Google Geo Teacher Institute - Day 1

The day of learning began with keynote speaker, Angus King, the former governor of Maine. Governor King is very passionate about education, particularly technology in education. In 2002, King launched the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, a program which provides a MacBook to every public school student in grades 7 - 12 in the state of Maine. This is known as a 1:1 program.

The clear message Governor King delivered to the Googlers in the room was this: Classroom technology is a tool and it must be used properly. Teachers need to engage their students and teach them to think, be creative, find answers and understand information. We should teach our students to be good digesters, not good regurgitators. Technology is a powerful classroom tool but teachers must have the training and understanding to use it properly and effectively.

Next on the agenda was Jerome Burg, the creator of Google Lit Trips. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Burg this summer during the Google Teacher Academy and I am more impressed than ever! Google Lit Trips are free downloadable files that mark the journeys of characters from books and stories on the surface of Google Earth. At each stop along the way there are placemarks with pop-up windows containing a variety of resources. The focus of a Google Lit Trip is to create engaging and relevant literary experiences. It puts the the reader inside the story and really only makes sense if you are currently reading or have previously read the accompanying literature. Mr. Burg is quick to point out that a Google Lit Trip is NOT like using Spark Notes or Cliffs Notes. The experience is designed to stimulate higher level thinking skills and allow students to make connections. 

Next up - Michael Hathorn and his amazing tales of he and his students literally putting Hartford, Vermont on the map using Google SketchUp. He and his enthusiastic students created a digital history of their tiny New England town by constructing 3D models of the town's tiny buildings and geo-locating them in Google Earth. More information regarding Google SketchUp to follow - that was my afternoon break out session and I learned a ton!

 Still before lunch I was schooled in Motion XGPS, aggregating data, Google Fusion Tables and Geospatial Thinking. The training was intensive and fast paced. I loved every minute of it! I took notes, tweeted about my experience and basically just tried to keep up. Tomorrow's focus: Google Earth and Google Maps.