The Cloud

What is "the cloud"?

"Cloud" is a relatively recent buzzword that refers to sharing resources among a network of computers and other digital devices. This allows storing data and to process information through multiple computers, rather than storing them in a single hard drive. Despite what its name suggests, information is not located anywhere in the air, but rather in a physical infrastructure of servers provided by the cloud service company. Actually, it is quite hard to distinguish the "cloud" from "the internet" as a whole, since both are inseparable and serve a similar function.

Advantages

The main advantage of cloud storage is, of course, convenience. As you don't rely on your local hard drive to store your data, you can access your data from any place you desire, as long as you have an internet connection and your password. This allows you, for example, to work on your project from your office, and then continue it from your home and even from a park, the data always being within your reach.

Moreover, since your data is stored in a remote server, you are less likely to lose it. If your computer burns or you lose your cellphone, your information will always be there, safe in the cloud.

Utilities provided by the cloud

Over time, the concept of the cloud has grown. Nowadays it includes just about any service that can be provisioned quickly via a network connection, often using the Web or mobile applications. This way, besides the basic storage service (provided by Dropbox or Google Drive), a customer could also order up Web hosting in the cloud (Amazon or Rackspace), or consume digital media services such as movies and music on demand in the cloud (Apple iTunes, Amazon, and Netflix),  email (Gmail), or even contract for housing and transportation services (AirBnB or Uber).

Disadvantages

Of course, not everything is fine and dandy. Using the cloud has its risks, the main one being that once you upload something to the cloud, you lose some control over it. Depending on the cloud company's terms of service, your uploaded data may or may not be easily accessible to the police, should they request to do so. Furthermore, the storage servers are liable to be hacked and sensitive information could be leaked. However, it is the responsibility of the company to prevent such eventualities. Finally, if you ever wish to delete your uploaded data, you may find it impossible to do so, as the company may have multiple servers each one of them having a copy of your uploaded information.

A short video explanation

Useful links:

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

https://gizmodo.com/what-is-the-cloud-and-where-is-it-1682276210

https://www.sdxcentral.com/cloud/definitions/what-is-cloud/

Interaction in class

Today I would like to talk about interaction inside the classroom. Interaction is defined as an occasion when two or more people or things communicate with or react to each other. In theory, interaction is essential in the process of learning, in which communication between the teacher and students is paramount. However, in practice, this is not always the case. Traditionally, the role of the teacher was assumed to be that of a transmitter of knowledge, and the students were mere recipients.

But we defend a different kind of approach: that of a bidirectional and interactive method as the best way for teaching and learning.

As for me, I would like to teach Biology in the first year of Bachillerato using the method of CLIL. The term CLIL was coined by David Marsh, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland (1994): "CLIL refers to situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language". So, this means that I'll be teaching the normal Biology subject, as described in the Spanish high school educational curriculum, but in English. In order to fulfil this objective, I would combine the normal classroom lectures with reading recent articles in newspapers, magazines and other publications relevant to our subject, and I would assign my students with the task of writing a commentary composition at home about these articles. Afterwards, each student would read their composition to the rest of the class, and we would all pool together all our ideas and debates would be encouraged.

Learning and teaching strategies:

Here are several strategies for learning and teaching that can promote interaction in class, along with their advantages and disadvantages:

• Games: playing simple word games or even using objects. Having fun can be an important factor in the learning process, but they also require a great deal of creativity from the teacher and sometimes they can be a distraction for the students.
• Discussions and debates: the method that I have just described before. Often revolving around a current issue, these debates may be relevant to the lives of the students, which may arouse the students' interest in participating. On the other hand, some debates may require additional encouragement from the teacher for the students to take part in them.
• Workshops: these activities revolve around a theme, such as cooking or writing. The students are actively working, and the teacher is guiding and helping them, all this done in a shop like atmosphere. This is one of the most interactive activities, as the attention is centred around the student, who actively does things with their own hands, and not merely listening to a lecture. On the other hand, this kind of activity also requires the most creativity from the teacher, good preparation of the class and good planning. It also requires fairly small groups of students (20-25 at the most) for each student to receive proper attention. Also, not all teachers are well suited for teaching workshops, because they are more used to lecturing.
• Presentations: either individually or in groups, students create a presentation in order to expose it in front of the class. This activity fosters teamwork and information research skills and helps to combat stage fright. On the other hand, it may look like a lecture, but done by a fellow student instead of the teacher.
• Explanations and doubts: quite self-explanatory, the students ask questions to the teacher about the current class content. This is the most common form of interaction in class, the simplest one and the one that requires the least amount of preparation. On the other hand, most students require encouragement to ask their questions.
• Correction and feedback: another common form of interaction. The teacher gives feedback on the student's task which in theory allows them to correct their mistakes and learn from them. The only disadvantage that I can think of is that in numerous groups of students, the teacher's attention may be spread too thin to help each student properly.
• Role-playing: allows the students to imagine themselves in certain real-life situations and play their roles. This can be perceived by the students as a game and can be a fun experience, which fosters learning. On the other hand, not all teachers are prepared for such activities.
• Peer-partner learning: a collaborative experience in which students learn from and with each other. Students reflect upon previously taught material by helping peers to learn and, at the same time, develop and hone their social skills. There are two roles in this kind of activity: the doer and the helper. The doer performs a task or answers questions; the helper observes and provides feedback and helping information. On the other hand, this kind of activity requires planning, and most teachers prefer lecturing rather than this kind of activity.