Dropbox

I'm not sure about you, but I have several electronic devices that can hold files. I have a gigantic backup drive, several smaller flash drives, an iPhone, a laptop, and a desktop at work. I realize that, oftentimes, I run into the simple problem of needing a file that's on a different device. While it's not a huge deal to transport materials via e-mail or flash drive, it can get to be a pain after awhile.

That's where Dropbox comes in and makes your life oh-so-much easier.

The basic version is free and allows you to store 2GB worth of material. You download the Dropbox "program" from http://www.dropbox.com/. It creates a folder for you that's easily accessible. You can drag and drop items into this folder, and it updates that file on every other electronic device you own that has Dropbox on it. When you get to the home page of the website, there's a simple and short video you can watch to show you exactly how Dropbox works.

What I like best, though, is its ability to store things online. I've been e-mailing things to myself for years and thought that was a fool-proof method. And it's fine, but Dropbox sounds easier and a little bit cooler! There's no "e-mailing yourself" with Dropbox -- everything just updates automatically (so long as you have the Dropbox application installed onto your computer). As a very busy gal, I can appreciate automatic things!

Before I started making my classroom website, I viewed dozens of other high school English teachers' sites. I tried to figure out what they posted, what their daily work was, how they graded materials, and even what school supplies students were required to bring to class every day. I found that several teachers required students to purchase flash drives (jump drives, USB drives, thumb drives...external storage...whatever you want to call it)! I was mildly surprised since they aren't THAT cheap. I was always of the mindset that students could just e-mail documents to themselves if they needed to store a copy; no need to buy some fancy flash drive for my class.

But I actually think I like Dropbox better.

While I was working on research papers with my students earlier this year, I told several students to e-mail the document to themselves in order to save it. My kids looked at me like I'd grown horns. Some of them had no idea how to attach a file to an e-mail. While I know that that situation was a "teachable moment," it would be nice to have a program that is so simple, there's no way they can get confused. Plus, the whole process of Dropbox seems like it would shave some time off your task, and who couldn't use more time??

The great thing is, students could keep their online Dropbox for years...not just in high school. The e-mail addresses my students use are through the school. While that's a fantastic service to them, that e-mail address will eventually expire, right? So what happens to all their stuff? It's gone. What a bummer -- especially if you had important documents like a resume on there! But I view Dropbox as a sort of no-hassle e-mail address, and it would never expire. Students could easily access documents from years in the past. When I hear that, I have an image in my mind's eye: a student in college is trying to write a research paper. This student has only written a research paper once in her life, and it was years ago, so she doesn't really remember all there is to it. In a classic, Hollywood, "lightbulb" moment, this student remembers about her high school Dropbox. She's able to access notes and even a paper that she wrote in high school. With these examples and study aids, she's able to write a paper that makes her and her professor proud. Isn't that a happy image?

...OK, all cheesiness aside: I really do think Dropbox is a valuable tool for students, teachers, and everyone in between. Check it out.

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April 7th edit: Well, I just tried to share a folder with a colleague. I'd been having a lot of trouble being able to post podcasts, so I was trying to figure out if I could post them on Dropbox and then share my podcasts folder! It may work, except everyone you share the folders with has to be a member of Dropbox. Of course, if you're using Dropbox in your classroom with students ANYway, then maybe it doesn't matter. My kids aren't currently using Dropbox, so it would be a hassle for them to sign up right now. Just some extra info I thought might be helpful to anyone reading this...

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August 18th edit: I use Dropbox ALL the time! Seriously. I have a personal account and a teaching account. Obviously, the teaching account gets used a lot more frequently. But this is only HALF the stuff I've uploaded on there


and I've still only used 15% of my free storage! (And this picture isn't including all the SUB-FOLDERS I've created. Seriously, this is an organizer's DREAM.) Check it out!!