Today I experimented with Google Earth - viewed Yeppoon from above, found my house (shown right) and zoomed to street level. I also 'flew' to places of interest (including Yeppoon State School where I am completing my EPL) as well as famous locations across around the world.
However, Google Earth is much more than a tool for finding and viewing 'where you live' or 'Rodeo Drive in Hollywood.' This digital tool can support and enhance learning experiences and become an integral tool in the lessons teachers deliver. In Joe Wood's blog , he explains how Google Earth can be used in the classroom (video below). For example, on Joe Woods' blog, he mentions an activity in which student can create placemarks and map the paths taken by famous Americans - what a novel idea for the presentation of a SOSE assignment.
I also learnt that Google Earth can be used to make a 'global tour' and began considering how I could use this functionality in my teaching. A Year 7 English assignment for example, could involve students creating a presentation 'About Me' using Goolge Earth. The learners could search for and find landmarks (for example, where they were born, where they went to school, their childhood home, places they went to holidays), add placemarks on those locations, edit the placemarks (by adding a title, description and photo) and then save and share the virtual tour they have created of their life's journey. Through activities such as this, students participate in active learning. As Google Earth is available on the web, the project could be completed on classroom computers or at another location, such as their home or the library.
I also believe Google Earth would be a great tool to use when explaining the theory of Pangaea and the concept of continental drift during a science lesson for my EPL class. The world as presented in Google Earth could be projected onto the IWB and students could see how the various continents may have once joined together. For example, as the class sees the image shown right, you could ask them if they can see how the American and African continents were once been connected.The science unit I am delivering also looks at volcanoes and Google Earth could be used to create a tour of the world’s active volcanoes for presentation to the class. In a secondary context, consider how much more exciting Geography lessons would be if students could view the world, continents, states and landmarks on Google Earth, rather than in their text books. These applications demonstrate how Google Earth can be used in the classroom (and outside the classroom) to support and enhance learning in a meaningful and engaging way.
