Friday, March 5, 2010

Week 5 and 6 PLE

All right-- we are playing catch-up. So, about Google Earth. The most basic things it allows us to do is to see terrain and location. Which is actually pretty cool-- it's almost like flying in a plane all over a map that you are able to zoom in and out with. This would be a pretty darn cool tool to use in the classroom. I myself am directionally challenged, and seeing things in relation to each other, in 3D, no less, greatly helps me remember my geography and directions. For Special Ed kids, this tool gives them greater visuals, complete with texture and relativity that would make it easier for them to make connections and hence remember the material... plus, getting into the pictures, videos, slideshows, and articles would make this experience much more than just a boring lecture to them. They would be able to interact with it and see exactly what they wanted to see.

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Week 6

In using a virtual tour, other sensory experiences would be very useful. For example, if I were taking a tour of Aboriginal Australia, I could play didgeradoo sounds in the classroom during the tour. If we were going to a chocolate factory, I could be making an easy chocolate treat in the classroom during the field trip, allowing them to smell the chocolate. Then, they would have a little treat at the end. ( I remember in 2nd grade my teacher made no-bake cookies for us in the classroom. Why, I do not know... but I remember it!) Or, if we wanted to go to India, I could start the class out by organizing a ginormous Bollywood musical number!! The possibilities are endless... :)

I really liked the James and the Giant Peach fieldtrip. I never would have thought to do Google Earth after a book. Using the ruler to see how far the peach traveled was a good idea....

The Celebrations around the world was also cool-- a lot of places could be done with that one. I liked all the movies of all the crazy celebrations. I think kids would like that one alot.

World wars are explained very well with Google-- students could see how far the influence of war was felt, and how each country participated, and how those events have influenced borders, terrain, and people today. I liked how the WWII presentation used Google earth to teach about the different theatres of the war...

Google Earth is very useful for all the reasons stated above: it is versatile, it can take kids all over the world, and hard places to see, like Aushwitz, could be viewed and the reality understood, but without the intense stuff that would come with actually being there-- which would be hard for kids to understand. Pretty much, the whole world is at our fingertips. However, a downside of Google earth is that sometimes the pictures are merely computerized renditions of buildings, and can be blurry and unclear. Also, in the case of historical field trips, we can't go back in time and see how the world was back then. We get only modern renditions and pictures. So of course there are restraints and a few drawback to something as amazing as Google Earth.

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