Personal cloud storage for staff and students?

[Max_Power]

Just wondered if other schools allow access to cloud storage such as dropbox, sugar sync and just cloud etc on their network for students and staff to utilise?

Various DPA concerns for staff using it, but that aside, do you allow access? Have you got anything more within your AUP to cover its use? If you dont allow access, do you offer an alternative method for transporting their data to and from school, such as HAP+ or basic email and is this deemed enough?

 

Thanks Max

[glennda]

Personally at my old place it would have been a big no no

[rich_tech]

With regards dropbox and all the third party cloud sites, I know that its off here for all pupils with netsweeper and I think for staff too - I dont think any have ever asked about it either, its only myself and the head of IT who are really that savvy enough to want to use it here, I think most staff here are happy with the old USB stick.

 

Saying that though, we encourage the staff and pupils to use the LEA provided education/school portal, which gives them access to all of their network space documents remotely here.

Edited September 27, 2012 by rich_tech

[iom100]

I think most staff here are happy with the old USB stick.

 

My instinct is that Dropbox etc are much safer than a USB stick. (Risks of loss, corruption and spread of malware). Obviously there are other things to think about too - DPA and network reliablity. Has anyone done a proper comparison or Risk assessment?

[detjo]

We don't but I have thought about it for staff. We use Gmail for school so we would already have GoogleDrive, it's just a matter of setting it up. I looked into it briefly and it seems it wouldn't work too well with multiple users logging on to one PC, so I gave up there and haven't visited it since (don't really have time).

Even if it did work well, I have some concerns about what data might be sync'd to it and wonder who (at google!) has access to it etc. Kind of puts me off a bit, not knowing who might get access to 'protected' data

[mthomas08]

With Frog staff/students can access their Home drives anywhere - even on iPhones.

 

Although we used to have a VPN Web Access to the drives, if they didnt exist I would consider Dropbox for staff.

 

Not sure about students though.

[rich_tech]

With regards the usb sticks, I need to clarify, I meant about staff lugging things like their teaching presentations and video clips around here, We tell them as regards those documents to make sure they have them on the network for backing up, not confidential data.

[Earthling]

Staff and students here have remote access via SGD, but for some reason, we don't publicise it. I've tried writing articles for the new-starters' handbook but they've never been included.

 

Eventually, I gave up.

 

I sometimes feel that even Armageddon (NOT the movie) will be cancelled here due to lack of interest.

 

[bwestlake]

i would like a program simular to skydrive, dropbox, googledrive, ect;

 

but you would install a program on the server, that shares the home directorys using ad, to an app you can download that would sync data accross the net.

 

not store it the data on the net just on our servers and then also on the client pc, using ad credintials!

[glennda]

i would like a program simular to skydrive, dropbox, googledrive, ect;

 

but you would install a program on the server, that shares the home directorys using ad, to an app you can download that would sync data accross the net.

 

not store it the data on the net just on our servers and then also on the client pc, using ad credintials!

 

Appsense Datanow

[DaveMurphy]

Microsoft SkyDrive via Office365 for Education / Live@EDU for files uploads from home etc via student / staff emails.

[sabahm]

Hello friends,

 

I would recommend services like Dropbox and SugarSync as both of them are made for students & working individuals. If there is a restriction at your office or college premises than using it through VPN would be a perfect option.

[jamesfed]

Why host on someone else's cloud when you can setup your own - a Home Access Plus+ install can do the basics of it and if you must then provide a VPN which can setup network drives into your network

[sabahm]

Why host on someone else's cloud when you can setup your own - a Home Access Plus+ install can do the basics of it and if you must then provide a VPN which can setup network drives into your network

 

I agree with your comment. But it can be possible or beneficial if someone who is willing to have such facility is a tech savvy, otherwise things will go worst in deploying own cloud server. The process of monitoring & keeping it up to date requires a lot of knowledge, time and effort. So keeping this scenario in mind allowing some reliable cloud option to do it on your behalf would be an adequate choice to consider.