DTL- Cloud Initiation- Reflect

Image taken from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/catspyjamasnz/5205995052/

                                                             Create a PLN and share your cloud with them.

  There are many ways and sites to create a professional learning network(PLN) on.  Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, and Google are just a few options.  PLNs provide each other with ideas, new information, professional development opportunities, and collaboration on ideas on how to make education better for students, and so much more.  Another great option on how to create a PLN is by connecting with other professionals in cloud-based websites such as Diigo.  The groups on Diigo provide professionals the opportunity to collaborate why sharing documents and links on their clouds.

There are many advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing.  

Advantages

• Well organized resources.
• Capability to tag your resources to easily search them on most clouds
• Upload capability of videos, documents and more on most clouds.
• Bookmarking websites is easy.
• The ability to access documents saved, on the go.
• Tools available to organize media on the clouds in many different ways.
• Ability to share most cloud with others.

Disadvantages

• Some clouds won't let you upload documents in different formats(such as word documents).
• More passwords and usernames to remember for most clouds.  I have too many as it is.  :)
• I have a fear of the cloud I am using to be obsolete someday, and I will loose all the documents and links I saved.
• Can't cross clouds.   It would be nice to save 1 site on 2 different clouds.  For example, if I wanted to share a website in my personal cloud and my classroom cloud, I would have to upload them seperately.

DTL- Cloud Computing and You Reflection

https://www.flickr.com/photos/linhngan/2580325511/
Find the rainbow in the clouds.

  Cloud computing is a outstanding way to organize documents, pictures, websites, videos, music, and more.  Cloud computing is a useful tool for students to use inside and outside the classroom.  Students can save links to your favorite pictures, searches, and stories.  On several clouds, user are able to upload their own documents and media files.  This would be a great place for students that enjoy doing art, photography, and creating things to store pictures of their completed work or even the process of completing their work.

    Students can be more efficient using the cloud in many ways.  One of my favorite clouds that I use is Dropbox.  I have been using Dropbox recently for students to pool the stories we have read in class, images of their Word Their Way studies that they did using Padlet, and documents that they have created that they want to share with me or others.  Dropbox can also be used for students to save worksheets they completed digitally on their iPads or tablets.  The other great thing about Dropbox is that is so easy for students to access.  Students and teachers can access their Dropbox or a shared Dropbox through the website or through applications on the PCs, smartphones, and tablets.

    A cloud computing tool that I use will use personally is Diigo.  I love this cloud because I can add documents, links, and images on this cloud.  I think this would be one of the easiest ways to share professional journals, activities I have done in and outside the classroom, and so much more with others.  To share information, I would just give them the link to my Diigo page.  The other great thing about Diigo is the wide variety of groups you can join to learn more about topics that interest with you.  Who doesn't want to having a bigger personal learning network?  Diigo is just another was to connect with other educators.  Diigo would be a great tool for anyone, personally or professionally.
    I have just started using Dropbox to help me share documents with students.  I will continue using Dropbox to share books that I am reading with my students.  I also would like to get some applications on the iPads for students to complete their worksheets from their iPads and drop their completed worksheets back into the dropbox.  I also would like my students to be able to create videos on their iPads to show what they have learned and share them on Dropbox with each other.