Google GeoTeacher Institute 5 of 5

Just realised I never posted this at the time... sorry about that :)


The final of five posts to sum up my recent experience at the Google GeoTeachers Institute in Dublin.

The London Google GeoTeacher Institute made a little more of the extra projects that Google is involved in related to education. Since the event there have been the announcements of the new Chromebook, and the Nexus 7 tablet, which would both be of interest to educators.

There are various projects linked to Google Earth which you may find useful. The Google Outreach team are active in a lot of places - they were recently at Rio+20.

Using Google Apps ?

The GOOGLE APPS TRAINING CENTRE has a range of resources, which will be useful for anyone thinking of using these with colleagues.

Google WORLD WONDERS is worth a repeat mention - I will be doing a quick introduction to this at a Teachmeet in Cambridge in a few weeks time. Perhaps see some of you there...
I showed this yesterday at a CPD event too. More materials are due to be added.

Richard Allaway has provided some links to some of the resources on Geography all the Way that he has produced that link to the use of Google Earth.

Google Search Training
Google are putting on training during this summer on how to search for information. Many people don't use the advanced search.
Some resources on searching here.

You can sign up for the GOOGLE POWER SEARCHING academy. Register before the first course on the 10th of July. There are 6, 50 minutes sessions online, and a certificate is available for successful completion of the associated tasks...

Thanks once again to the Google Education team for organising the event, and I hope that there is continued support for UK Geographers.... 

Google Geo Teachers Institute - 3 of 5

We had a break out session on the use of KML, which was also referred to in some of the other sessions.

KML is Keyhole Markup Language - the name goes back to the software which Google bought, which became Google Earth.
The basic idea of the language is that it uses tags, which define what particular commands or text 'look like'.These can be used to adapt the resources that are used with Google Earth.

This means that the contents of a Google Earth placemark, for example, can be customised, and data visualised in different ways. This is relatively easy to do.

Jamie Buchanan Dunlop shared a link to a really useful PDF download of some of the key shortcuts.

We also explored how to import data into Google Earth from a GPS handset. Garmin devices had been used to explore St. Stephen's Green, and some tracks produced.
Some further notes are here.

Following the event, I purchased a Kindle copy of a handbook for how to use KML, which is on my iPad.
I'll let you know how I get on with it....

After the first day of the Google GeoTeacher Institute I had a quick snooze (the 3.15 start had taken it out of me) then into town for a walk through some of the famous Dublin streets, and a few pints of Guinness.... 

Google GeoTeachers Institute

I shall be in Dublin on Wednesday and Thursday this week to attend the Google GeoTeachers Institute. This will be an interesting event, given my long-term association with using Google Earth and other associated 'products' as a teacher and educator.

This goes back to the launch of Google Earth over six years ago. At the time, I got in touch with Google expressing my interest in developing materials, and they gave me a free year's license for the PRO version at the time to explore and play with, and also was successful in being awarded an Innovative Teaching award by the Royal Geographical Society to develop a users guide for Google Earth. I also started this blog at the same time, so it has been going for nearly six years as well.

Over the years since, I've been involved in a range of projects involving Google Earth, including the recent ICT Toolkit books which I edited for the GA, and the continuing work with teachers in my role at the GA, and now as a freelance geographer.
I also produced some resources for the newly launched Google World Wonders project.

Google Earth is still being developed and expanded all the time, and it is still a tool that teachers want to use.
In fact I've got an event in October in my diary when I'm going to be using it with the teachers of Aberdeen and surrounding area.

I'll be interested in hearing about a potential response to Apple's decision to have its own mapping.
Also interested in hearing about Street View Trekker, which is able to be carried into places that cars and trikes can't reach.

If you're coming along to the event too, come and say hi.

Google GeoTeachers Institute

I had a chat with Ed Parsons a year ago in Reading about doing something else for geography teachers with the tools that Google produce than their existing support.
I haven't heard anything else since, but just picked up on this opportunity for geography teachers.


Make sure that you apply using the online application form HERE

Events are taking place in Dublin and London in June.