Christina Erb
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing in elementary education has
introduced new training and labor hours considerations that have resulted in an
increased workload for library staff with little consideration for
compensation. Many schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade have added Chromebooks, iPads, and other devices for students to use for
homework, studying, testing, and other learning purposes – a mix of what
Breeding would call enterprise and vendor-hosted, where both parties
successfully shirk some responsibility for maintenance and training (Breeding,
2019). While the current students in high school are well-versed in figuring
out the cloud-based applications and networked tools, that knowledge is developed
in primary school where stressed librarians and library media assistants
struggle to keep up with the advancements.
My experience as one of those library media assistants
has been just that – constantly learning new technologies and applications without
any formal education in the field. Although the use of the tools is considered
basic and intuitive, my role has been focused on troubleshooting and solving
problems. For that, a more sophisticated understanding is required. However,
there has not been a concerted effort by the school district to provide the
required training. Most college-level certification programs for librarians
have implemented some use of these technologies, but not to the level needed
for the current role I fill.
The future of cloud computing in public education
libraries is going to keep evolving and will require the
already-strained-and-stressed library media techs and their assistants to learn
on their own, struggle through, and find a way to make it work.
Breeding, M. (2019,
March). Managing Tech and the Impact of Cloud Computing on Libraries. Computers in Libraries, 39(2), pp. 9-11. Retrieved from
https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=ad930546-4fae-4cd4-be90-8ed36d663a05%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=135486413&db=lxh
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