Educational Potential
Investigative Activity
Conduct a brief investigative activity. What cloud does your school use? Where is your data stored, and who is in charge of it?
Steve's school uses two different clouds, for instance, with the Director of Technology in charge of ensuring both locations are managed, easily accessed, and secure. Google is used for teaching materials, classroom access, assignments, etc. MySchool is used to manage personal information, assignment grading, etc.
Conduct your investigation if you are uncertain, and be prepared to share in the discussion.
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
The Cloud can offer methodological solutions to the existing problems in schools, such as teacher shortages and digital deficits, through Constructivism for collaboration and access to resources, Connectivism for networked learning and dynamic content, as well as Cognitivism with interactive simulations and data analytics. Education can harness the power of the Cloud to personalize learning, deliver content, access resources, enable collaboration, store material, and accept assignments. Ubiquitous, asynchronous access for all students, teachers, and administrators with connected devices expands available learning and teaching opportunities. Mobile Inverted Constructivism (MIC) (Chai & Fan, 2016): mobile technology assists flipped classrooms using learning management systems, such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Google Classroom, which are now the expected norm, both in the online and in face-to-face or hybrid environments.
4800% increase in 2019.
65,000 schools utilize.
$5 million USD saved in 1 year.
21 million objects housed.
Digital Literacy
It is important to be aware of the jargon used within the modern world of school and work to have the language tools to participate equitably. Language can be taught through Digital Literacy with words like on-demand, as-needed, pay as you go (PAYG), customer-facing, disaster recovery, real-time, over-provision, etc. Using this vocabulary in context is informed by task based learning (TBL) theories that allow learners to gain essential 21st century skills during the language acquisition process.
(Enterprise Talk)
Cloud Literacy
While digital literacy and online skills have been a target of the educational world for a while, the idea of cloud literacy is somewhat newer. Business organizations and educational settings are raising awareness of cloud storage, educating one's self about data storage and access, and encouraging a cloud-ready environment. People should know where their data is stored and how it may be used.
Many, if not most, individuals and businesses are already using cloud memory. Encouraging readiness is important to tackling challenges and threats and stepping into the strengths and opportunities. In the business world, analysts and leaders suggest ways to promote readiness, such as in this article (Kasam, 2023). As business migrate to the cloud, conducting readiness assessments is a crucial step to a safe and secure transition (Enterprise Talk, 2024).
The Build for Zero Movement
Learning how the cloud can benefit our society is a significant step. Explore one effort here to harness the cloud for good, in this case, the elimination of homelessness. The movement aims to create a collaborative space for communities to work together in the pursuit of this worthy cause (AWS, 2023).
The Information Age and some Complications
We live in a time when information is not just power, it is profit. Data collection for advertising purposes, personal information sold or stolen to strategically target online users. These are realities that educate our citizens about. But life in our knowledge era requires a free and factual flow of information to create, access, and apply solutions to many of the planet's real-world problems. There are challenges and threats, but also strengths and opportunities.
In some cases, social justice may require open information and free-flowing knowledge. Canada's Freedom of Information Act is a recognition that our government should function in a manner that is open with information that is not personal or important for national security. This transparency may be called into question, however, and sometimes individuals act for ethical reasons or profit.
So is the cloud a help or a hindrance? Below are a handful of well-known individuals and agencies who have taken action or are taking action to either share information about the cloud, or uses the cloud to share other information, or takes steps to ensure cloud security.
Some interesting characters and organizations remind us that with the potential of cloud memory in the information age comes risk.
Edward Snowden
Former NSA employee leaked information showing how global governments use Cloud for citizen surveillance
Julian Assange
Founder of Wikileaks relies on Cloud to highlight ethical concerns while protecting privacy of whistleblowers
NSA
NSA released "Top 10 Cloud Security Mitigation Strategies" in 2024 right here. They work to secure data in the cloud.
The cloud presents great educational potential for schools, for students, and for citizens who wish to educate themselves and advocate for a world that is one they will be proud to leave behind. Some of this potential is essential to formal school systems moving forward, and some of the potential lies in our own efforts to manage our cloud data, ensure its security as much as possible and advocate for transparency in data that is best made public rather than hidden.
Cloud memory, cloud data, and cloud literacy can be harnessed for good as we learn to advocate.
Cloud Advocacy
If you are interested in having a say about where cloud memory is moving in the future, and how Canada engages with it, check out the three following opportunities to move towards being an advocate.
Lower your cloud carbon footprint! While there is concern about the IT Industry's emissions, there are steps companies can take to make a difference.
Join one of Canada's committees to advocate for blockchain encryption! The CBC aims to "positively impact the nation through ecosystem development, advocacy, events, research, and education." (CBC, 2024)
Get certified as a cloud practitioner! Learn and practice your own cloud skills, and delve into the world of cloud memory.
Educating Yourself About the Cloud
If we can understand how the cloud is used in our daily lives, and we can harness the strength and opportunity that it offers, the educational potential is notable. Here are three steps that you can take.
AWS views the future of tech as "inclusive, diverse, and accessible." (AWS, 2024). Through their community and their courses, AWS aims to ensure that the cloud is powered by those who represent our world with global representation. Take the course!
If you are excited about the advent and development of AI, and see a future for yourself in the industry, AWS and Udacity offers scholarships for students to immerse themselves in this emerging field. This is delivered online and with cloud memory as an imperative component.
Machine Learning University (MLU) offers a multipart Responsible AI course. "This course is designed to introduce you to several dimensions of Responsible AI with a focus on fairness criteria and bias mitigation."