Google Maps/Earth Workshop Resources
September 30, 2009
jake kulstad
jkulstad@richmond.edu - x8258
Examples from my website.
Goals
Learn key features of Google Maps and Google Earth
Create Custom Maps and Tours
Explore online tools to find data and tools
Share custom Maps and Tours with others
Understanding the basic features of KML
Google Maps
“My Maps” (log-in or create an account)
save/send/organize
GPS Visualizer tool http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/
-create KML overlay using coordinates from Google
KML factbook http://www.kmlfactbook.org/
-Good for displaying country-level data
-Adjust “Full Chart Value” to “data max”
example data query
save KML
display in Maps or Earth
Lighthouse Geospatial Data Gateway http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/
National Landcover dataset
Google Earth
-Controls
-Layers
-Geographic Web
-Roads
-Street Views
-Panoramio
-YouTube
-3D Buildings
-Terrain
Placemarks and lines
Tours
Taking a tour
Grand Canyon Example: http://www.gearthblog.com/kmfiles/GrandCanyonTour.kmz
http://www.googlelittrips.org/
http://citytours.googlelabs.com/
http://www.googletouring.com/
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/google-tour/google-tour.html
http://googlesightseeing.com/
Recording a tour
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Links:
http://sites.google.com/a/kimbridges.net/google-earth-workshop/
http://geoday.nl.googlepages.com/index
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/how.html
http://www.googlelittrips.org/
100 tools: http://mashable.com/2009/01/08/google-maps-mashups-tools/
NOAA Maps: http://demo.geogarage.com/noaa/
Wifi hotspots near UR: http://hotspotr.com
USA Photomaps http://www.jdmcox.com/
more data / pictures/options, but is a little hard to use
Handling Information Overload Workshop
September 21, 2009
Read the Harvard Business Review’s Death by Information Overload
Less is More!
Avoid the Wikipedia Effect.
- iGoogle
- Delicious
- LastPass
- Organizational Schemes
- Email
- Inbox Zero
- auto-redirecting messages to folders
- creating an e-mail DMZ
- 5 rules to empty your inbox
- emptying inbox flags and rules
- treat your inbox as a to-do list
- the “Trusted Trio” for emptying your inbox
- ToodleDo
- Data Backup and Synchronization
- get a good, cheap, highly-rated external hard drive (Newegg provides useful data)
- practice using your drive with some test data (a copy of unimportant files)
- delete test data from your computer and find out how you are going to get it back, seriously
- Once you are satisfied that you understand the nuances of the routine and scheduling, back everything up
- finally, ask yourself what would happen if your computer and the backup were compromised simultaneously
- Useful Websites:
Becoming
September 20, 2009
The language of education is most eloquent when it addresses not only what an idea used to be but what it might become.
Google Spreadsheets and Running
September 18, 2009
Skype is good for 2, but what if you need 3 or 10?
September 15, 2009
For those who are unfamiliar with Skype, it is a wonderful, free synchronous communications application that many faculty have found quite useful when they need to chat with colleagues across a distance OR hold a video-teleconference to discuss research and/or scholarship. In addition to chatting and teleconferencing, Skype also allows you to make phones calls from your computer to other computers for free… and if you want to call a domestic landline (or an international phone number), rates are as low as 2.1 cents per minute! I could go on and on about how great Skype is, however I want to make this post about:
That’s right! Tinychat, a great, new web app I recently stumbled upon, takes video-teleconferencing to the next level. Whereas Skype is great for conversations with just ONE person, Tinychat allows for multiple interactive conversations - all constrained within your web browser. No need to install any additional software (however you should be using the latest version of Flash). It also fully integrates with Twitter and Facebook, letting your students, colleagues and friends know where you are and if you’re visually accessible.
How could you use this? Well, if you teach an online class, imagine holding virtual office hours with multiple students at a time. Or, there may come a day where you can’t make it to class because of travel or family issues, and you’d like to hold a virtual meeting with your students online. Lastly, this application could be used to hold class sessions for students who may be (fingers crossed) stricken with an illness, but still need review a course lecture.
There are a variety of ways tinychat.com can be applicable, however, please take note, users of tinychat.com not regulated by any educational institution. There may be a variety of topics and conferences that are made publicly available to you upon your initial entrance to the site. Also, Tinychat.com makes its money via advertisements so you may see banners appear that try to sell you everything from travel services to cupcake pans.
At any rate, give it a try and let us know if you see benefit from its use!
LOG INTO OUR CHAT ROOM: http://tinychat.com/ctltrichmond
Voicethread make Powerpoints more powerful!
September 11, 2009
Actually, YOU have to make your PowerPoints more powerful - technology can’t necessarily do that. Take a look at Presentation Zen for great tips, tricks and advice. However! if you’re an avid PowerPoint presenter that email’s .PPT files to students and colleagues, and you’ve never used VoiceThread, prepare for a delightful paradigm shift! VoiceThread.com is a free (and quite useful) web application that will allow you to stream your PowerPoint slides online AND integrate an interactive discussion around your presentation content. One key benefit that faculty will love is the ability to add an audio narration to each slide. This narrative could include more information such as a story, additional context, or relevant examples, etc. There’s even a ‘doodle’ tool that will allow you draw on the slide as you’re emphasizing your points!
Once these initial elements have been mastered, you’ll notice that VoiceThread also opens up a plurality of opportunities for interactive discourse and community participation from students (or the Internet at large!).
Take a look at the following VoiceThread concerning the issue of “Saving Darfur”. You’ll notice how a multi-modal conversations (or threaded voices) have taken place around these political illustrations. Commenters can posit their feedback via text and audio and video recordings. I personally prefer video comments, but you have to have a web-cam on your computer to do this. If you dont have a web-cam or microphone, you can also call a phone number to leave feedback on a VoiceThread. It will record your audio over the phone, and append it to the presentation over the web! Amazing!
For more great information about Using Voicethread for interactive discourse and dialogue, feel free to take a look at Bill Ferriter wiki on what VoiceThread is and how you can use it in your courses.
Enjoy!
