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.

Street View on the Swiss Railways...

As part of a new Google project you can now experience what it is like to ride on the scenic Swiss Railways.

An opportunity...

Contact Jamie if this sounds like you... mention my name :)

We made it....

Will be happening...

Thanks everyone for your support....

Final chance to fund MISSION EXPLORE FOOD

Please 'pre-order' a copy by supporting the production of MISSION EXPLORE FOOD.
This is the FINAL DAY to fund us.
If we don't get just over a thousand pounds by 11 tonight we don't get the funding to make what will be a superb book for young and old alike...

Spreadsheet Data in Google Earth...

Thanks to Karl Donert of digitalearth for posting about a new tool called SPREADSHEET MAPPER 2.0 from Google.
This allows the creation of maps using Google Earth....

A guide to how to use it here...

9 Eyes

A Google Street View project by Jon Rafman.
He has searched through the many images on Street View to identify some of the strange ones....

Google Street View has a range of wonderful images of course - for example, here's one of the greatest views in the UK...
I need to go back there this year if I can... The view from the top looking back is pretty good too...


View Larger Map

Create a State of Chaos

I like this little mash-up which I've seen before, but @dughall reminded me of it.
Put in your postcode and watch a robot descend on it, and create chaos...

Sadly Google Maps doesn't think my house is where it is, so it blows up a block of sheltered housing for the elderly instead... not very charitable...

Some useful environmental Google Earth layers

From this Danish site..

Street View now requires Google Earth 6

Via GEBLOG

Make sure you have an up to date version of Google Earth....

Normal service will be resumed in 2012

I'm going to take a couple of weeks away for Christmas (although I probably won't be able to resist blogging if something important happens between now and the 1st of January 2012.)

I'm going to be doing one or two things over Christmas as well as enjoying the festive cheer

• Writing a GCSE book
• Completing a major resource pack for the Ordnance Survey
• Planning out a Children's book I'm going to be writing
• Preparing for CPD events in the New Year
• Writing some Online Updates for Harper Collins
• Edits and proofreading for 2 books I'm editing that are published in early 2012
• Adding new content to my Vital Geography Portal
• Preparing some thoughts for new Curriculum consultation
• Putting together some ideas for Mission:Explore Food

On 1st of January I'll be back with various New Year thoughts...

Please join me on the 5th of January for my Teachshare on New Year New Geography


It'd be great to have your company at 7pm with your plans for the year ahead for New Year New Geography, and if you are tweeting your plans, please use the tag #nyng

Thanks to Rich Allaway for his early contribution to the tag.

Thanks to everyone who's employed me during 2011, or visited this blog and contributed in some way.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Statalogica - first thoughts...

Thanks to @eylanezekiel for leading me to Stratalogica.
Thanks also for the trial account so that I could explore the site and provide this review. You can request a 14 day free trial of your own from the Stratalogica site.

This is a mapping tool based on the Google Earth API, which offers a new option for exploring the world.

"The Learning is in the Layers" according to the strapline... and this makes the connection with GIS work.

There are several videos that you can watch to give a flavour for how the tool works, and plenty of information for first time users. There's also a GETTING STARTED TUTORIAL.

YOUR CONTENT IS EASIER TO FIND

There is no limit to the number of maps you can have in the choosers. Use the Library to change the order in your choosers and for storing content you aren't using this week or this month. We hope you enjoy the new convenience.

STRATALOGICA COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW
The team is happy to see growing use of the StrataLogica Community. The community allows users to search for and discover content created by others. Found something you like? Copy it to your gallery, rate it and add comments, remix it and post it back to the community for others to edit and adapt to their curriculum. Herff Jones | Nystrom is also contributing custom views, lesson ideas and more for all to enjoy. Visit often to see what's new, and don't be shy about sharing.

Be sure you didn't miss these recent features:

SOUTH SUDAN INDEPENDENT AS OF JULY 9, 2011
Can you find the latest addition to the family of nations? Can you name its capital? What does it look like? What about Sudan, smaller than it used to be now that South Sudan is a separate country? Find out right now on StrataLogica.

ENHANCED OPTIONS FOR SHARING
We understand the importance of sharing and collaboration in a 21st century learning environment. Many of you who enjoy our sharing and collaboration features asked for the ability to share beyond your school or district. Educators can now share custom views, lessons and presentations using Twitter, Facebook or e-mail. Look for this option in the Action menu.

