Week 5 - Google Earth

Google Earth is part of the Group 4 digital tools for e-learning and as I have discovered, is worth its weight in gold as a classroom resource. Google Earth is an online software application powered by Google which allows you to view satellite images of anywhere on the earth. If you have access to the internet you can download Google Earth from Google for free! This means all schools should easily be able to get their hands on this digital tool.

Once in Google Earth, you are able to search for different locations you would like to 'zoom' to on the earth. Within a matter of seconds (depending on how fast your internet connection goes!) your computer screen will be zoomed in on the country, city or landmark you searched for. Here is a screen shot of where I used Google Earth to see what the Egyptian capital city of Cairo looks like.

Initially I had very limited knowledge of what this part of the world looks like - I thought Cairo was a tiny town in the middle of the Egyptian desert with a couple of pyramids surrounding it! As the Google Earth satellite image shows however, it is certainly not a tiny town, but a very large and densely populated city! Thus, Google Earth has clear applications for helping students to develop global awareness (having an understanding of what countries look like geographically and where they are located on the earth).

Google Earth has several other functions which can enhance learning across the KLAs. One of these functions is the 'Ruler' tool which can be found in the 'Tools' tab. I used this tool with my students last year on prac when we were learning about measurement. Using Google Earth on the interactive whiteboard, I was able to zoom in on the school tennis courts. From here, the class and I worked together using the ruler tool to find the width and length measurements of the tennis courts. This really engaged the students in the concept of measurement because they were getting to measure something they were familiar with (learning in context) and using the internet to do it! Here is a screen shot of the tennis courts we used.

One more function of Google Earth I want to elaborate on is the 'Sunlight Across the Landscape' button at the top of screen (the button has an image of a sun coming out of the clouds). This tool actually shows what parts of the earth are in sunlight (day) and what parts of the earth are in darkness (night). This would be a perfect tool to use in the KLA of science (Earth and Space Sciences) for teaching the concept of 'night and day' to students. Learners can rotate the earth to physically see what parts of the world are experiencing night and day, helping to remedy common student misconceptions such as 'Everywhere on earth experiences night and day at the same time'. Here is a screen shot of how Google Earth shows the world experiencing night and day.

Here is a PMI of the benefits, limitations and interesting things about Google Earth.

Plus:

Students can become 'globally aware' through getting to view satellite images of what different parts of the world look like

Google Earth contains a number of handy functions that facilitate learning in different KLAs (eg: 'Ruler' tool for measurement in Maths and 'Sunlight' button for exploring night and day in Science)

Can be used to find directions from one location to another

It is an engaging and interactive tool for learners

Google Earth is free for anyone to download

Minus:

Some of the satellite images of parts of the earth are not detailed (can't be zoomed in on)

Some of the satellite images are outdated and don't show the most recent development in places (are 5 or more years old)

A fast internet connection is required to ensure Google Earth works effectively (it will take forever to load satellite images if the internet is slow, wasting valuable class time!)

A moderate level of technological literacy is needed for learners to operate this program independently.

Interesting:

Google Earth contains a fantastic function called 'Street View'. Street View is where you can zoom into a city or town so closely that you can physically see what their streets look like - it is as though you are walking down the street in that particular place! (Mindboggling stuff people!!!). I can see this function being particularly helpful in a unit of work exploring different countries and what it would be like to live in those places around the world. I used Google Earth to zoom in on a street in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and also to zoom in on a street in Bundaberg, Australia. By taking a screen shot (using the 'Snipping' tool on my computer) of both of these street views, you can see below the difference in housing between these two places.

Amsterdam - The Netherlands

Bundaberg - Australia

This clearly helps students to see that not all people live in the same way as we do here in Australia! Thus, overall I believe this exploration of Google Earth has shown what an invaluable learning tool it can be for the classroom. In a world where our students must become global citizens to function effectively in society, Google Earth is a sure piece of online software to help them on their way!

Thanks guys :) talk soon!

Sarah