http://www.google.com/notebook/feeds/04358793573726113227/notebooks/BDQ-aSwoQv6Tq_agi/NDRO8IgoQsfnfo6ki2007-05-16T10:38:50.545Z2007-05-16T18:08:09.887ZLee Barber's Reflections on using Google Maps Mapping online as an aid to ou...<b>Lee Barber's Reflections on using Google Maps</b><br><br>Mapping online as an aid to our collaborative projects IS a good idea.
Having students link back and forth from the maps to their writing
space (in this case our <a href="http://personallearningspace.com/">Personal Learning Space</a>)
is no problem. The problem lies in the teachers finding enough teaching
time to make that connection come to life and be a vivid part of our
learning environments. Having automatic connections made for us would
be the answer to this problem. Anything that takes time or bandwidth to
travel back and forth will inevitably become a bit of a burden. <br>
<br>
Ways I am using maps now are with a pushpin like you might use to mark
a map on a wall with a flag so students can show others the places that are special to each them. This is a nicer way to introduce themselves than the usual "Hi, my name is Jane. What's your favorite color?". They
can put videos, photographs, and other media on their pushpin flag and
a story with a link back to their blogs. <br>
<br>
Ways I would like to start using maps is to show a route from one place
to another with a story. Summer vacations, Christmas stories, or local
area folk stories as told by student's family members, neighbors and communities. Also as a
timeline for students to learn history. For example I could have a
group show where the Abacus was invented and have them show the
progression of the computer's history like a route through time only it
will be on a map with a picture or video explaining the details. Each
group can then share that story live for us or record the "trip" to
share as a video or audio on the map. <br>
<br>
I suppose the more I think about this subject, the more I can imagine
things to do with mapping software! The strength will lie in the use of
writing along with using the software. Crossing curriculum lines with
core subjects and the ability to share the results instantly online
with the other teachers on my team will be part of my plans for next
year. Now, I have to ask the question once again. What is the best application to use? We used
<a href="http://www.communitywalk.com/map/17934">CommunityWalks</a> last year and I thank the developer of that software for his time spent working to make it better for educational purposes. As always, I think it is time to look at all the options again. Learning to use each available app will help us reassess those options. ~Lee Baber Paul Allison