Cloud storage is basically storing your stuff to someone else’s computer on the Internet. You can then access your files from any device that is connected to the Internet. Google Drive is Google’s cloud storage. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and many other companies have their own cloud storage services. Google Drive is really useful for being able to share things, like worksheet Google Docs, with your students. Google Drive is another one of my go-to applications for my curriculum. If you are familiar with Mac’s Finder or Windows Explorer, Google Drive is just as easy.
USB drives (also know as thumb or jump drives) are the little sticks that you plug into your computer to store things. They cannot be shared as easily Google Drive, as you need to move them from computer to computer to share them. They are useful, though, for moving large amounts of data. If you need to share lots of pictures, video, music, or other large files, it may be faster and easier to use a USB drive to copy things over to the student computers.
Use Google Drive first when sharing things. If Google Drive is slowing down or says that you don’t have enough space, consider using a USB drive instead.
Time
It takes very little time to set up and share files with students. If you need to share many files with your entire class, share a folder instead of the individual files.
Access for Students and Parents
Easy access for students and parents through any web browser, including their Chromebooks. They do, though, need to be logged into their school account and you must have give them permission to see and or modify the files as well.
Updating and Modifying
Easy to update and modify things.
Longevity
Cloud storage has been around for a few years, but it is so popular it will not go away anytime soom.
Cost
Google Drive and many other’s are free to a certain storage amount. Most of you won’t hit that amount. The school does own your school Google drive, but it is easy to move things to a personal email. Actually, you can share your school drive with your personal account.
My Usage
I use Google Drive all the time to share files with the students and parents. All of the Google Docs and such used in this site are shared through Google Drive, but accessed through the web site. Google Drive can be used as your resource hub instead of a web site. It is easier to use and set up, but it can be a little harder to navigate and find things, especially when you start to share a lot of files.
Google Classroom actually creates a shared folder in Google Drive that sets access and permissions via the students that are enrolled in the class. It can be useful, but Google Classroom can make a bit of a mess or the file organizational structure as it saves and names things like a computer rather than a human.
Hints
Share a folder with your students. Anything you then place in the folder will automatically have the permission set by the folder.
I usually only give “modify” permissions file by file, or on a specific folder made for this. Modify permissions allow the students to delete and alter your files. You may not want this on many files.