GOOGLE HISTORICAL IMAGERY ADDED
Users can view historical satellite and aerial imagery. Turn it on by opening your Tool Bar and activating it in Settings. Using historical imagery provides a great opportunity for teaching about then and now, change over time and more. Use it with the Dual-map Viewer for a powerful experience. All these new features are live and ready for you to use. We look forward to learning how they are helping improve your experience with StrataLogica. Be sure to share your feedback while on the site or tweet us @StrataLogica.

Stratalogica is based on the Google Earth API, and depending on your speed of connection, once you start the tool, you will see the base layer load up before it is cloaked in a layer of mapping. There is a range of options for you to add as additional layers, and these are increasing over time as users create new content and share it.

There is a range of base maps which can be added.

Follow Stratalogica on Twitter and you will also get speedy requests to questions.

I shall be posting more on this tool in the next week or so once I get the chance to have a proper play...

VITAL Teachshare: Google Earth Placemarks

My next VITAL Teachshare will be on Wednesday the 16th of November (that's tomorrow if you're reading this today) at 7pm.
It's on ways of customising Google Earth Placemarks...

Click THIS LINK just before 7 to join me. You'll need to allow the download of the plug-in to handle the Elluminate session, which will then allow you to see and hear me, and to take part.

Don't forget to check the KEYHOLE BULLETIN BOARD to get the full range of layers and files shared by  Google Earth users. Use the SEARCH function to unearth the goodness....

This will be my little contribution to WORLD GIS DAY, which is taking place tomorrow, as part of GEOGRAPHY AWARENESS WEEK.

What are you doing for World GIS Day ? 
Why not add a touch of GIS to your teaching tomorrow...

200 up...

This is the 200th post on this blog, which isn't a lot compared to the 3000 on Living Geography, but sometimes it's quality not quantity. The blog started back in 2006, and a workshop on Google Earth at the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers conference.
At the time I'd just got an RGS Innovative Geography Teaching award to produce Earth: a Users' Guide. Which turned into this blog.. Over the years since I've continued to make use of Google Earth, and explored creative ways of using it for fieldwork, coursework and story-telling. Tom Barrett and I had an application for a Google grant (not successful on that occasion) and I've also met up with Richard Treves who has similarly made really effective use of Google Earth in higher education.

Even in the last few days, there's been the appearance of this CARBON VISUALS resource which offers some interesting ways of exploring energy efficiency in the city of London and beyond.

And now we have the significant milestone of 1 billion downloads of Google Earth



Lot of news coverage:

"Google Earth is probably one of the most downloaded applications of all time in terms of raw numbers," product manager Peter Birch told AFP.

To provide context, Google Earth and Maps vice president of engineering Brian McClendon pointed out that a billion hours ago humans were living in the Stone Age and that a billion minutes ago the Roman Empire was flourishing.

"We're proud of our one billion milestone, but we're even more amazed at the way people have used Google Earth to explore the world," McClendon said.

"When we founded Keyhole, Inc. back in 2001 we never imagined our geospatial technology would be used by people in so many unexpected ways," he continued.

McClendon was a co-founder of startup Keyhole, which Google bought in 2004 and turned into the free online Earth atlas launched in June of the following year.

The service weaves satellite images and aerial photos into 3D interactive graphics which people can zoom into, starting from space and homing in on buildings or plots of land.

Google Earth stories include that of a professor from the University of Western Australia who used it to discover ancient tombs and geoglyphs without leaving Perth.

Professor David Kennedy scrutinized Google Earth recreations of thousands of square kilometers (miles) in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, discerning clues to the whereabouts of archeological treasures.

Retired English teacher Jerome Burg created Google Lit Trips, which uses Google Earth to let readers follow paths set in famous books such as "The Travels of Marco Polo" and "The Odyssey" by Homer.

Renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle takes Google Earth users under the seas to rally allies in a quest to stop widespread devastation of marine life.

Conservation group Save the Elephants uses the Internet Age atlas to track and safeguard magnificent pachyderms.

Google Earth has been used to help clear land mines, rebuild earthquake-shattered towns, stop mining operations from blasting off mountain tops, teaching geography to children, or simply see one's home from above.

A US couple living in Ireland even used the online atlas to research an ideal place in Oregon to plant a vineyard.

They didn't see the property in person until it was time to close the deal that led to the founding of their dream winery, Grande Dalles.

"Nobody anticipated all the things people would do with Google Earth," Birch said.

"It's a little hard to know where people are going to take it next," he added. "The more you can raise awareness of how we impact the world, the more there will be a chance for change."

There's also the launch of ONE WORLD MANY STORIES

I'm going to be doing some writing next week for a new Google Earth feature which is due to be launched shortly.
Here's to the next billion downloads...

One billion downloads of Google Earth

Here's a video to celebrate...