs to be beneficial in classes.  Even if a student leaves the computer at home, as long as there is internet access, the student can gain entry into their work from a different computer. When the author, Doug Johnson, mentions parents being asked to buy a scientific calculator for $100 and they do, they might as well purchase a $250 computer for the benefit of their children’s learning.  I think that is unrealistic. Since not all parents can afford the added expense toward their child’s education.

Most programs implemented in schools are web based which makes sense to utilize cloud computing for financial reasons.  Word processing, presentation, photo storage, web mastering, and school specific tasks are all uses of an inexpensive notebook and can be financially appropriate for schools budget.  The schools do not need to buy any expensive software and most kids will be able to get their hands on a web book soon enough. There are some drawbacks the author points out, for example, privacy.  Can we really be sure our data is safe in the clouds?  Also, schools need to be conscious of policies in regards to student-owned devices and teachers having the education on such devices.   

In my opinion, net books are ideal for everybody.  I use one and find the convenience remarkable.  They are not as big laptops to lug around and the capabilities suit my needs.  Students can benefit from the various capabilities and parent can find it appealing to the pocketbook.  In the big picture of education it does better on the budget and can be a useful tool in our technology future. 

In the clouds,

Conni Martinez

Johnson, Doug (2009). Computing in the Clouds. International Society for Technology in Education,  Volume 37. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Computing_in_the_Clouds.aspx