Recently I had one of those enlightening experiences that makes you change your perspective. In my district, all teachers are able to connect to the district server via a username (first initial and last name) and password (schoolname). Many teachers, especially me, use the server to save student work when using our mobile laptop carts. All of my students have learned how to connect to and save to the server. This is especially useful when getting kids to use templates that I have already created for them. Of course there is the possibility that students do harm purposely or accidentally because they have access to everyone’s files. Fortunately nothing like that had ever happened…until…that day.

A student (accidentally) deleted everything in my folder-including yearbook pages. I immediately contacted the IT department who was able to get all of the stuff back up until the last few hours. Unfortunately, this meant two classes’ open house projects were gone. In our set-up, I was unable to lock or hide folders. There was really nothing I could have done other than back up everything locally, but isn’t that the whole reason we save to the server?  Apparently the IT department had previously tried to convince the administrators to give all the students their own username and passwords, however they felt it unnecessary and unsafe. This is what happens when technology decisions are made by those unfamiliar with technology.

So if this is the problem, what is the solution?  I think it is time to give students the tools necessary to save all of their work online in the cloud.  In many districts, online storage websites are blocked.  I assume it is because students could access inappropriate or dangerous materials and/or hurt the system.  I had a student delete an entire yearbook using the “safe” method.

There are many reasons to give students access to online storage.  First, students can access their work at home and thus extend the learning time.  Second, teachers can access the student work at home in the same way.  Third, there would be no more concern about losing data, especially when many online storage sites keep all known drafts of a document.  Fourth, the IT department would not have to be concerned with maintaining a server full of student work.  It would allow them to focus on more important responsibilities.  Finally, it is cheaper.  IT departments should not have to deal with something as inane as finding my student essays that were accidentally deleted.  Online storage has to be cheaper than having physical server space set aside for student and teacher work.

Technology is a tool.  We cannot treat it like a weapon.  Tools can hurt as much as weapons, but they can also help if people are taught how to use them correctly.  That is why it’s time to send the kids to the clouds.

Here are some of my favorite online storage sites.

getdropbox.com – This is an app on your computer that automatically syncs anything you save locally to your “Dropbox” folder online.  It keeps all previous versions of documents too.  Free account has 2GB of storage.

drop.io – You can get a dedicated drop.io/ URL for anything you upload.  You can even call in or email information to your “drop.”

mobileme – I am a mac guy.  You save things on your local iDisk and it automatically goes up into the clouds.  You can also upload to your me.com account for PC users.

jungledisk – They have an app that you run locally and it automatically backs up using amazon.com’s S3 storage.

Lifehacker comparison of online storage sites.

Unfortunately, many teachers do this with their computers, and they do not use the power of their macs.  These expensive and powerful computers are often used to find information on the internet and take AR tests. Many teachers and the students do not create the multimedia projects for which macs were intended.  They never use imovie, iweb, or garageband.  They simply use them for students to play learning games online, research information, and take AR tests.  All of this can be done using a much simpler platform, especially in the lower elementary grades.  It is a waste of money to have a $2000 imac being used to surf the internet when a $300 netbook will serve those purposes.

I am not proposing getting rid of macs in schools.  Instead, I am proposing that schools and teachers closely examine their use of technology in the classroom.  If it is discovered that some teachers are using their computers to visit websites and do internet-based activities, give them netbooks.  Macs should be used together with cheaper netbooks.  Use the netbooks for simple word processing and internet-based assignments.  Use the macs for the creative and multimedia projects.  My enthusiasm for macs is still as strong as ever, but macs in education should be used for what they were intended.  If they are not being used to create, then use a cheaper netbook instead.

More links and information:

• The Netbook Effect article from Wired magazine
• Wikipedia article on netbooks
• Netbooks in education blog post
• ISTE post: “A netbook for every student?”
• The Netbook Project in Australia

I am a 5th grade teacher in Southern California.  I’m not in charge of a computer lab or technology in my school.  I am just a regular teacher that sees the power of technology and uses it as much as possible to help my students succeed.  There is no hidden agenda with my wanting to use google.  I am not even a google certified teacher.  Google apps are simply easy to use, powerful, and best of all-FREE!  These are some simple ways schools and teachers that are not techies can use google to do things they already do, better.

Elementary students that use computers for word processing hardly ever use or need all of the bells and whistles of Microsoft Word or Excel.  Yes it is cool to find that special font, but not when it has taken your student ten minutes to find a font when they could have been actually completing the assignment.  Google docs has most of the necessary formatting options, which is enough for elementary students to still be creative and get the job done.  Students are still able to make all of the cool stuff teachers want like graphs, tables, flyers, brochures, and reports.  But google allows them to take it to the next level.  For example, google allows for multiple students to collaborate on the same document.  Many elementary teachers want students to work in collaborative groups, but they dread the fact that students may fool around and waste time.  Instead of working side-by-side, students can write together in their own space.  This increases time on task, but does not lessen the collaboration.  Also, students and teachers can see who did what in the document.  No more freeloaders getting the A they don’t deserve.  Elementary students often forget to save or don’t save correctly.  Google automatically saves.  That’s enough for me.

The biggest reason for schools to use google apps is the sharing and collaborating aspect of their tools.  Teachers, students, and parents can access their work from anywhere.  Instead of waiting until that big packet comes home weekly or monthly, give parents a link.  For bigger projects, check on them on an ongoing basis to make sure no one is waiting until the last minute.  For deparmentalized teaching, grade books with google docs can be automatically updated whenever there are changes so that the principal or home room teacher can have access to the most current data.  With the opportunity to make forms, teachers can make tests that automatically populate a spreadsheet.  Then the answers can be graphed and analyzed to see what needs to be retaught.  Now this information can be published or sent to the principal, parents, or other necessary people.

I know that the google suite of apps can do a lot more than this.  There are many more creative ways to use the products, but this is just how I think regular non-techy teachers and schools could use it for things they already do.  I know these are simple ways, but my hope is that those that may be anti-technology can see the value google apps can have for them.  In case you forgot, it is FREE!!!

Links to info and resources on using google docs in the classroom:

• http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html
• http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=ddnctvgt_170cbskvf68&skipauth=true
• http://sites.google.com/site/ctapvworkshops/Home/wikis/google-docs-in-the-classroom
• http://themediaspot.org/blog/google_docs_k5_word_processing
• http://www.azk12.org/blog/archives/29-Getting-Started-with-Google-Docs.html