I just love this advertisement for renewable energy…
Archive for January, 2008
An Ofsted report has just lambasted the state of geography teaching in the UK. The report based on inspections over the last three years found that geography was the worst-taught subject and that pupils saw it as boring. Now, most of us know that this isn’t true - geography teachers up and down the land continue to inspire and engage young people with the world around them.
But, here’s the bit I really agree with. Ofsted want more fieldwork (bye-bye cotton-wool culture), and more relevance (hello climate change and fair trade).
There is so much scope for making geographical learning exciting, engaging and inspiring.
Digital Explorer wants to bring the world to the classroom in as many ways as possible using the latest technology.
If you work for the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) then contact us, or please forward this on if you have contacts.
We have plans to change completely the way that young people interact with the world. Come on board.
I was asked this question by a teacher who had come on a Digital Explorer Google Earth course:
Sorry to trouble you with this simple question, but I had your details, having come to one of your Google Earth training days in the summer. Having used Google Earth more since then, it is clear that having an upgraded use via Google Earth Plus would be excellent, but I am not sure whether the average price ($20 pa) is per computer, or establishment. The school is obviously happy to pay out the odd tenner, but not much more!
Do you know, please?
I thought that my reply may be useful to other teachers looking at the same issue.
The license price is per logon account/computer, not per establishment. Google have not yet decided to develop an educational pricing scheme for Google Earth. In reality you can use the same logon for two computers. The one extra function that is useful with Google Earth Plus is the GPS data handling. I imagine that you would only be using GPS with KS4/KS5 and I am not sure how many units you have.
My advice would be:
- Ask your IT technicians to set up additional use accounts for pupils using GPS units - e.g. gps1 to gps6 or however many units you have
- Label the machines that you have in the nearest computer room to your KS4/5 geography teaching rooms with these user accounts
- Purchase half as many Google Earth Plus licenses as you have GPS units
- Upgrade Google Earth to Google Earth Plus on the GPS machines, using your new gps1, etc. login details (you can use the same Google Earth Plus account details for two machines)
This way you will have computing capacity to match your GPS units.
More information about how to upgrade to Google Earth Plus and its benefits
Do comment on this post, if you have any other queries or have another solution.
Great for all those heading south. Your progress can now be followed on Google Earth with newly updated satellite imagery. The imagery stops at about 82.5 degrees South as there is no satellite imagery available this close to the pole.
Find out more about the update at the Google LatLong blog.
There is a call for as much user generated content (images, video, etc.) as possible to be added to this newly enhanced area. So, get going and if you need any help then let us know.
Have a look at Digital Explorer’s work for Wilderness Expertise, a youth expedition company, designing a series of Virtual Expeditions with Google Earth.
It’s great to see the Digital Explorer methodology slowly branching out into the mainstream.
