February 21, 2010
Operation Simplification
I joined the “Teaching with Technology” group on ECN and I came across a post entitled Cloud-Based Storage Options. I had never heard of “cloud-based storage,” so I decided to check the post out. Essentially, the cloud is a metaphor for the internet – and depending on the needs of a user, a lot of information storage can be done on the net. Not to mention, services like this allow users to sync multiple computers as well as smartphones – in other words, these services allow a user to access their important documents no matter where they may be without relying on jump drives and e-mail. Jonathan Siegal, the author of the ECN post suggests four different cloud-based storage providers: Dropbox, Evernote, Skydrive, and Google Docs. I have worked with Google Docs, but I was unfamiliar with the other three services. After a little researching and some praise from Mr. Siegal, I decided to sign up for Evernote. Why? Because the opening of his post seemed to be directed at me.
“Whenever I see students or teachers carrying around thumb drives or emailing files to themselves, I wonder if they know about cloud-based storage options. For those that don’t know, cloud-based storage options allow you to store your files on a website so that you can access them from anywhere. “
I am guilty of the above – when I know I need to work on something and I can’t find my flashdrive my first instinct is ‘oh I’ll just e-mail that to myself.’ Not anymore.
Evernote allows you to store a variety of files ranging from documents to photos and even web pages. It also allows you to organize and tag your information so that you can easily search for it later.
I plan on spending some time playing around with Evernote to figure out all the ways that I can utilize it, but I have a feeling that I will never be e-mailing myself a file again, and if nothing else, that is a plus.
Jason Whitney said,
February 23, 2010 at 9:38 AM
I definitely want to get the cloud storage going, since I use a desktop at home and a laptop on the road, and I would like to have everything synch up. Plus it’s good backup (someone once told me that the only real backup is an offsite backup — whereas my time machine drive is right next to my computer.)
kimcuppett said,
February 26, 2010 at 10:08 AM
After reading your emodo post, and now reading this post, I see that you’re a fan of the EC Ning as well as the web-based tools. If you check out one of my latest blogs, I posted a few tools/resources I found on the Ning. I’m also working on a blog about which website is the best for creating a classroom website.
Flash Drives, Cloud Based Storage, and Headaches « Bri Rafferty's Blog said,
March 13, 2010 at 11:09 PM
[...] The first thing I did was begin backing up my files. After some further exploration into Evernote and Dropbox, I realized that Evernote was not exactly what I had expected. I ended up using Dropbox to back [...]
Me and My PLN: A Self-Evaluation « Bri Rafferty's Blog said,
March 31, 2010 at 4:04 PM
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