Google Notes from CUE - Maps Earth SketchUp and Sites

This is Part 3 of my notes from the day-long Advanced Google Workshop for Educators at CUE 2010.  Part 1 of the workshop covered Google Search.  Part 2 covered Google Docs Spreadsheets and Forms.

KML works with Maps now.  So you don't need to download Earth (and avoid speed, bandwidth and installation problems) to work with KML.

Lack of a Digitial Divide

• "Some of our students don't have internet access" is not an excuse.
• Kyle has the facts: 74% internet access in homes nationwide.  Urban areas have McDonald's Starbucks and Panera.
• There is surprising penetration of smartphone access even in areas underserved by conventional access.

Collaborating with and Customizing Google Maps

• We used an example of "where in the world would you go on vacation" to drop placemarks on a shared world map.
• Hint: Use first name (of your students, for example) in the title so you can track who has contributed which placemark.
• You can add images or other HTML stuff to your placemark's description by using the Rich Text option.  Images must be URLs (uploaded to Picasa or gotten from the web).  Hint: Keep images in a Picasa album so they won't become broken links if they are pulled down.  Click "Done" and then click on the placemark to make sure the image got inserted correctly.
• You can embed videos by using the Edit HTML option when editing the placemark.  You may have to adjust the YouTube embed code's width and height parameters (in two places) to get the embedded video to fit nicely in the placemark pop-up window.  Don't forget to click Save and Done after editing before trying it out.

Curriculum Ideas

• Cataloguing the travels of St. Paul for religion studies.
• Embed Vocaroo lessons recorded in foreign languages on placemarks in foreign countries.  Note to self: learn more about school uses of Vocaroo!
• Use draw line, draw shape and then measure the distances between places.  You can measure your own school, and use a trundle wheel (in the real world!) to verify.  Discuss accuracy issues.
• Start with your school and move out to nearby and then farther places.

Map Creation and Sharing

• Search for a map already created before building your own!
• Import KML, KMZ or GeoRSS data when you create a new map to bring in information from another map.
• When creating a new classroom map for you - save as Unlisted.  You can still share the map and allow your students to colloborate, but it will not be searchable.
• You can subscribe to a map's RSS feed to find out to track changes and change authors.  Show students how this works so they are aware of how to track collaborators' changes.

SketchUp

• Not enough time in the preso to discuss this terrific application, but here are a few leads:
• Get students to teach teachers how to use it.  Students can submit designs to Building Maker, great motivator to see your building on Google Earth!
• Use Aidan Chopra's SketchUp YouTube channel.  Another reason not to block YouTube.
• See anything by Bonnie Roskes.
• You can get SketchUp Pro free for educators, but not necessary for most applications.

Google Sites Ideas, Tips and Tricks

• Go paperless!
• ePortfolios, especially using Google Apps.  Dr Helen Barrett has a ton of information on how to set this up.  Set up templates with self-assessment rubrics.  Apply to be in Dr Barrett's Using Google Apps for ePortfolios discussion group.
• Ken has a nice graphic he uses to let students know exactly what the organization and content of their ePortfolios should be.
• Have students host all of their presentations in a Site.  Then link to students' Sites from your classroom Site.  No more thumb drives, wondering where documents are stored.
• Hint: Keep your syllabus in a Google Doc, then link to it from your Site.  Automatically kept up to date if you check "automatically publish."
• When creating new Sites, you can specify the users who can view your Site.  In Google Apps, you can also limit visibility to domain users.
• Sites Insert menu is integrated with your Docs, Maps, and other Google content.
• Be careful to "Put page under" rather than at top level when you create a new page.
• Avoid Sites size limits by putting your content into Docs and embedding them, rather than putting the content right into the Site.