Cloud Storage: Definition, advantages and disadvantages

Hi everyone!

Today we are going to speak about cloud storage servers. Do you know what they are?

A cloud storage server is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host user files. It allows users to upload files that could then be accessed over the internet from a different computer, tablet, smart phone or other networked device, by the same user or possibly by other users, after a password or other authentication is provided (Wikipedia).

Advantages and disadvantages

On the one hand, regarding its advantages:

1. It allows us to storage our files and access them wherever we are, as long as we have internet connection. This means that we could be working on something at home, go on a trip, and continue working on that if we have internet in our destination.
2. It makes it much easier to work in teams, as several people can create, and share and work on a document or sets of documents or storage all the documentation and important files of the team project in a shared online folder.
3. It enables us to synchronize our devices and automatically share our documents/photos/videos, etc. from our smartphone to our laptop or computer or tablet. It is an easy and fast method of having all our useful files (songs, photos) with us, regardless the device we have in our hands.

On the other hand, a cloud has also a number of disadvantages:

1. Security: even though protection and privacy is one of these companies’ greatest concerns, it has become very common to read in the news that a famous person account has been hacked (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/27/pippa-middleton-takes-high-court-action-after-icloud-photos-hack/). As a result, even though these companies promise again and again that their servers are secure, there is always the possibility of a skilled hacker getting your information.
2. Most of the cloud storage companies have a storage limit in the free version. Therefore, you need to decide which files you want to upload and keep in the cloud or pay for more storage.
3. You depend on the internet connection. If you have no connection, therefor you have no access to your data.
4. You will need to download the software in your different devices if you want to link and synchronize your files in all of your devices.

 Cloud utilities used every day

I’m a person who uses a few of these services. I believe dropbox is a very useful tool to keep your files and work with colleagues from other parts of the world. Google drive and docs are also very interesting services that allow to share information and files and to work simultaneously on a specific file. Also, I find the OneDrive service from Microsoft very interesting, similar to dropbox and Google Drive, but with more storage.

Links to pages and resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_hosting_service

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/27/pippa-middleton-takes-high-court-action-after-icloud-photos-hack/

http://bigdata-madesimple.com/5-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-storage/

 http://cloudacademy.com/blog/disadvantages-of-cloud-computing/

http://www.top10cloudstorage.com/advice-article/cloud-computing-disadvantages/

http://www.opencloudmanifesto.org/what-is-cloud-storage-types-advantages-and-disadvantages/22

https://www.thebalance.com/disadvantages-of-cloud-computing-4067218

I hope you have enjoyed this post. See you soon!

Interaction in PE lessons!

Hi again!

Today we are going to speak a little bit about methodology and how to interact with our students and provide interaction situations and opportunities.

As always, we are going to speak from our subject point of view: Physical Education in the Obligatory Secondary Education (ESO). 

What is the methodology I sue in my lessons?

Usually, I like to create real life situations as soon as possible in my lessons in order to help the students realize the usefulness of what they are learning. We usually start by learning some basic actions or skills that are needed to put into practice (for example some technical actions such as passing the ball or hitting the tennis ball with the racket in the different possible ways (with one side, with the other) but I try to make it as practical as possible. For example, instead of repeating sequences of passes, I create a game where passing is the main action and students learn not only how to pass, but when to pass (some decision-making involved).

How do I interact with my students?

As a result of the practical philosophy of my subject, interaction with my students is constant. I usually explain a situation or a problem and I create small groups (3-4 students) that need to solve it by practicing it. I like to go group by group asking how they are doing, giving tips or feedback, or answering any doubts they may have.

Depending on the content, they may also have to work in bigger groups (8 students), or in pairs or individually if they need to learn a persona skill. However, I like asking everyone how is it going and providing feedback about their performance.

In general is a very interactive subject where students are moving all the time, they are speaking to one another and debating and solving motion situations by interacting with each other.

List learning and teaching strategies to promote interaction in class. Advantages and disadvantages.

• By organising them by pairs of students. While one is performing the action, their partner is giving him/her some feedback about the performance. 
• Advantages: they become responsible because they have to correct their partner, in that way they also learn how to carry out the exercise. 
• Disadvantages: students are not always capable of correcting their partner’s mistakes. The teacher needs to be paying attention and helping everyone.

• Creating small groups and giving them a problem to solve (let’s see which group is able to get to the other part of the gym with the least amount of points: each foot = 4 points, each hand or knee = 2 points). 
• Advantages: they develop not only physical skills, but also social, cognitive and emotional skills. They interact with their equals and share and contrast opinions. 
• Disadvantages: this type of activity is not possible always, the content needs to be adequate for this.

• Giving them some freedom to regulate and decide the rules in order to increase everyone’s participation. For example, in groups of 8 students, organise yourselves to play volleyball (4 vs 4), but you need to create your own rules in order to make the activity funnier and increase everyone’s participation: “ok, we are going to allow 4 passes within the team, or we are going to allow to catch the first ball, or we are going to allow to bounce once, or we are going to make a rule that before passing the ball to the other side, people from both sex (a boy and a girl) need to touch the ball) 

• Advantages: very practical and real-life: they need to discuss and make agreements among themselves.
• Disadvantages: sometimes they agree to change the rules so much that they are not developing the skills you were planning at the beginning.

• Adapting the rules of the official games and sports in order to improve the quality of the practice: I’m not interested in them learning soccer, but in them learning how to cooperate with their teammates to score a goal. Therefore, only two touches on a row are allowed per person.
• Advantages: it is a teaching way to improve interaction and participation.
• Disadvantages: students that perform well the real sport may complain.

An this is all for now, I hope you like it!