Chap. 31

I may be showing my age a bit here but the first time I went through WMU we had huge mainframes that stored all the data from the classes that were taught. The computer stations were just keyboards and monitors and enough computing power to send information to the mainframe. All data was stored in one location; gee that sounds very much like the chapter we just read. As the technology was improved and components got smaller we had the boom in personal computers, where all the data was stored in one location except it was a very specific place with very limited ways to share information. Along comes the internet and we are back to the "mainframe concept" curiously called data farms where huge amounts of information are stored in one central location again. The difference is that this time the data needs to be "secure" and it can be manipulated and used by many different people inside an organization. In the small school district where I work the pricipals all have to put together an annual report for their building, much of the information is the same and some is specific to the building. With the school district data all stored in one central location the pricipals can access whatever they need to prepare their report. This also allows for the sharing of duties, for example, one person may be good at charts so they can make all the Excel charts for the district and another person can do the paragraph writing portion. Storing all the information in one location allow all the principals access to everything they need to produce the report.
Our school uses Study Island as a tool for kids to practice standard assessment test taking. This is program also uses central location data storage. Exactly where that data is stored I'm not sure but the program is internet based so the data is out there somewhere lurking in cyber space. Or perhaps it is stored on our in school servers and the program is accessed over the web. Regardless it is another example of data storage in one central location and access to the program can be from anywhere in the world.

The activity I liked best from this course was the lesson on screen casting. I believe I will be able to use this tool in the classes I teach, therefore it becomes a valuable asset to me and to my students. It will allow them another avenue for learning. As we all know some kids learning by hearing instructions, some by seeing things done, others by doing and trying an activity. The screen casts will allow me to add a different dimension to my students learning. If I store the information on a web site then they will have access to it for as long as they can remember the web site address. Another advantage I see is that the other technology teachers in the district will have access to the information. We can then update or add to our knowledge base as the need arises.