David Jakes
IT Coordinator in Downer’s Grove, IL.
- Can every subject be studied within a geographical context?
- How will you help your students make meaning of visual information?
- How does this change teaching and learning? What’s possible?
- What are the logistical and technical requirements? How does this all work?
A challenging technology. Everything is on the online resources. Feel free to use in other workshops as long as attribute to David Jakes.
CA wildfires–lots of info communicated near real-time via Google Maps and Twitter. Where evacuation routes, hotels with rooms, meeting area, fire lines, etc. were marked and changed as needed.
Google Maps needs a Google login. Build in Google Maps, export as kml and import into Google Earth. Showed multiple views and what’s there. Then went to My Maps. Create a new map. Some schools would let kids have a Google login. Went to the maplets like realtime earthquakes (browse the directory). Gives access to different layers of data. Then looked at census data. Can show multiple layers at once by selecting appropriately.
Way to get kids actively involved in history, “You are there” kind of thing.
Has alternative AP Biology based on 8 big questions. Create presentation within Google Earth rather than PowerPoint. Think about this creatively. Teachers or students can create content.
Showed how to create a map, add a placemark, add a hyperlink, add an image. Easy enough to do. Cautioned about images being on line. Talked briefly about Flickr. Can also embed YouTube/TeacherTube video. Talked about collaboration feature briefly. BUT need Google login. Remember about district blocking certain sites like YouTube. View in Google Earth, try to save as kml first. Explained about kml and kmz files.
Let kids spend first 15 minutes playing with Google Earth. He’s demoing most recent version of Google Earth. Google Sky is your own personal planetarium. More complicated but have more capability. Check out the Add Content button. Showed Dafur, Diamond Trade, Google Lit Trips. Could kids collaboratively create a placemark? Could 20 groups create the route and teacher compile it?
Have kids create content in online web editor. Copy the code and paste into Google Earth placemark.
Where can I have kids use cell phones to create content? Think about Evoca. Other uses of cell phones in K-12 classrooms. Also Voicethread.
Use appropriately. Each has benefits and drawbacks.
