automatically. Update a file, and your Dropbox is automatically updated, as long as you are online, with no buttons to remember to click. Better yet, you can share folders within your Dropbox with other users, so that when you add something to the folder, it automatically appears in the folders of the people with whom you shared that folder. As a teacher, you can create folders for each of your students, so any files you share will automatically go to them. You can also give folders “read only” or “read and write” privileges, so you can create a “readings” folder (or anything else you want to share with a group, rather than copy to individual folders), and students can get these items immediately, no matter where they are.


Dropbox lets you create folders that can be shared with the entire class, as in the top folders, or individual students.


that lets you store and share notes of any sort online, and keep them in the cloud for easy retrieval anytime you are connected to the Internet. Just like Instapaper, it also has plug-ins for your web browser that let you grab a whole web page to save to your account. Just as easily, you can grab clips of a page by highlighting them and then hitting “Clip to Evernote” button on the browser. Once you have these stored in your account, you can easily share them with individuals or groups, and can provide any number of “tags” to these items to help you find them among your other files. And, if you are too lazy to tag your files, you can use Evernote’s search function to search your notes, where it scans the text of the articles or notes for your search term. And, if you want to create a PDF file of the article you are sending to Evernote, just hold down the Shiſt button on your keyboard while you click your browser’s Evernote button. Since Evernote allows you to have contacts and groups tied to your account, you can just send that article right to your third period history class, or whoever you want within the class.


Dropbox works a little differently, but is equally, if not more effective, especially if your students have access to computers or other devices on their own. Dropbox creates a folder on your computer that gets copied to Dropbox’s cloud storage servers


MACULJOURNAL |


Managing Assessment Tis use of Dropbox leads to the greater challenge of managing the assessment process. Rather than having to open individual student folders on a shared disk somewhere, edit the document with your comments, and then place each document back in their folder, you can use Dropbox to manage the process. Create a folder for each student in your class, as shown in the picture. You can go into the file, open a file whenever you want (once files are synchronized on your computer, you can read them anywhere and at any time) and assess the student’s work. You can create a new file of any type, including an audio recording, and place it in the student’s Dropbox folder. Tey can get the file at any time, and because the Dropbox can discriminate whose folder is shared with whom, you don’t have to worry about other students seeing that feedback.


Evernote, the other Swiss-army knife tool of the cloud, also lets you handle this type of assessment, albeit in a slightly different manner. Here, you can use the audio notes feature of the Evernote apps on your iPod or other handheld device, and record your comments. Tese can get posted online to your account, and immediately shared with your student - all from your computer or cell phone. See, who knew managing assessment could be so easy?!?


Stephen Best leads outreach and professional development efforts in science, mathematics, engineering and technology at the University of Michigan. He is director of the statewide “Investigate the State” project and several other statewide efforts and can be reached at sdbest@ umich.edu.


Fall 2011 |


The Cloud in Your Hand By Stephen Best


There are a number of very good reasons to consider cloud-based tools in your classroom or school as an alternative to stand-alone software that you need to license and install on each computer. In addition to the financial considerations, as well as the wonderful collaborative features of so many of these sites, one of the main reasons to make the move is because of the portable nature of these services. Many Web 2.0 sites and services now make mobile applications that let you use these tools on iPods, iPads, smartphones (both Android, iPhone, and others), and whatever new platforms are coming out in the near future. This functionality is not only useful for classrooms that are using these tools (or a “Bring your own technology” approach that lets students use tools that they already own), but it is also forward thinking, recognizing that more online content and work are being done on these devices. Many of the services mentioned in this article, such as Dropbox, Evernote, Diigo, and Instapaper, have their own apps for multiple platforms.


When you are looking at the range of any particular cloud-based services or tools to use for your classroom or school, one consideration is, “How would I use this tool on an iPod or other such device?” Even if you don’t have these devices in your classroom now, you should consider this for a couple reasons. One is the possibility that your school, or at least your students on their own, might use these tools to support their learning.


The second equally important


reason is whether the company providing the service is thinking about this audience. If they aren’t changing with the times and developing these tools, they are likely not going to be around long enough for you to use their wonderful services next year or beyond!


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