Google Maps and More for Instruction!

The free site Educational Technology and Mobile Learning provides wonderful resources to help educators use a variety of digital tools in learning. The long list of categories addressed will make you drool. Of course, I believe all categories enhance reading, writing, and technology! :)

The site's  “Google Maps Cheat Sheet for Teachers and Educators” includes a table with links to tutorials for using Google Maps. Students can then apply them to their own interests and activities. I am a huge advocate of using Google Maps and Google Earth for learning. These tools provide rich and engaging resources for adults to practice real-world activities while strongly enhancing academic skills. Just Google “Google Map Projects” or “Google Earth Projects,” and watch the links pop up, creating a treasure chest of ideas. For example, teachers have students identify all of the stops in a literary journey, or write instructions, or describe places. Others have students measure very short and very long distances between places, estimate and compare quantities in metric and English systems, recreate architecture, on and on. The possibilities are endless.

How do you use Google Maps or Google Earth in your instruction? Let’s talk more! Leecy

Leecy Wise, Moderator
Reading and Writing CoP
leecywise@gmail.com

Comments

Google Cardboard is an inexpensive (as low as $5.00) virtual reality viewer that works with a wide variety of smartphones. The Google Cardboard viewer can be used for Google Expeditions to take students on virtual reality tours of historic and educational locations throughout the world and even into space.  https://vr.google.com/cardboard/

Tons of Google goodies to mention but I will stick to just one, I promise :) 

I encounter many adults that have come to our community from all over the world. It has been wonderful to have everyone show off their home or at least a town near their home on Google Earth / Maps. Getting right down to the street view, students are always excited with, "Oh! That used to be a coffee shop, but it is now a car repair shop that my friend ..." or "Wow! There is my house and look over here at this fence. This is where we had the biggest trouble with our neighbors because ..." 

I have found that having adults introduce themselves geographically to others in the room is rewarding for all of us to make connections instantly. After all, we all have some pride or stories to share about where we grew up, where we worked, where wonderful things have happened in our life. By sharing these little stories we not only work on communication with others, we start to break down the fear of public speaking that many have. They know the topic, they are just talking about things they remember, things they did, things they know about an area ...

I have felt much more connected to the students I have worked with once we have shared quick origin stories. I show them mine to get them started and then volunteers pick up and everyone wants to share after two or three have gone :) 

 

Hi Ed, Diana, Kathy and all, Thanks for posting links to help all of us explore Google Earth, Kathy. I really like the idea of using Google Earth as a way to get acquainted with learners, Early in the new school year is an ideal time. Thanks for the idea, Ed.

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition and Teaching & Learning CoPs

 

Good teachers in every subject will adjust their teaching based on what students know at each point. Good formative assessment removes the embarrassment of public hand raising and gives teachers feedback that impacts how they’re teaching at that moment. Instant feedback.