Google Earth is this week’s educational Information Technology. This is a great resource as users can actually see and explore areas anywhere in the world. This will stick with students for longer than just handing them a map and a few pictures. With Google Earth, students will be able to see the Arch de Triumph in France or Big Ben in London 3D form, just by clicking a button! For easy use, please click on this link to direct to some very helpful tutorials: Google Earth Tutorials.
Students can use this technology to, for example, follow Jack the Ripper in London (for a history class), or visit a Theatre in the Round for drama class. They can create ours of their local area or go on a geographical scavenger hunt. The possibilities are endless. Once again, these can be worked on individually or as groups. Here is an example of one of the many ‘sites’ to see on Google Earth:
Being completely free, Google Earth is accessible to all students. It includes aerial photographs and satellite images (some of which are less interactive, so their more useful for the more easily distracted students) as well as the 3D images.
There is a ‘Sightseeing folder’ inside the My Places folder- which can quite effectively be used to control a lesson- telling the students exactly what places to ‘visit’.
Students can easily create their own data and save that information to data files, which can later be assimilated into student presentations
Google Earth can also be used within the classroom, not just by the students alone. An example used by (Google Earth for Educators, 2013). is that, in the event of a phenomenon –such as a hurricane-, Google Earth can track the hurricane’s path, making the lesson more relevant to the students.
And now, the all-important SWOT analysis:
Strengths
· It’s all free! - Google Earth is completely free so anyone anywhere can use it!!
· Layers upon Layers- Many layers of data are at the user’s disposal. (GPS use and Spread sheets are included in Google Earth Plus- available for just $20)
· It Never Gets Old!!- Because it is constantly being updated and changing, you will nearly always get up-to-date information.
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Weaknesses
· Langoliers- Some areas of the planet are unavailable in high definition or good quality and some are not available at all!
· User Friendly? - Due to Google Earth being of web 2.0 design (owned, to a point, by the people), some of the information and points of interest given in this tool are incorrect.
· Web of Complexity- Due to the fact that there are many different layers that are viewed while using the Google Earth tool; it is easy to get your view muddled as you zoom in to any given location.
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Opportunities
· I’m ready for My Close-up! With the ‘zoom’ feature in the Google Earth tool, it is easy to get a better view of the parts of the world you select.
· Constant Updates- Because the wider community is able to make changes to older information and add new information, there are constant updates to the data on this tool, keeping the user forever up-to-date.
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Threats
· Button, Button; who’s got the Button? - The tool bar on the Google Earth technology has far too many choices! This can make it difficult to use and a steep learning curve will be necessary. This tool may simply be too troublesome for some individuals who may not get so far into its use to see the benefits.
· Too Much Information!- Because this tool has so much information, the user needs a very high speed internet connection to use it!
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Google Earth (2013). In About.com. Retrieved from http://geography.about.com/od/geographicproducts/gr/googleearth.htm
Google Earth for Educators (2013). In Google Earth. Retrieved from http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/
Learn (2013). In Google Earth. Retrieved from http://www.google.com.au/earth/learn/
Why Teach With Google Earth? (2012). In Pedagogy in Action: The SERC portal for Educators. Retrieved from (http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/why.html
Great SWOT analysis Justine. Well done.
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