Computer Data Storage
1. Mass storage devices
Put the words in brackets in the correct form.
Mass storage devices can store vast amounts of information ____________ (read) by a
computer. There have been many different types of mass storage devices. In the past, mass
storage devices such as the floppy drive and tape drives were used, but they
_______________ (general) have been replaced by storage devices with higher capacities.
Hard Drives
_______________ (original) invented by an IBM engineer in 1956, the hard drive has
become the most common mass storage device in the _________________ (compute)
world. Just about every modern computer system has a hard drive installed. Modern hard
drives ___________________ (typical) come in two ________________ (vary): internal
hard drives and external hard drives. Internal hard drives are built to be installed in a
computer case. Many have exposed circuitry and lack of ________________ (protect) from
the environment. External hard drives have _________________ (enclose) that allow them
to be handled without fear of damage. They’re designed to be portable, allowing you to take
them from computer to computer.
Optical Discs
Optical discs are ________________ (remove) mass storage devices that are read by a
laser sensor. The first optical discs used for computer storage were ________________
(write) compact discs, or CD-Rs, and _________________ (rewrite) compact discs, or CDRWs. They are largely the same as the CDs used for music, but they can be written on by a
low-cost drive in the computer. CD-RWs are distinguished from CD-Rs by the fact that CDRWs allow the user to delete files and write on the disc again. The typical CD-R or CD-RW
can hold up to 700 megabytes of data. CDs were followed by various versions of DVDs. The
______________ (digit) versatile/video disc, or DVD, is an optical disc format with a 4.7
gigabyte capacity.
USB Flash Drives
USB flash drives became popular as a way to store and transport large files. They consist of
a small circuit board, flash memory chips, a plastic enclosure and a USB _______________
(connect). With their small size, large capacity and improved _________________ (rely),
USB flash drives have all but replaced floppy disks and optical discs as the dominant
portable mass storage device.
Solid-State Drives
Solid-state drives, also known as SSDs, are mass storage devices intended to replace the
hard drive. An SSD is similar to a normal hard drive, as it uses the same connections and
interface, but instead of a ________________ (spin) magnetic disk, it uses solid state
memory. SSDs have ___________________ (extreme) fast read and write times because
they don’t rely on moving parts to __________________ (physical) “seek” for data. Solidstate drives have improved reliability as there are no mechanical parts to fail or wear out.
Adapted from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6693009_types-mass-storage-devices-computer.html
2. Online storage
Fill in the gaps using the words from the list.
update
subscription
trial
reliability
service provider
mobile device
accessibility
flash disk drive
feature
backup
account
server
Online storage lets you store data, such as word documents, videos or audio files in a
secure ___________________, accessible through the Internet, “the cloud”. Instead of
keeping files on a computer at the office or at home, you can access your files while on the
go -- just log in to any computer or __________________ connected to the internet. Many
sites offer this service for free such as Windows Live Skydrive and ADrive with limited data
storage, while others offer it as a monthly ___________________ with a larger capacity for
storage such as Mozy.com or Box.net.
Each online storage provider offers different features when you sign up for an
___________________. Aside from the amount of storage space, others like Dropbox and
Box.net offer syncing files on your desktop so you can easily ___________________ the
content of your online storage account by dropping files in a particular folder on your
computer. You can also share these files to others you invite -- a handy
___________________when working with others on a project.
Online storage is an alternative to keeping a ___________________disk of important files or
extra storage for your computer when it's running low on space. One main advantage for
having online storage is its ___________________since you can access it anytime,
anywhere. If you're planning to go on a business meeting outside the country, you either
have the choice of carrying around documents in your laptop or ___________________, or
have it handy in your online storage account. In this case, with online storage, you won't
need to worry about the loss of important documents when your laptop crashes or a flash
disk is lost.
When choosing the right __________________ for online storage purposes, you should
consider what kind of data you plan on storing, how much storage you need and the purpose
for storing it online. If using it for work, check out the reviews for ___________________ and
up time as well as features available for file sharing with other co-workers. If choosing
between paid and free providers, keep in mind, some offering free services provide it as a
___________________ for their paid services. Although these free accounts may offer
limited storage space this can be a good and reliable choice if you only need a limited
amount of space.
