GAIN google maps

I use google maps quite often, so learning about some feature i didn't know about was great. Google maps doesn't just give directions.

One of the feature that cam up right away was the ability to explore various places through the world wonders project. You can see various locations as well as get information on them, and even see videos about them. This would be a great resource for students who were doing projects on discovering the world.

Another feature that i learned about was the ability to see pictures taken by webcams from various locations. By hovering over the map icon you can choose to view where the web cams are and then click one to see the images. They have been taken within the last 45 mins. You can also see traffic for various areas. Selecting traffic brings up streetlights. When you click on a streetlight it takes you to that are and allow you to see What roads have fast moving traffic or slow moving traffic, and even where there is construction.

These are just a couple of features that i learned about on Google earth, and there are even more.

I looked at the google trek feature. This is so cool, because it allows teacher to take students on a virtual tour for free. Teacher can track where they want students to go, add links to websites with important information, and even add pictures. This was interesting, i had never known how to turn a word into a link before, so that was interesting to learn.  Students could travel across the country, or world in just a couple of class periods. Of course there is quite a bit of set up on the part of the teachers, but done right, it could be worth it. Setting up this google trek was very easy to do. This is a great tool for teachers to use in their classroom.