Google Earth is a great Tool for getting Universal Design for Learning principles into your teaching and learning. Since most of what you are teaching probably happened on planet Earth, Google Earth can connect your curriculum literally to the world.
Google Earth Download Page
Use Universal Design for Learning principles to bring STEM content to underrepresented groups of students that have not traditionally been well represented in STEM fields. So what are the Principles of Universal Design for Learning? And how are they are in Google Earth?
Principle 1 : Provide Multiple Representations of Content
Principle 2 : Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression
Principle 3 : Provide Multiple means of Engagement
Luckily for us educators, Google Earth is a tool we can use to bring these principles to our curriculum content. Rather than responding to students not learning during our lessons and adding additional instruction for them. We can use Google Earth to express complex ideas, provide context, connect to previous learning, and provide means for students to engage and express their knowledge.
If you have not used Google Earth, it is powerful tool to view satellite imagery of the worlds surface combined with information on the places pictured. If you have not interaced with Google Earth 3 or 4 year ago you have missed many exciting educational additions to the program.
Some of the most exciting elements of Google Earth from an Educational Point of View:
1. It is the Earth.
An interactive map of the entire world, I’m pretty sure that will be useful.. Hello! Connect to visual Learners! In addition to that it provides an easy way to connect to diverse learners.
2. 3d buildings
The detail buildings can bring far away places to life. In the present or the past. Take your students to the pyramids, great wall, or fly around Paris. Use real world examples to teach math. For example, measure the shadow of Burj Kalifa, the world’s tallest building, to determine its height.
3. 3d Terrain
From the Grand Canyon to Gettysburg, the combination of satellite imagery on top of a 3d dimensional map of the Earth can help us as educators connect history, science, literature, and math to the real world.
4. Travel to the moon to see very detailed imagery and APOLLO landing site (complete with little 3d models of the landers).
5. Sky
6. Ocean
7. History kmz-kml
8. Science kmz -kml
9. Lit Trips
10. Layers of Content.
11. Your Content that you create
Don’s TIP: As great as Google Earth is it is an instructional tool. Use it to teach a specific skill, idea, or create a connection to past content. An hour flying all over the world showing off stuff only makes sense if you are teaching your students about Google Earth trying induce motion sickness, otherwise keep your use focused on what you are teaching and connecting Google Earth information to your content.
Thanks,
Don McMahon
don@inclusiveteaching.com