November 2009
M T W T F S S
« Oct   Dec »
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  

Slua Slides

Get the Flash Player to see the slideshow.

Archives

Awards Received

Scoilnet - Star Site
eTwinning - Quality Label
eTwinning - European Quality Label
eTwinning Award - Runner-up

  • Total Stats
    • 12 Authors
    • 774 Posts
    • 13 Pages
    • 448 Comments
    • 275 Comment Posters
    • 151 Links

Stop Press!

  • Apple Digital Bootcamp - 2010-08-23 18:22:57 -

    I have just finished my first day of three at the Apple Digital Bootcamp being held in Alexandra College, Milltown, Dublin. It was a long day 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. filled will hands-on practical workshops. The event was organised by the INTO with the full support of Apple Ireland. Typetec ltd supplied the Apple hardware to the PC community. Both primary and post-primary teachers are being fast-tracked by experts through podcasting, animation, digital photography, videography, music, etc. I can't wait for tomorrow - if I can get up in the morning.

    - #
  • WeatherPixie is under the weather - 2010-08-07 15:43:04 -

    The WeatherPixie.com has been experiencing server trouble for the last 6 months and is in need of pixie dust. It was definitely down at the end of February as it was pointed out to me in some of my birthday greetings.  I have just gone onto the site and it is empty except for a Twitter link for @weatherpixieHQ .  Judging from the last tweet on March 7th nothing else seems to be happening. Bearing that in mind I am going to retire WeatherPixie from the sidebar until further developments have taken place on the site.

    - #
ted.com
www.flickr.com
slua's items Go to slua's photostream

2006 eTwinning

Camara

CESI

Locations of visitors to this page

This Blog/Podcast site is designed to be viewed in 1280 x 800 or lower resolution using a broadband connection.

podsafe music network

LetsHost

www.flickr .com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos and videos from slua. Make your own badge here.

Gathering Clouds

I have just read Simon Lewis’s atricle Heads in the Cloud on his blog Anseo.net and he has managed to rekindle my interest in Google Apps as a viable administrative resource suite for schools. Simon is the tech-savvy principal (headteacher) of a primary school located in County Carlow, Ireland. The “heads” referred to in the article’s title refer to teachers in general and not only to Heads.

The most important consideration to take on board when embarking on any all encompassing venture like Google Apps is the support or the lack of same from the staff. Such an endeavour should not be bourne by one or two members of the staff. Unfortunately, many staff members view the provision and maintenance of IT infrastructure as a labour of love and leave it to the few. Google Apps flourishes when everybody participates.

Of course when everyone does get hooked and the archived content begins to accumuluate the ogre of storage charges will raise its ugly head. There is also the possibility that throughput  and download tiered costings could become a reality sooner than later. Bloggers, podcasters and anyone who uses a multimedia storage and retrieval service is already a cloud user. WordPress, YouTube, Flickr, to name but a few.

A further concern in the case of Google Apps is the host company’s constant crawling and trawling of content for commercial opportunities and market research purposes. No system is invulnerable! Powerful regimes and the opportunity to gain a significant market share are already calling the shots in relation to content and privacy issues. One only has to look at China as a case in point. Whos is to say that heretofore private content may be not no private after all.

I digress! Simon’s comprehensive article covers everyday school admin chores tackled by cloud computing solutions.  The “electronic roll book” should prove to be a boon for hassled teachers at the end of term. The Learning Support Booster Sessions sounds great but I have not worked out the timetabling / logistics yet.

The article is very positive and practical in nature. It is also one of the most concise and empowering pieces I have seen in a long time.

Click HERE to check it out for yourself.

11 comments to Gathering Clouds

  • C . Moran

    Nice one Joe. Thanks for the link to Anseo. Unfortunately, the average age on our staff is 41 and the IT person is 55 so I think it will all pass us by.

  • W Bonafonte

    It is obvious from reading the post on the Google Blog that other major internet companies have been screwed but have not admitted it. Yahoo and Hotmail are very silent! I am amazed they havent come out and said all is well to reassure users and investors. maybe the truth would impact on their stock ratings. Wall Street still comes first.

  • Paul Wheeler

    Excellent article on Anseo. Cloud computing is the way of the future. Are there teacher-to-teacher courses available in Dublin or online?

  • Gina G

    Hi.I am concerned as my junior high has invested a lot of time and effort into setting up the school on Google Apps. It has dominated a lot of discussion. This negative scenario came up again and again. Is our data secure? Are we safe now?

  • Lisa Byrne

    The Anseo post is excellent and very applicable to the irish education scene. How difficult is it to set up?

  • Vera J

    Thank you for the link. It was so easy to read and full of ideas for everyday use. I always shy away from organised groups. I might join one just to vote.

  • L.Hayes

    I normally visit this site for audio tips and links. The Google Apps link was spot on. He has my vote.

  • Maurice Wall

    Did you know something we didn’t know. You hit the nail on the head. Google has just announced a major breach of security originating from China. Have a look at this http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

  • Sean Kinsealla

    I voted! Great overview of what is possible if the will is there.

  • Saurabh Gupta

    Thank for this inspiring link. He also talks of his wife in his writings. A great team of educators. Inspiring

  • Carmel L

    Nice Link All praise to Simon but again I have to say he is a man who obviously has the support of his staff and more importantly his partner.

    I am the IT person in my school because no one else will take it on. I never heard of cloud computing until this article.

    Is there any chance for us non-techies.

Additional comments powered by BackType