Ok, so my head is officially in the clouds. Literally! I love it up here! I recall thinking; I really wish I COULD save all my information online so I could keep up with “my stuff.” Lo and behold, I now CAN save my files online and keep up with “my stuff”.  Wait, there is so much more to the cloud than file storage. Let us take a minute to consider a definition of “cloud computing”. Wikipedia says, “The Cloud, often eliminates the need to install and run an application on the user’s own computer, thus alleviating the burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support.” Up here in the cloud, you will find free applications such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and storage that are hosted not on your machine but online "in the cloud" (on some super machine some where).

Imagine the possibilities of integrating the cloud into instruction. I can give you a few of my personal applications of the cloud. In the Cloud I collaborated using Google Docs to update the district’s AUP. PBwiki is where I facilitate some professional development activities. A colleague and I also use PBwiki to concentrate our instructional technology resources. Our students are using SlideShare in their digital portfolios. Finally, my latest discovery, “My Drop Box”, allows me to share and sync documents with multiple computers in addition to saving the documents in my online account. The cloud’s applications and resources are numerous and become cooler everyday! The cloud is a great tool to assist in bridging the digital divide that exists in our educational systems.

So, can you make it in the cloud? "Remember, once you make the choice to let someone else store your information, you've already passed the first safety threshold. The next big question is: How much do you trust the company that now has your information?"  You should be safe if the company is repeatable but always read those privacy statements.

Now, put your head in the cloud!