Flying with Google Earth

This week I spent some time exploring and playing with the Google Earth download available through Google. I've heard so much about it and seen it used mostly just for fun. Now that I have downloaded it I've realized what an awesome tool it could be in a classroom. With budget cuts and funding in schools being revoked, as well as the logistics usually involved, field trips are scarce at every level of school, but Google Earth would enable me to take a class half way across the world to look directly at some of the things we are studying. They have really neat historical and location features that I could use to show landmarks, geographical areas, cities, and interesting sites that correspond with lessons. This goes nicely with the last TPACK exploration that I did about virtual field trips as well. To pair a virtual tour of the Smithsonian with a walking tour of downtown Washington D.C. and the Smithsonian museums would be an incredibly effective lesson without leaving my classroom. Here is a screenshot I took while I was exploring the MSU campus -

Another feature that could be really useful is the Tour function. This allows you to record and share a tour of a specific area and provide narration. This could be used to either supplement a lecture or lesson, or as a presentation school for student projects.

Also, here is a really interesting blog (unofficial yet endorsed by Google) that explains some of GoogleEarth's features, gives tips, and information related to using the download.

My Very Own Website!

I just put the finishing touches on my midterm project for CEP 416. So far, it is the majority of my online portfolio including my resume and a potential lesson plan using technology. I am very proud of it considering a few months ago I was happy to be using e-mail effectively! I am really impressed with the amount I have learned and the amount of information I can actually see myself using in a classroom. I would love feedback or input of any kind about my work. Check it out - Lauren's Website

Finally..

Here is the finished project of the presentation I posted the other day. I added a narration using VoiceThread. I can totally see the benefits of using this in more of a business or networking sense but it is harder to apply in a classroom - seeing as how I would be delivering the lecture in person. Something like this really could revolutionize how teachers give students their work for days they were absent though. Enjoy!

Small World

Earlier this week I attended a lecture by Leonard Slatkin, the music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Music has always been a huge part of my life and I think the impact that being part of the arts community throughout grade school made a really significant impact on who I am today. Slatkin's lecture touched on a lot of topics including his past, quirky stories about his family and his incredibly impressive personal resume. One of the main points of his lecture was the importance that music and arts education has in schools. He spoke so passionately about the profound change that music can have on an individuals life. That music and the community that it creates gives people a sense of pride and belonging, as well as a connection to culture, history, and a creative outlet.

Everyone always says "oh it's such a small world". I truly do believe this, not just between people and relationships, but also between ideas and experiences. The beginning part of Slatkin's lecture was about how involved his family was in music (both of his parents were principal musicians for major motion picture companies)and how music has always provided a type of solace for many during tough times. He explained that right after WWII there was a huge push in the arts community to commission plays and pieces of music. It also led to the development of many local symphonies and dance companies. For some reason, our country is currently in a similar state of turmoil and financial strife, yet more and more schools and communities are cutting music and arts programs from the budget.

Parts of the lecture made me think about a lot of different things in relation to my experiences with music and how it has shaped me. It also surprisingly made me think a lot about music's interaction with technology. I know that is sounds like I am fishing for a connection but it really seemed to make sense. (On a side note, it was also one of the first times I thought "I should blog abou this" which is an altogether new experience.) Technology has had such a major influence on the way we experience and access music. From production and recording to performances, technology has completely revolutionized how we experience music, art, and performances. But has it been for the better? I think that our immediate connections to music and art on such a huge scale through the internet has made live performances more obsolete, but it has also provided these things to access a larger audience than ever though possible several decades ago. I would really like to explore this further!