Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Tagging Google Maps

Tim Lauer has found a new use for Google Maps, MyGuestmap, a guest book that allows viewers to mark and comment upon locations.


I like the idea of tagging locations on a map. Could think of lots of ways that we could use this at school. Having student research the local neighborhood history and then use a map such as this to tag the locations. MyGuestmap allows for the inclusion of a message and a URL link. Students could write about neighborhood landmarks and then point to them using this tool...


My first unit this fall will center around family history, places or origin, and immigration/migration. Using MyGuestmap, there could be a class map where each student indicates where one of her families originated. Each student could then have her own map, using the different colors of pins to show various events in the family's immigration/migration.

These events could then be linked to blog entries where the student assumes the persona of one or more relatives and writes a first person account of the journey through that person's eyes.