Google Earth

“Google Earth is a satellite imagery-based mapping product puts the whole world on a student's computer. It enables users to "fly" from space to street level to find geographic information and explore places around the world. Like a video game and a search engine rolled into one, Earth is basically a 3D model of the entire planet that lets you grab, spin and zoom down into any place on Earth.” (Google, 2009).

I have had a little bit of experience with Google Earth, however just for personal use. The thought of using Google Earth in the classroom never occurred to me until I read it was a topic to research and discover throughout this uni course. Over the years I have used both Google earth and just recently, have begun to use Street View, to look up places that are familiar to me, places that I have to work out how to get to and just to see everything from a different perspective. I found both Google Earth and Street View fun to use, and quite easy to work. The way it shows whereabouts places and landforms are in relation to different countries and regions on the globe, along with how it ‘flies’ you to the destination that has been entered, really fascinates and amuses me. I also like the fact that it shows if there are other suburbs or places in the world with the same name as there is in Australia.

On the Google for Educators site, where it describes Google Earth, it pointed out a variety of ideas of how to use Google Earth in the classroom that I would have never thought of by myself. Apart from using Google Earth for geographical purposes, my ideas were very limited. This site suggested that Google Earth can provide for many different learning experiences. The site states: “From literature to environmental science, Google Earth can help you bring a world of information alive for your students. You can use Google Earth demos to get your students excited about geography, and use different Google Earth layers to study economics, demographics, and transportation in specific contexts. For instance, you can use real-time coordinates to demonstrate distance calculations and verify the results using our measurement tools, view tectonic plate-shift evidence by examining whole continents, mountain ranges and areas of volcanic activity and/or study impact craters, dry lake beds and other major land forms.” (Google, 2009).

REFERENCE

Google. (2009). Google for Educators: Google Earth. Retrieved on August 8, 2009, from http://www.google.com/educators/p_earth.html