Mirriam-Webster defines cloud computing as "the practice of storing regularly used computer data on multiple servers that can be accessed through the Internet." As a public school teacher, I have been using a cloud computing platform with my students for years. We occasionally used Google Classroom to share information with students and facilitate group projects. Now that teachers are forced to teach remotely due to COVID-19, we are using it as the main platform for teaching. However, our use is still didactic and I feel as though I'm being replaced by Khan Academy and other learning resources. More than ever, I feel that educational institutions are missing the opportunity to truly shift to a more social learning format. Instead, it is even more "teacher presented" as students work independently and teachers can't possibly provide feedback to all since we are not set up with the data analytics to support mass teaching via cloud computing. So much of what I am reading about is playing out daily in my classroom. I believe this new structure offers great opportunity to differentiate learning, as I can discretely assign tasks according to student needs and then students could come back together in a social way to address their learning through discussion forums. Yet, I don't have the curricular materials to support any of this yet, so it often feels tragic. I also feel limited by school district concerns over student privacy online. See this research regarding privacy concerns with cloud computers: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1001&context=clip.

There is also the need to teach students the proper way to be a user of this tech and they are not there yet. Perhaps our current "crash course" in using tech will open the doors to more innovative and reflexive practices. In fact, the students may be the greatest push in that direction if we open ourselves to hearing them. Students are asking me to offer video conference lessons, but the district has said it is not equitable because not all students have access to the technology. (see article on equity with technology). Further, read this commercial perspective on the lack of IT vision in our educational institutions: https://www.computerweekly.com/tip/Cloud-computing-in-education-How-moving-to-the-cloud-can-help-schools. The students are ready for this but our institutional structures hold us back. There are so many constraints but this is a step in a tech direction, at least.