Where has Merkador gone ?

A real shame yesterday when I was reminding myself of the Merkador website so that I could mention it at Richard Allaway's hangout session (see the previous post) when I discovered that it had gone offline in the middle of April.

Merkador was one of my favourite Google Earth sites, with some great KML files (which I hope I have saved somewhere) and the excellent resource which taught the basic skills in the form of a global quiz and challenge game...
I hope it comes back soon...

Google Earth Hangout recording

Last night, I took part in a Google Hangout on the theme of Google Earth in the curriculum. It was part of a series of presentations from the Google Education team.

It was presented by Richard Allaway, who created Geography all the Way, and talked about his planning, and also an activity which follows one of the first commercial routes: involving flying boats from Southampton to South Africa.

You can read about it on Richard Allaway's blogpost here.
You can see the mind-map that Richard used.

You can also check out the actual presentation below, and see me lurking away at the bottom, and dealing with the chat that was going on as the presentation was going on. Thanks to the folks who dropped into the presentation.

Google Earth Hangout on Monday the 6th of May

Don't forger that Richard Allaway is organising a special online event on the 6th of May.
It will take place at 8pm in the evening

This session will outline how Google Earth skills can be incorporated into the school curriculum and not just the Geography one!  This will lead to the discussion of a real, tested, classroom example of building a continuum of skill development leading towards a project planning the first commercial (1937) passenger flight from Southampton (UK) to Cape Town (South Africa) which happened to be on a boat-plane! (25 minutes)

I'll be there to help out... so I'll see you there...

The official site where you can sign up to join in or find out more information is HERE....

Atmosphere and sea surface options

I was excited to read about a few new features which have been added to Google Earth 7.1
You need to download / update your version of Google Earth to the latest one first.

You will then be able to do several things:
1. Add, or view the SUN - use the SUN icon on the top toolbar, or go to VIEW and tick SUN
2. While you're on the VIEW bar, put a tick next to WATER SURFACE
3. Go to OPTIONS (or view Preferences if you're on a Mac) and tick the new option: PHOTOREALISTIC ATMOSPHERE RENDERING.
This is a BETA option and may not work perfectly for you....

You can now bring the sun down over the water, and with a little tinkering can bring it so that it sets over the water...
Here's a quick go I just had: the sun setting over Loch Slapin, with the Cuillins of the Isle of Skye in the distance...
What can you come up with ?

Here's the Google Earth blog post where I read about the technique first...

Google Earth 7.1

We're now up to Google Earth 7.1, which was released on Monday the 22nd of April, 2013

Get it here.

Check out the new STARRY SKY feature as described on the Google Earth Blog.
There's also mention of a new motion controller....
I've still got my old SpaceNavigator joystick... must hunt out the drivers...

Digimap for Schools MapStream - WMS for Google Earth

At the start of the year I finished off a project with EDINA, who operate the Digimap for Schools MapStream service, in association with the Ordnance Survey.
This is a little like the Digimap for Schools tool, but without the tools...
Subscribers to MapStream will find that they have access to the Ordnance Survey's mapping at the same scale as Digimap, but the difference is that they stream them into their own GIS software using a WMS (web mapping service) - this works with open-source options such as Quantum GIS, but also ArcGIS and even Google Earth (I was amazed when I first saw this in action...)

One advantage of this option is that the maps are streamed to your GIS as an extra layer, so there is no data storage / installation issue. Having said that, you need a reliable and fairly fast internet connection if you want the maps of course. The cost is much cheaper than Digimap, but you need to use the tools in your GIS client, rather than the ones provided by Digimap. This may require extra time on training how to use your chosen GIS package.

If you head over to the site, you will now find that there are the first of what will be a series of educational materials for teachers, available for free download. These are particularly designed for subscribers to the MapStream service.
I wrote the materials, the cover of one is pictured to the right....
Check them out.
Subscription is just £35 a year for a primary school and £50 for a secondary school.

I will be referring to this, as well as other mapping options in my GA CPD days which will take place in Birmingham at the end of May and London at the start of June.

Google Earth Event

Richard Allaway is organising a special online event on the 6th of May.
It will take place at 8pm in the evening

This session will outline how Google Earth skills can be incorporated into the school curriculum and not just the Geography one!  This will lead to the discussion of a real, tested, classroom example of building a continuum of skill development leading towards a project planning the first commercial (1937) passenger flight from Southampton (UK) to Cape Town (South Africa) which happened to be on a boat-plane! (25 minutes)

I'm hoping to be in there to help out...
The official site where you can sign up to join in or find out more information is HERE....