Adapted from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8119591_online-information-storage.html#ixzz1JndLZH8d
3. Online storage features
What to Look For
There are many online storage services on the Internet, so it is wise to evaluate your storage
needs and the quality of the service before creating an account. Some services offer a free
membership so you are able to test drive the service before purchasing an account.
Use this list of online storage features to complete the table below it.
Private File Sharing
Scheduled Backup
Ease of Use
Mobile Access
Sub-Accounts
Free account
Feature
Description
Public File Sharing
Security
Help/Support
File Search
Remote Access
Drag-and-Drop
The service should offer encrypted file transfer and password
protection.
The interface should be user-friendly and not require a lot of
instruction in order to upload and access files.
Online storage services provide frequently asked questions (FAQs),
user manuals and tutorials. You can contact customer service
through email, phone or online chat.
You are able to access your saved files from any computer that has
an Internet connection.
You can access your saved files from a mobile device like a cell
phone, smartphone or PDA.
You can share your files with selected individuals without sharing
them with the world.
You can choose to share pictures, video clips or other files with
everyone by posting them in a common area.
You can automatically save copies of selected files each time the
computer is inactive - daily, weekly, or any time you choose.
You can use the mouse to manipulate files or folders you want to
upload. Click on the file/folder, move and release in the desired
folder.
Within your account, you can create other accounts for other users
to access files. This is particularly useful for business workgroups.
The interface has a search box so you can look up and find your
saved files by keyword.
Source: http://online-storage-service-review.toptenreviews.com/
4. Offline v/s online storage
Compare and contrast offline and online storage solutions. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each?
5. Future of computer data storage
How do you think people will store their data in 50 year’s time?
What sort of security challenges will they have to face?
Computer Data Storage: KEYS – 1
Mass storage devices can store vast amounts of information readable by a computer. There
have been many different types of mass storage devices. In the past, mass storage devices
such as the floppy drive and tape drives were used, but by 2010 they generally had been
replaced by storage devices with higher capacities.
Hard Drives
Originally invented by an IBM engineer in 1956, the hard drive has become the most
common mass storage device in the computing world. Just about every modern computer
system has a hard drive installed. Modern hard drives typically come in two varieties: internal
hard drives and external hard drives. Internal hard drives are built to be installed in a
computer case. Many have exposed circuitry and lack protection from the environment.
External hard drives have enclosures that allow them to be handled without fear of damage.
They’re designed to be portable, allowing you to take them from computer to computer.
Optical Discs
Optical discs are removable mass storage devices that are read by a laser sensor. The first
optical discs used for computer storage were writable compact discs, or CD-Rs, and
rewritable compact discs, or CD-RWs. They are largely the same as the CDs used for music,
but they can be written on by a low-cost drive in the computer. CD-RWs are distinguished
from CD-Rs by the fact that CD-RWs allow the user to delete files and write on the disc
again. The typical CD-R or CD-RW can hold up to 700 megabytes of data. CDs were
followed by various versions of DVDs. The digital video disc, or DVD, is an optical disc
format with a 4.7 gigabyte capacity.
USB Flash Drives
USB flash drives (also known as thumb drives) became popular as a way to store and
transport large files. They consist of a small circuit board, flash memory chips, a plastic
enclosure and a USB connector. With their small size, large capacity and improved
reliability, USB flash drives have all but replaced floppy disks and optical discs as the
dominant portable mass storage device.
Solid-State Drives
Solid-state drives, also known as SSDs, are mass storage devices intended to replace the
hard drive. An SSD is similar to a normal hard drive, as it uses the same connections and
interface, but instead of a spinning magnetic disk, it uses solid state memory. SSDs have
extremely fast read and write times because they don’t rely on moving parts to physically
“seek” for data. Solid-state drives have improved reliability as there are no mechanical parts
to fail or wear out.
KEYS - 2
Online storage lets you store data, such as word documents, videos or audio files in a
secure server, accessible through the Internet, “the cloud”. Instead of keeping files on a
computer at the office or at home, you can access your files while on the go -- just log in to
any computer or mobile device connected to the internet. Many sites offer this service for
free such as Windows Live Skydrive and ADrive with limited data storage, while others offer
it as a monthly subscription with a larger capacity for storage such as Mozy.com or Box.net.
