Google Earth – The Earth Through Time

Google’s Blog today announced their joint effort with Timelapse to produce satellite time-lapse imagery of the Earth. Using their Earthengine you can share amazing and stunning views of the Earth and how it has changed over time. Check out Google’s Blog for more information.

Columbia Glacier Retreat courtesy of Google

Columbia Glacier Retreat courtesy of Google

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A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet: 17 Awesome Google Chrome Extensions

This was a good year at my school. We finally got Google Chrome added on the machines in the library lab, so students would be able to start using Google Drive with their documents. YES. The best part is that students and faculty/staff can add extensions to the browser without any permission. All they need to do is go to the Chrome Store and click what they would like to add. I’ve tried out many myself and recommend the following…

A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet: 17 Awesome Google Chrome Extensions.

Unleashing the Power of the Web in Education

At the 2013 SXSWed, Jaime Casap, renowed educational evangelist, gave a rousing speech about the power of the internet within the world of education.

SXSWedu 2013 – Unleashing the Power of the Web in Education from SXSWedu on Vimeo.

Use Google Maps to Tour Fukushima Exclusion Zone

 

Google street view of wreckage along the road.

Google street view of wreckage along the road.

Google Maps has just released an updated that includes street views of Namie-machi. A town in the exclusion zone of the Fukushima disaster.

“Working with Google, we were able to drive Street View cars through Namie-machi to capture panoramic images of the abandoned city exactly as it stands today… so anyone from Namie or around the world can view it.”

Read about the project in Google’s Official Blog; it’s a surprisingly touching and emotional piece about how this disaster has impacted not only the people of Japan, but throughout the world.

Gilder Lehrman’s First Ladies Series, Lesson Plans & Interactive Map

Eleanor_Roosevelt_portrait_1933This quarter’s Gilder Lehrman’s “History Now” series features the historical role of first ladies in American politics. The issue, “First Ladies’ Contributions to Political Issues and the National Welfare” highlights the roles of the President’s spouse from Martha Washington all the way to Betty Ford. It explores their personalities, political temperament, social role, and even controversial status.

In addition to these fascinating articles, they include two lesson plans that help educators present the material in alliance with the common core as well as an interactive map of their birth places. Gilder Lehrman provides a plethora of resources for teachers of American History.

Explore the World at your Desk with the Google World Wonders Project

Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 11.27.34 AMIf you are familiar with google maps and google earth, then the next venue for your is the Google World Wonders Project. The project covers six continents (including Antarctica)  and focuses on natural as well as manmade wonders. You can walk through the ruins of Pompeii, swim at the Great Barrier Reef, stand in the middle of Stonehenge, fly through the Grand Canyon, and more.

The Education provides lesson plan ideas for teachers of K-12 students. It’s a great way to incorporate these sites in your social studies and science curriculum.

Use Google Maps to Explore Everest and Kilimanjaro

Base Camp at Everest via Google Maps

Base Camp at Everest via Google Maps

I know that I will never climb Mount Everest or Mount Kilimanjaro  for several reasons. First, I don’t really like to spend time outside. Second, the hefty price tag (Everest climbs average $55,000). Now, google has made it possible for me and a classroom of students to explore these amazing sites from the comfort of home. Using Google Maps on your computer or smartphone, you can explore base camp and peaks of Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus and Aconcagua. This is an exciting addition to the Google Maps respository.

Learn more about these new tools on Google’s Blog and check out the story of Google’s employees that traveled and hiked these mountains to bring us these amazing shots at Lat Long.

Google Art Project

I’ve played with Google Art Project since its inception, but recent renovations make me very excited! If you’re unfamiliar with Google Art Project, it is an online “museum,” a repository of high resolution images and 3D gallery views of art collections from more than 40 countries and 151 collections. Here’s a brief video outlining how it works:

If you teach Art, Art History, or want to incorporate artworks into your classroom, it is a great free resource to explore collections from around the world. Students can even collect and curate their own works. They have several lesson plans and ideas in their education section.

The Mobile Educator – Best Podcasts for Educators

I don’t listen to a lot of live radio anymore. Instead, I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts. I can find content specific to my area and take it with me on the go. Here is a great list of podcasts for Educators (all for free and in no particular order):

tns.mxboduof.170x170-75Edutopia Webinars - Edutopia presents engaging webinars hosted exclusively for our audience of educators, parents, and administrators throughout the year. These interactive events are free and universally accessible thanks to support from foundations, advertisers, and donors. Each webinar is designed to connect our valued audience with thought leaders in the movement for educational reform, providing opportunities to learn about the latest research, tools, and ideas from experts in the field. Note: Most Edutopia Webinars are large files, approximately an hour long.

Education & Teaching from Yale - Yale Professors and special guests speak on teaching, education and the important role education plays in our lives.

mza_1941855506054357745.170x170-75Great Teachers by Harvard University - Harvard’s Great Teachers invites you to discover our faculty sharing their ideas, very much as they do every day with undergraduates at Harvard College.

Center for Teaching and Learning at Stanford University - The Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning supports the effective communication of knowledge and the love of learning by faculty inside and outside the classroom, by graduate students in their roles as apprentice scholar/teachers, and by undergraduates as they take their place in the community of scholars.

Google Tools - Google is much more than a search engine. It is a suite of free software and services that can enhance learning, engage students, and make the work of teachers easier. This series of podcasts demonstrates the usefulness and applications for some of Google’s most innovative products including custom search engines, Google earth, iGoogle, Google Calendar and Google Docs. Each podcast will consist of a screencast demonstrating the product in action and suggesting applications for use in the classroom.

mza_3818613649415185422.170x170-75Department of Education Public Seminars at Oxford University - Public seminars from the Department of Education. Oxford has been making a major contribution to the field of education for over 100 years and today this Department has a world class reputation for research, for teacher education and for its Masters and doctoral programmes. Our aim is to provide an intellectually rich but supportive environment in which to study, to research and to teach and, through our work, to contribute to the improvement of all phases of public education, both in the UK and internationally.

Technology Integration by Edutopia - Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.

Harvard EdCast - The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast will mza_3370589433019548374.170x170-75serve as a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

NPR Education - From NPR: perspectives on great teachers, the science of learning, classroom dynamics and more. The best of Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other award-winning NPR programs.

To Geography & Beyond with Google Earth & Google Maps

Richard Byrn, the popular blogger at Free Technology for Teachers and Practical Ed Tech is offering an exciting new Webinar about using Google Earth & Google Maps in the classroom. The 3 part course is offered over a three week period. The course…

is designed to teach teachers how to use Google Earth and Google Maps in their classrooms. The obvious uses of these tools are in geography lessons. In this course we’ll start with social studies and move into uses of Google Earth and Google Maps in language arts, science, and mathematics (elementary level) lessons.

To learn more or to register, see the website: “Google Earth & Maps | Practical Ed Tech.”

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