Google Earth Discussion in Second Life

IST 611 Welcome to Week 10 in Second Life:

This week we are going to be discussing the Web 2.0 technology Google Earth in Second Life Wiki. I am going be posting our questions here this week to give you the opportunity to use this technology. There will be a few steps this week to understanding Google Earth. You will first need to set up a second life account at http://secondlife.com/ and then log in at https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Special:UserLogin. You can then respond to this week's discussion at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Google_Earth_Discussion_in_Second_Life or at the main page, go to the search button in second life wiki and search for Google Earth Discussion in Second Life.

Step One-Explore Search, and Discover the Google Earth website at http://earth.google.com/. You have also been provided with a video tutorial to Google Earth at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYapu-TDW30. Also read about Google Earth at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth

Step Two-You will also be introduced to three websites to learn about how educators are using Google Earth in classrooms.

Ancient Rome 3D Curriculum Competition at http://www.google.com/educators/romecontest.html

Google Earth Education Community at http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/dherring/ge/googleearth.html

Google Lit Trips at http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/dherring/ge/googleearth.html

Step Three-You will respond to two questions about Google Earth. I am looking forward to reading your responses.

Question 1

The article and websites assigned this week, explains the many features of Google Earth. What are your reactions to this Web 2.0 technology? Would you recommend it to others and why? Which features do you think are useful for classroom teachers? How would you use Google Earth in a classroom or library setting? Do you have any comments or ideas how Google Earth could be used in Second Life? Log in with your user name and password then click the edit button to add your responses below.

Discussion response to question 1

Include your first name (not avatar name) after each response to be acknowledged for class participation.

The article and websites assigned this week, explains the many features of Google Earth. What are your reactions to this Web 2.0 technology? Would you recommend it to others and why? Which features do you think are useful for classroom teachers? How would you use Google Earth in a classroom or library setting? Do you have any comments or ideas how Google Earth could be used in Second Life?

My first reaction to Google Earth is not a positive one. I think it's a neat tool, but I had to download THREE different things to get it to work. I also didn't like the way they tack on "Google Updater" to your download without explaining what it is or giving you an opt-out option. Based on that alone, I probably wouldn't recommend it to others. But it is a neat tool, so even if I didn't recommend it to others, I might tell someone who is interested in this type of thing about it with the caveat that they'll need to download a million things to get it to work. Even though it's chalked full of features, I think the best thing about Google Earth - in an education setting - is that it gives students away to visualize the world as it relates to them and where they are in it. American students do notoriously poorly in geography (myself included - do you know where Uzbekistan is? Me neither), so any tool that helps them not only find on a map but actually SEE another part of the world is very cool. Seeing other parts of the world helps put them in context and makes them more real when the students hear about them on the news or read about them in a book. --Tasha

Question 2

Have you used Google Earth or Google Mapping in your personal or professional life? What were your experiences with it and was it helpful? What were the positives and negatives? What worked well for you? Log in with your user name and password then click the edit button to add your responses below.

Discussion response to question 2

Include your first name (not avatar name) after each response to be acknowledged for class participation.

I've never used Google Earth in my personal life - although I recently read an article about how someone working for Google Earth thought they had found the lost city of Atlantis (it turned out to be lines in the ocean floor created by scientific vessels that drag the floor in order to map it). I've used Google Maps a lot in my personal life, though, because my husband and I move a lot, and tools that give you directions are invaluable when you're new in town. Google Maps seems to be more accurate than other mapping tools - like MapQuest - and its pages load faster. I've also used Google Maps when apartment hunting from across the country. Using the satellite view is a great way to "see" the part of town you'll be moving to. -- Tasha