Google Earth as an education tool - analysis and reflections

Google Earth (GE) is an amazing technology which will no doubt enrapture children, not least due to its similarity to the computer games the love.  For example, check out these videos:-

Helicopter flight simulation on GE

Ship simulator on GE

Underwater in GE

All very entertaining.  But is it educating?

Plus	Minus	Interesting
Free, easy to access and use. Thousands of collaborators have added information. “Flight” simulation offering better 3D views than, say, Google Maps. Ability to plot routes and ascertain distances (Line and Path). Ability to overlay contour maps to illustrate the actual look of land forms illustrated by a map. Enables comparisons between seasons, or after natural disasters, etc. Ability for pupils to add information themselves, design or illustrate 3D buildings and cityscapes.	Main and associated programs have to be downloaded. Heavy files, slow downloads. Need fast internet access. So much information on small screen. Difficulty getting clear images for areas frequently clouded over such as mountain ranges (and most of England ;o) Inaccuracy/unavailability of detailed information, particularly in isolated areas. Personal comments/flags/ posts/pictures can clutter image. Lots of broken links, e.g. U-boat shipwreck on Mars.	Google creating a virtual world – see Ollie Bray’s blog (Qualified head-teacher currently seconded to work as National Adviser for Learning and Technology Futures at Learning and Teaching Scotland - government-funded responsible for curriculum design and innovation.)

GE is an amazing resource, almost without limit.  The sheer detail of the satellite imaging puts GE beyond comparison to "traditional" teaching resources.  Ok, so there is obviously massive potential for using GE in teaching geography, learning about the world we live in, etc, but what else?  Once pupils are used to navigating GE (i.e. operating the ICT) it's time to drive them higher up Bloom’s Taxonomy, from merely investigating, to calculating and creating.

General Examples

Maths – calculating differences in time and average speed for different routes around a city;

SOSE – history: viewing and comparing satellite imagery over different time periods or overlaying historical maps, discussing changes in population and urbanisation, etc;

LOTE – “visiting” the native country, chatting online to native speakers, viewing videos of the countryside, trying out regional recipes and listening to music online (relevant and posted to particularly areas), offers an emersion in the language and culture of nationalities and countries, without the expense of airfares and hotel accommodation.

English – literature: plotting places and following routes mentioned in novels, see Google Lit Trips. Choose your own countries and route and write a story involving that journey and those destinations;

Science – building design: with Google SketchUp pupils can create 3D models of buildings, or famous monuments. Learn how the Egyptians constructed the Pyramids so long ago. What tools did they use?;

Technology – pupils experiencing what it’s like to explore space: Mars, the moon and constellations. What would you need to take with you on such a trip? List what you would pack.

GE engages students and transforms learning by appealing to the diversity of learning preferences of pupils.  “Kinetic students with short attention spans are likely to find a hands-on Google Earth lesson much more appealing; students with auditory and visual learning strengths can add audio and video to their Google Earth presentations; and gifted students can take the learning experience as far and as deep as they want within the same class structure without a struggle to modify and extend the lesson by the teacher. The deep engagement you get when using an exciting tool like Google Earth fosters not just greater geographic literacy but can enhance problem-solving skills through immediate application of geographical concepts.

Google Earth also integrates two important skill sets across the curriculum effortlessly—technology education and global education.” TeachMideast (a website designed for K-12 teachers featuring resources on the Middle East and Islam in an effort to “unseat ignorance and deeply-held stereotypes” – overcoming diversity as a potential barrier to learning in the classroom).

As tomorrow’s global citizens, the school children of today are provided with a huge opportunity to create awareness and empathy between pupils and adults from different countries, cultures and religions. Adding in social media applications such as Facebook and YouTube, with the ability to easily share snapshots and videos of each others’ lives can lead to cultural understanding on a grand scale, unlike anything that could be done without the internet.

In-depth example in Grade 7 Class

My Class Wiki would start off having pupils describe themselves, their interests and their environs. GE gives authenticity to those latter descriptions and provides the opportunity to enhance learning that would otherwise require field trips to each pupil’s neighbourhood, sports ground, etc.


 Arizona Hike.kmz

 Once pupils have posted images of their sports, and their local leisure facilities, they could move on to plotting routes, investigating gradients (merging contour maps on top of landform satellite images), for example to plot the school’s cross-country routes. Why not then introduce science by determining the number of calories consumed in running those routes on different geological surfaces such as sand vs. grass?

They would add different routes to the Class Wiki and debate the merits of each, collaboratively working to develop their routes. They could compare various routes in reality, during HPE classes, or after school. They could contact an expert (Iron Man, Triathlete or marathon runner) and post questions and seek comments on their routes, what makes a challenging course, etc. Why not contact another local school (perhaps one that may compete in cross-country against their school) and swap information, comparing our route with theirs? Relating to their environs; creating projects with real-life application; donating to other pupils, classes, schools and running clubs.

Most teachers guide pupils up the stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy, however it would be perfectly possible using such a practical, familiar experience (exploring and running around a child’s neighbourhood), to throw pupils straight to the top of the ladder. “Create three different cross-country routes. Post them to the Class Wiki, explaining their similarities, differences, advantages and difficulties”. Further scaffolding could be provided prompting students to consider what type of factors affect a course; how they could investigate the terrain; which experts they could call upon to help them with their designs. By starting with such an open scope at the outset, teachers may be surprised at how far outside their schools their pupils may take them (literally – far away from their neighbourhood; to international athletes; Nike running shoe designers; who knows?).


http://www.nike.com/

Ctrl click here for GE-activities ascending Bloom's ladder.

For those pupils allergic to cross-country running, a similar project could be created with little adaptation, perhaps to plot and compare dog-walking routes, or environmental walking trails, with points of interest and environmental issues (domestic animals in National Parks; availability of dog beaches; dog litter in children’s parks, etc), to proceed alongside the running course routes' project.