Using Google Earth

This was an informative assignment for me.  I have used Google earth before, of course.  Haven't we all, searching for our houses and looking at our neighbors backyards (oops, maybe that's just me).  Anyway, it's always been a pretty fun process for me, very visual.  Although I do get a twinge of motion sickness when flying around.  I guess I'm not much of a world traveler ;P

Anyway, the hardest part for me with this assignment was dealing with the web code.  Web code FREAKS ME THE HECK OUT!  It's so precise and detailed.  And I have big fingers.  I constantly type one little mistake (okay, lots of little mistakes).  Spell checker is my lifeline.  I don't have that with web code.  If I type one little error, my link, embedded image, or color just isn't going to work (and people are probably going to be able to see my messed up code).

Because I finished up my Imovie in class the day we learned about this assignment, I ended up working on the Google Earth project on my own in the lab yesterday (Monday).  Without the guiding help of our instructor, I was incredibly terrified.  I inched through the instructions, piece by piece, sure I was going to get to the end and realize I had made a fatal error that I had no idea how to fix.

When I got to the end (after hours and hours, jk), it was time to save it.  TERROR #2.  I'm not comfortable with saving on these Apple computers, nevermind the shared computers which will erase everything on the desktop when you log off.  I did end up getting it saved properly (I think).  The lesson of this assignment was??????  Jessie, stop being such a fraidy-cat, get out there and explore!

In terms for integrating this into my future classroom, I can certainly see myself creating a tour for my students.  I think it would be fun to create ones of both Oregon and the world around them.  With today's shrinking budgets, our field trips have been drastically cut.  Kids aren't getting out and exploring the world as a general part of their schooling.  It's all in-class stuff.  Google earth would be a fun way to bring a little bit of the field trip to them (this kills my sense of adventure and hands-on exploration, but it's better than nothing).

And of course, how many of our students are actually going to get to explore the world?  Creating a tour of Egypt, Africa, or the oceans of the world is not only a great way to bring those concepts to them visually, but also to help them establish a sense of geographical navigation.  As a visual person myself, I can't tell you how many geography items I learned and could recite back verbatim on a test, yet would be hard pressed to actually point them out to you on a globe.  It also helps students to make connections.  Understanding the names of what countries were allies and enemies in a world war is one thing,  Looking at their size and physical relationships to one another is another.