Let me back up.
My experience with cloud-based tech comes in two flavors: personal and professional. I use Dropbox to share music and ebooks with friends, and I'm currently using Google Drive to house my class notes. But my last job before starting the MAC program was at a public affairs firm in Washington, DC where I worked on the public relations team. One of our clients was a technology company, and our PR for this client involved researching and disseminating information about the privacy risks associated with the cloud.
First, some background: when files are saved on a computer, they are stored in the computer's hard drive. The cloud is an online storage facility, offering people an easy backup option and the opportunity to be more mobile with their digital lives. The cloud is generally available anywhere with an Internet connection, so you don't need to lug your computer everywhere you go.
Now, a cautionary tale: a hospital recently used a cloud-based calendar to record all of its scheduled surgeries, and for some reason these schedules, and personal information about the patients, was made searchable online. Needless to say, the federal government saw to it that this hospital was severely fined.
While no cloud service's security has been compromised, it's always something on my mind when using this tech, and I think it should be on all our minds. Especially when Dropbox has so many practical uses for the classroom - think about having your students turn in their assignments online, or putting all their notes in their Dropbox so they "never" lose them - the privacy risks are important to consider. Federal privacy laws like FERPA and COPPA may apply to these technologies in the classroom, and as teachers, if we want to put them to use and take advantage of their benefits, we need to back up and become better-versed in what it means for our privacy.
Thanks for the word of caution, Mr.Pepp! And, thanks for the heads-up on the possible weather change yesterday. I left earlier than I had expected (though I missed Urban Ed), and surprisingly found the traffic to be less than what I had expected it to be. As for Drop Box, I have already used it, as well, but as part of my EDUC 504 presentation, I decided to test it as a "real-time" collaborative tool for students. Well, I was disappointed with it for that, but, as you said, a good source (though limited if you go with the free 2GB, in my opinion) for Cloud sharing. I believe that Google Docs/Drive would be a better collaborative tool. Also, Primary Pad, though it's still new to me, seems like a viable option for "Jigsaw" collaboration. Your thoughts? On real-time collaboration?
ReplyDeleteGoogle Drive works really well for real-time collaboration; we're using it for our summer session class planning, and within 30 minutes we've been able to work together in the same room and add to a common document to complete a day's worth of CPRs and lessons. I find Dropbox better for sharing larger documents - pictures, music, videos, etc.
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