Google Earth Across the Curriculum

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Most of us have seen the wonders of traveling the earth courtesy of Google Earth, but have you had the chance to consider its vast resources and how they might help you in the classroom? Google Earth has become one of those resources I can't live without as it contains so many incredible pieces that complement each part of my curriculum. Whether I'm using it for a geography lesson or conducting a lesson on area, you can be sure that I'm going to use Google Earth first! 


In fact, the more I learn about Google Earth the more I grow to love it and appreciate all the different facets of it! Lately I've been doing many presentations for educators on the benefits of Google Earth and just how they might use it in their classes, whether they're teaching kindergartners or college students, whether they're discussing science or art. 


Here is a link to the outline I use for my course: tinyurl.com/GEATC2. Inside you'll find tons of links to fantastic resources and ideas for projects. One of the most beneficial links you'll find is to a document I worked up regarding Google Earth Layers: tinyurl.com/GEATC2Layers. This document lists all the layers within Google Earth 6 and highlights how some of them might be used by different subjects.

Have a great time using Google Earth and if you have any questions or comments about my presentation, please leave a comment. Also, feel free to use any of the material I've provided, but please, give credit where credit is due. Happy travels!

Ideas for Appropriate Integration

I wanted to get back to the basics with this post and consider this question: If I am just beginning to get into technology and I want to put it in my class, where should I start? Am I too late to begin?

Not to fear, here are a couple of sure-fire tips to help you succeed!

1. Provide students with worthy choices

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the menu seems too limited and you order the spaghetti because you felt like there wasn't any other choice? Sometimes teaching can be the same way: we present students with a project without allowing them the opportunity to work with a tool that appeals to them.

Give students some choices about which tool(s) they can use to complete an assignment. That way you're hitting those learners with something that excites them. So, they may be more excited by ToonDoo than they are by Glogster or vice versa. Give them the opportunity to try out those different tools and allow them to explore their different styles of learning by allowing them to use those different tools. Fran Mauney of the Greenville (SC) School District recommends creating a menu for students so they have a variety of choices from which to complete their assignments. (Note: Ms. Mauney's menus serve a class for an entire unit, so this is not necessarily a one-time thing.)

2. Always have a backup plan

We know that when working with technology we'll occasionally run into a situation where nothing works. Either the school's server is down, an Internet connection is lost, or the website just isn't working with you! Sometimes things just don't work! Most of the ideas or resources we use in the class are web based, which means that if you're planning to use Kerpoof and the Internet is down your whole lesson is lost. So, always have a backup plan, which I suggest is the "old way of doing things". Ask yourself, "What else could I do if my whole lesson gets blown away because I don't have Internet access?"

3. Appoint a "Technician of the Week"

As you have different jobs in your classroom, perhaps the lunch count person or the door holder, have someone designated as your technology person. When you're doing technology assignments this person acts as the "go to" person. Tell the class that Joey, Bobby, and Susie are the Glogster experts and let them help their classmates. This will free you up to help students complete the assignment in an academic manner, while the "technicians" can help with more basic how-to questions. Some other roles for this person may be to get the computers up and running in the morning and shut them down at the end of the day.

4. Hold students accountable

Provide students some way to know they're on task and moving in a positive direction. Give them a rubric and help them understand how to follow it. After all, there's no use in using technology if doesn't adhere to the content and if there's no way to tell if they've learned anything. This is just like when you create any other lesson. You wouldn't plan a non-technological lesson without a way to determine what your students learned. It's the same with technology.

Student Accountability and Fears of Integrating the Classroom

One of the greatest fears of bringing computers into the classroom is the question of "unleashing the student onto the Internet". Teachers and administrators have a fear, and probably rightly so, that students' attention and ability to remain on task are more likely to stray than stay if given the chance. Unfortunately, that means most teachers opt away from incorporating computers and the Internet, rather than trying to guide the students.

My personal opinion is that students are always going to choose the easiest paths, unless they are taught to do otherwise. Just like children need to be taught how to read or work through a math problem, they also need to be taught how to keep focus and how to work diligently because if a child is given the option to study or goof off, human nature says he will always choose to get off task. Therefore, we need to see a student's lack of focus as a teaching opportunity. (There are obvious exceptions to this, but I believe it's a pretty reliable statement.) Therefore, whenever using a Web 2.0 tool or an interactive website, there is always the inherent possibility that students will get off task and, as the teacher, we need to help them get back on task and resume their work.

As far as holding students accountable for assignments when using the Internet, a great way is to present them with a rubric for how the assignment will be graded and teach them to self-assess their work. A website like Rubistar is a great tool for quickly creating a rubric you can use for students' work and this will help students know what to expect when they submit their project.

A rubric is also a great way to help students stay on task. Often a student's attention will stray when he/she is unsure what needs to be done and is unwilling to ask for direction. A rubric helps a student know exactly what is expected and figure out what still needs to be done on his/her project.

Me and You...Tube

YouTube is a fantastic resource for finding great educational videos. Unfortunately, in the context of educational use, YouTube can receive a bad rep because there is a large number of inappropriate videos on the site, which can get students in trouble if they're irresponsible. However, if properly monitored, YouTube can be a real boon to the classroom because, while there is a large number of videos that are not beneficial in the class, there is a larger number of great videos.

The Internet also allows students to quickly create videos that can be posted to YouTube and then be shared with not only with their classmates but with the world! Below is an example of how a student might use YouTube to produce a quality work that can then be shared with the world. This student showed her understanding of Native Americans by creating a video. That means she had to put together her understands in a way that could then be clearly communicated, then she had pull together visual resources that would help her teach the topic. In this case, she used Google Earth. Imagine how much more seriously a student will take an assignment if they know it could be seen by any person around the world!

How do you think you can use YouTube in your classroom?