Each online storage provider offers different features when you sign up for an account. Aside
from the amount of storage space, others like Dropbox and Box.net offer syncing files on
your desktop so you can easily update the content of your online storage account by
dropping files in a particular folder on your computer. You can also share these files to
others you invite -- a handy feature when working with others on a project.
Online storage is an alternative to keeping a backup disk of important files or extra storage
for your computer when it's running low on space. One main advantage for the having online
storage is it's accessibility since you can access it anytime, anywhere. If you're planning to
go on a business meeting outside the country, you either have the choice of carrying around
documents in your laptop or flash disk drive, or have it handy in your online storage account.
In this case, with online storage, you won't need to worry about the loss of important
documents when your laptop crashes or a flash disk is lost.
When choosing the right service provider for online storage purposes, you should consider
what kind of data you plan on storing, how much storage you need and the purpose for
storing it online. If using it for work, check out the reviews for reliability and up time as well
as features available for file sharing with other co-workers. If choosing between paid and
free providers, keep in mind, some offering free services provide it as a trial for their paid
services. Although these free accounts may offer limited storage space this can be a good
and reliable choice if you only need a limited amount of space.
KEYS - 3
Feature
Description
Security
The service should offer encrypted file transfer and password
protection.
Ease of Use
The interface should be user-friendly and not require a lot of
instruction in order to upload and access files.
Help/Support
Online storage services provide frequently asked questions (FAQs),
user manuals and tutorials. You can contact customer service
through email, phone or online chat.
Remote Access
You are able to access your saved files from any computer that has
an Internet connection.
Mobile Access
You can access your saved files from a mobile device like a cell
phone, smartphone or PDA.
Private File Sharing
You can share your files with selected individuals without sharing
them with the world.
Public File Sharing
You can choose to share pictures, video clips or other files with
everyone by posting them in a common area.
Scheduled Backup
You can automatically save copies of selected files each time the
computer is inactive - daily, weekly, or any time you choose.
Drag-and-Drop
You can use the mouse to manipulate files or folders you want to
upload. Click on the file/folder, move and release in the desired
folder.
Sub-Accounts
Within your account, you can create other accounts for other users
to access files. This is particularly useful for business workgroups.
File Search
The interface has a search box so you can look up and find your
saved files by keyword.
KEYS – 4: Student’s own answers
Computer Data Storage
No. of Lessons
Grade
Teachers
Objectives/
Learning Outcomes
1
3rd Gimnazija
Mojca Fink and Amresh Prakash Torul
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain the concept of
cloud computing, its advantages and related terminology. The hand-out
includes exercises aiming to develop students’ grammar, vocabulary and
critical thinking within a professional topic.
Teachers activities
English teacher
Foreign teacher
Time
5 min
Help students with their
pronunciation and grammar.
10 min
Word formation
Give students instructions for
the exercise. Remind them of
common mistakes in word
formation exercises.
10 min
Walk around and help
students.
10 min
Check answers with
students.
Online storage features
Explain each technical term
from the list in Slovene.
10 min
Walk around the class and
help students.
Collect students’ copies for
correction.
Warming up
Discuss the topic with
students. Ask them about
storage media in generally
and let them voice out what
they already know.
Walk around to help
students.
Check answers as a class.
Gap fill – online storage
Give students instructions for
the exercise. Explain any
difficult word in the text.
Student activities
Participate in the short
discussion.
Follow teachers’
instructions and complete
the exercise.
Correct answers.
Complete the exercises.
Check and correct
answers.
Ask students to complete the
exercise, then check
answers together.
Critical thinking
Give students instructions for
the last two questions. Make
it clear with them that they
should express their opinion,
based upon their
understanding of the content
covered.
Check and correct
answers. Take notes.
Complete the exercises.
Evaluation
The students found the topic interesting because it deals with issues that they experience daily. They
found the word formation a bit difficult, especially when they are confused whether to use one of two
‘l’. The second question about online storage was very informative for them. Some of the terms were
new to many students. They also found the terminology about online storage features very helpful.
The exercises dealing with students’ critical thinking was not popular with everyone. While some
students found it as an opportunity to express their knowledge and understanding, others resorted to
very short, meaningless answers. This is an area that needs to be addressed. Students should be
encouraged to write more during classes.