Cloud computing is ‘Everywhere Access and Information’ via the Internet. Cloud computing presents us with the capability to access software and information that is conveyed on demand across the internet without any necessity to store it locally.
This means power reduction, lower costs to us and of course frees up our storage. This may impact on our environmental footprint as stated by Microsoft Blue Hat Blog, 2009 by reducing these factors for every individual as we we empower the 'Cloud' more and more.
Of course what we are talking about for us is:
Access
Anywhere
Anytime
Potentially for Anyone
To almost Anything
When we talk about the practicalities of 'Cloud Computing' in the classroom we are talking about:
- Blogger
- Google Docs
- Moodles
- Xtranormal
- Simulations- games like Second Life and World of Warcraft
- Social Networking- Twitter, Nasa Online, Global School Network
- Integrating peripherals -uploading and sharing movies and photos
- Integrating mLearning - ipods, phones & iPads
and much much more..........
To help to explain this further we will use Blogger and Google docs to share our examples. We will also be incorporating other uses of the 'Cloud' to show the practicalities in the classroom for a Year 3 group project: Xtranormal, Diigo, Second Life and Global School Classroom.
Our Blog Year 3 Discoveries which links to ICT's in the Classroom
'Blogger' home
'Google Docs' Ice Breaker activity also attached to our main blog Year 3 Discoveries
Blogger allows anyone anywhere to share information around the world. Students can make their own Blog easily sharing their experiments, movies, pictures and discoveries as they work through their project continually updating their information.
Networking, Blogs, Google Docs, Glogster, Xtranormal and Simulations
Within Cloud Computing there is a multitude of tools and applications allowing for infinite possibilities in learning. Today's students have evolved and so must we as teachers, parents and global citizens.
Through inquiry methods and problem solving students become intrinsically motivated as online environments are stimulating and challenging displaying learning in unique ways (Finger, Russell, Jamieson-Proctor & Russell, 2007). Students are able to access new technologies and information to produce innovative and enhanced products like Blogs through real and virtual spaces transforming the curriculum (Queensland Studies Authority, QSA, 2007s).
