Get Your Head in the Cloud!Cloud Computing and Open Source Tools for Teachers
Presented by Kevin Pitts and Jennifer Peters-LiseTeaching and Learning with Technology Day
March 1, 2010 | Markham Campus
Cloud Computing and Open Source?
Cloud = InternetComputing = applications you would use on a computer:
Office software, Web pages, Quizzes, Video creating/editing It's like moving your computer software and storage online.No downloading, updating/upgrading - you just visit a website to create and save.Open Source = computer software for which the source code is freely available
programmers will often modify and build upon
Jafari, McGee, Carmean (2006)
Cloud Computing - yea!Increased collaboration - can even edit together in real time
Increased sharing - anyone can access or just users you identify Files are hosted online for you - you don't have to worry about finding server space Portable - don't have to save your work onto a flash drive just sign in to the website and it's thereIn many applications you can revert to a previous version if there are any issues
Cloud Computing - boo!
Software can be clunky and pared downSome providers are unreliable (lost files)Work is stored on someone else's server which could cause issues (e.g. The Patriot Act)Editing a document with others could be risky
how much can you trust them?
Open Source - yea!
it's freecan be as good or better than proprietary softwareless restrictions (EULA, DRM) - you can use the software in any wayenable "unlimited tuning and improvement of a software product" (source)
Open Source - boo!
might be a bit tricky for novice users (installing, updating, lack of help documentation, etc.)might be buggy (but anything can be buggy, remember Windows Vista?)no tech support to call software might be clunky and pared down
How we used cloud and open source tools for Tech Day
Wordpress
Google forms
SeneMA
Some popular tools...Google
Google DocsWord processing, Slides, Spreadsheets, Forms (for quizzes, surveys, invitations, etc)
Gmail, CalendarMaps, EarthSky
OpenOfficeWord processingSlidesSpreadsheets
Wordpresswebpagewebsitee-portfolio
SlideSharepost your slides online
Flickr, Photobucket post your photos online
SeneMa,YouTube, Vimeo, TeacherTube, etc.
post your videos onlineVoiceThread, Yahoo Media Player, etc.
post your voice online Skype
communicate onlinePBWorks
wikis, collaborative sites
More tools...Moodle
course management system (like Blackboard but open source)
Audacityvoice recording and editing
Screencast-O-Matic, Jing, CamStudio,
screencasts - create a demo from your computer
Project Gutenberg, Google Books
free ebooks
UStreambroadcast live
Animotocreate a video in 5 min
SchoolForgelinks to many open source tools for teachers
Bloggercreate a class blog or webpage
Tools for TeachingGroup Collaboration
WiggioNingFacebook
Blogging/Micro-BloggingWordpressBloggerTwitter
CMSMoodleSakai
VideoYouTube/TeacherTubeSeneMA
Web ConferencingWiZiQYugma
ePortfolioMahara
Content/Learning ObjectsMerlotGoogle/Google BooksProject GutenbergGoogle BooksOpen CoursewareAcademic EarthWikipedia TED CLEA
