Lately I have been hearing the term “The Cloud” used more
often. At first I was not sure what that meant. What was this cloud? Was it a
specific program, software, or some term that the internet world had created?
And then I was asking myself, do I need to know what this “cloud” is? Is this
something I will have to get or use in order to maintain everything I am doing
on-line? Well the answer is; I was already using “The Cloud” without knowing
it.
“The Cloud” is space out in the unknown of your computer.
When you use programs such as Google or DropBox – you are using “The Cloud.” What is
happening is that you no longer need to have flash drives, thumb drives, your
physical computer – you can access all your files from any location throughout
the world. For instance I can create and save a file from a computer in one
location, walk away from that computer, drive 3000 miles across country, and
finish working on that file in another location on another computer.
Incredible!
What is really happening is that the sites, such as DropBox
(same concept as Google Docs if you are using that), are providing the storage somewhere
out in cyberland for your files to live. You do not need to carry any devices
with you or take up any space on your hard drives. Those large files you may want to save, you can now save without having to wait long for them to download as well as for them to take up all your space.
For a teacher something like DropBox is an incredible tool to use. I
access my DropBox account at home, correct, update, and/or change a file, then
access it at school through my account. No forgetting flash drives at home, no
forgetting copies at home; it works out great. I have all my students using
DropBox also. They have expressed how it has made things easier for them.
“The Cloud” is something you are probably using already. It
is just another term used to describe the cyber space that we are all now
connected to.
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| Boy, we have come a long way since 8 track tapes |
How would you describe “The Cloud”? Are you using “The Cloud”?
How do you feel about using “The Cloud”? Do your students use it? How are you
feeling about all these quick changes in technology?
I was just talking about Dropbox the other day and how someone told me about it in September and I still have not had time to download it to all my computers!! I have heard that it is extremely useful and great for collaboration between colleagues. Now that CMTs are over, I might have time to breath and download...
ReplyDeleteI have heard of the "cloud." Every time an apple commercial comes on it is mentioned and I never knew what it was. The cloud seems very useful to collaborate with other people. I don't have to worry about leaving my flash drive at home when I need it (it has happened). I can simply go to Google Docs and finish it right there.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of Drop Box but assume its similar to Google Docs. Is that a program you need to download?
Sara - Dropbox is in the "cloud" You have access to any files that you save on their server. You can download a icon to your desktop that allows you access to save your files. It is quick and they offer simple instructions. I suggest to try this program because it does ease your mind of where your files are at all time. I do suggest backing up your files though, because like any on-line tool, it could be gone tomorrow - which is scary if this is where all your files are. I save my file on my external hard drive at home and then on Dropbox. Good luck and if I can help just ask.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was in the dark about the "cloud". Even though we have explored Google Docs in this course, I never thought about using it for my usual assignments. I hate when I have left my flash drive somewhere, so I can't work on something. Plus, there are things I write and save on just my laptop, and when it crashed recently I thought I lost those items forever. This accessibility makes means individuals like myself could make my free time useful! Drop box also sounds like a tool I need to start using.
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