Reasons Why Schools Should Use Cloud Services

Use of Cloud services such as DreamHost, Google, Microsoft and many other suppliers are now common practice among the workforce and general internet populace. However, not many schools have chosen to implement this new technology yet. It would seem appropriate that an institution that requires you to transport information would latch onto this new technology as soon as possible, but this is not the case. Listed below are some reasons why schools should begin to use cloud services as part of their educational plan.

Collaboration

The advantages of cloud services for both students and school staff are very obvious. No longer can students claim that “their dog ate their homework” or they forgot their textbook, because it should be available in an easily accessible digital format. Teachers can also keep better track of their student’s work because cloud services will allow them to carry their work wherever they go.

The collaboration between the students and school staff will be further increased by the use of cloud services and it is quite strange that schools haven’t been actively implementing this new technology yet.

Integration

It isn’t very difficult to integrate cloud services into a school’s system; you can even use it on its own to makes things such as assignment submission and storing notes much quicker and easier. As long as you have a computer, you should be able to download the cloud app and access your files or notes from anywhere with internet access.

Scalability and Cost

One of the biggest arguments against cloud hosting for schools is probably the cost involved. However, we have a Dreamhost coupon you can use to reduce the cost of your cloud service subscription. To be honest, cloud hosting is cheap enough that most if not all schools would be able to afford it.

For the cost of cloud hosting you can get almost infinite scalability (depends on your host) which can increase or decrease depending on the needs of each individual school. We have reached the point in the Age of Information where storing large amounts of data is no longer a problem. And a large user base is already utilizing cloud services without any complaints, so it’s the perfect solution for school data needs.

User Control

If you aren’t familiar with cloud services, there are sharing options and permissions you can set for each file/folder you have in your account. This allows you to make certain files read-only, so they can be read but you can’t edit them.

If utilized correctly this technology has obvious uses inside and outside of the classroom for students and teachers. You can take this one step further and create specific student accounts that have pre-set permissions for even greater control over your school’s cloud service usage.

Big Data

As mentioned before, we’ve reached the point where storing big amounts of data is no longer a problem. Whether you need terabytes or gigabytes worth of data, any adequate cloud host should be able to provide this storage space with no quarrels. Internet speeds are also on-par with the amount of data that needs to be moved, so accessibility is also a non-issue.

It is a wonder why schools haven’t made the move to use cloud services as part of their educational plan. It just makes sense that you should be able to provide data and information at the click of a button when it is needed. School staff and students will all benefit from this technology and it is quite simple to integrate as part of the school’s system. Technology has changed many things in this world, and we are sure schools will be next on the list.

Image courtesy of MDGovpics from Flickr

About the Author: Emma Watson is a freelance writer. She writes on Technology, education and grammar, reality shows and more. For more of her helpful blog posts, please go to PromoCode4Share to see useful tips on various topics