Hearing the word "cloud", many suggest thatit is a product of the condensation of water vapor moving along the celestial vault. But the phrase "cloud technologies in education" is associated not with natural phenomena, but with the use of computer technology.
The essence of cloud technology
They became possible after a powerful developmenthardware. Day by day there is an increase in the power of computer processors, there is a modernization of the multi-core architecture, an increase in the volume of the hard disk. In addition, faster and more widely become Internet channels.
Cloud technologies in education are a set of software and hardware, thanks to which processing and execution of customers' requests is ensured.
Variants of application of modern cloud technologies
For example, if you do not want to wearyou can put the information you need in the "electronic cloud". If necessary, you can easily find in the virtual store those pictures or files that you need. This application of cloud technologies in education is only gaining momentum so far. The reason for such a slow implementation is that not all teachers are able to use the Internet capabilities in the proper amount. Currently, many users have already appreciated the possibility of remote storage of their files in such virtual storage. The number of them is constantly increasing, so you can choose exactly the storage that you like the most, it will be more convenient for use, affordable for use.
The use of "clouds" in the process of teaching students
Cloud technologies in education are newa paradigm that involves distribution, remote processing, storage of certain information. The essence of them is in the absence of the need to install on your personal computer a huge number of different programs. In order to search for information, you need access to the Internet. You will be able to access your files, being absolutely anywhere in the world. The use of cloud technologies in education allows teachers to save material resources on the acquisition of equipment, the constant updating of software.
Comparison of cloud and traditional technologies
Let's start with the fact that modern educationalpedagogical technologies are aimed at improving the quality of education. In connection with the development of inclusive education, teachers are forced to increase their computer literacy, to apply a variety of information and communication technologies with remote training of children. In the traditional form, classical email is used. First, the teacher downloads the student's letter, saves it, reads the information after running this program. Cloud technologies in education allow using browser mail. The teacher gets the opportunity to download attachments, for example, the control work of a schoolboy, read the letters on any computer that has access to the World Wide Web. Students have long been actively using cloud technologies in education. For example, they download music files, computer games to the repository. In addition, in the virtual library you can place electronic textbooks. At the moment there are many servers where you can transfer data with good image quality. For example, the teacher places electronic textbooks, sends them to the student. When doing homework, the child can use the video, audio, available in the book. Such electronic textbooks for a child do not need to be worn in a portfolio, to be handed over to the library after the completion of the course on this subject.
Office cloud applications
They are now quite a lot, sowe will dwell only on some of them. Most often you have to use electronic presentations, spreadsheets, text editor. The disadvantage is that you have to transfer information from a working computer to your home PC. In this case, you have to use devices to check the work of students on the move, send letters. There is also such a problem as the compatibility of computer equipment. In addition, the hard drive of the computer is designed for a limited amount of memory. If you upload 3-4 quality films to it, it will quickly fill up, and for books, manuals, photographs, there simply will not be room left. There is one more problem - the licensing of programs. In order to use them, we have to look for additional material resources. Cloud storage is optimal for performing joint projects. All members of the group have the ability to simultaneously search for information to make changes to the shared file that is in the cloud storage.
Electronic Diaries
In the modern school there is no longer any customary paperjournals for which the teacher spent time. There were also electronic diaries, which replaced their paper ancestors. Now the teacher can present the current, quarterly, annual estimates, while at home. In addition, electronic diaries can be viewed by the student's parents, receive notifications of the exhibited marks, made by the class teacher comments to their beloved child. Login to the teacher's personal office is performed from any device, you just need to enter a password and login. Inside the virtual teacher's office there are a lot of opportunities for sharing experiences, publishing their materials, communicating with colleagues. There is also a student's private office, in which the child can see homework assignments, current grades, class teacher's and teacher's announcements. If necessary, you can write through the feedback to the child a message in which to indicate the disadvantages, suggest a new homework, explain the mark in detail.
The use of "clouds" in distance education
Many teachers believe that the use of "cloudtechnologies "is a laborious process, and therefore they try not to use them in their work, but their fears are completely vain. For the remote teacher it is especially important to use Google documents. "Cloud technologies" are quite accessible to ordinary users. The main concept of such technologies is the storage and processing of information by web servers, with the result the user receives using a web browser. Thanks to the special controls of the web page, the owner has the opportunity not only to make some information, but also to edit it on his own personal computer. The reason for such a strange name ("cloud") is the designation on computer schemes of remote services in the form of a cloud.
What can a remote educator do with the help of such technologies?
Using the documents of the "Google" system, any remote teacher can perform the following actions:
- create summaries of lessons, carry out their editing;
- work with tables;
- to make bright and colorful electronic presentations for lessons;
- Edit photos.
The teacher uses the disk space of the provider to place copies of lessons, presentations.
Work algorithm
First you need to open the main pagesystem "Google", select the link "more" in the right part, and in the appeared additional menu find the section "Documents". Once you are on your page, you can immediately start writing a text document.
You will see a special menu in whichyou can choose the font size, its slope, color, insert one or more photos or pictures. You can perform various actions with the help of which you get text that will be convenient for reading to the child:
- choose the color of the text,
- highlight the main points in italics or in bold;
- insert in the document hyperlinks to Internet sources;
- make the listing as a list.
It is also convenient that you can print the createdtext document, printing it out previously for printing. No difficulties in working with textual documents "Google" no. In the framework of joint work together with the pupil the teacher introduces changes and additions to the material. You can create presentations using the Google system for remote lessons by using the "Presentation" option in the additional menu.
An example of methodical development with the help of cloud storage
Product theme: "Presentation on the choice of energy-saving lamps" (8 class).
Purpose of creation:Expansion of the student’s knowledge of the practical significance of the properties of electric current. To create this software product, you need to register on Google, use the Google presentation system.
Method of application of this product (interdisciplinary use).
This product can be used when fixingThemes 6 “Electric current and its actions” (lesson — Use of electric energy in everyday life, nature and technology) according to the program Perushkin A.V. Physics. 8th grade.
"Гугл Хром", поддерживающий корректные действия с document service for remote teachers has become a real boon. To begin with, the teacher is registered in the Google search system, following all the instructions that appear on the computer monitor. Next, the first text document is created, which includes the text of the task on the subject for a remote student.
Conclusion
Cloud technologies actively implemented ineducational process, allow to facilitate the work of the teacher, to increase the cognitive interest among schoolchildren. Informatization of education is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of new federal state standards, an opportunity for the child’s self-development. Thanks to ICT, the teacher can follow the development of the child, his individual educational trajectory is executed. Such technologies help to overcome geographical, social, political. Currently, cloud storage is actively used by distance teachers, but in a regular school, they are still viewed with suspicion.
