The Google Earth Program allows the teacher or student to take the participant out of the classroom, bringing the outside world in to that learning experience making any project or lesson plan a personal occurrence.
Utilizing the Google Earth application, students and educators can view satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D images that put the world's geographic information at the students or teachers instant access. Students can see the world from a different point of view, which makes learning interactive and interesting.
A feature of Google Earth that I feel will be extremely valuable in preparing interactive lesson plans in a social studies class, the ability to record lesson specific customized tours of historic places and maps which the instructor and students can share with the class, the teacher or others. A tour or lesson plan can be created as a movie with recorded audio, produced by the teacher or the student. In the guided tours in the production, the spectator can view the terrain plus content and maneuver in the environment of the lesson plan thereby making the specific lesson personally interactive. As an example, concerning current events a viewer could go from their present location to earth quake ravaged Chile or Haiti, see a 3D view of the location before and after the event to have a better understanding through first hand experience of the impact the earth quake had in the region.
For students and teachers, the tool bar provided in the Google Earth application easily facilitates recording tours and playing them. The application utilizes tools that are the same familiar tools that are used throughout other Google applications, helping to make the program user friendly for the participants.
The Google Earth application research in the Web 2.0 tools will play an integral part in many of the lesson plans that I intend to produce in the feature. I feel the ability of Google Earth application has unlimited potential to make every lesson plan as interactive only limited by time and imagination.
I have tried and installed Google Earth program in my computer 2 years ago and the first thing I was looking at that time was my house. At that time my house was newly built and it was not there yet, so I decided to look at my school or my place of work. It was amazing to see the top view of my school building with the surrounding streets and neighborhood. You can start looking at your relative’s houses in different state or country. I have heard that other people are using Google earth to see which buildings are closer to restaurants or shopping center if they are planning to go to conventions in a different city.
ReplyDeleteAnother tool that can supplement this site is http://www.phototravels.net; you can view the world without leaving your chair. See and watch the sights from all over the planet. Enjoy the beauty of each through other people’s experiences.