Why did you choose this particular tools?
The story I chose to tell was about my own experience traveling. Google Maps was the right tool for several reasons. In the context of social studies and of traveling, I don’t believe that a story necessarily has to be sequential in order to understand it. Google Maps affords both a sequential or non-sequential viewing experience that can be determined by the viewer and facilitated by the ordered plots along the left side of the map (a sequential experience) or the scattered location plots on the map itself (a non-sequential experience). In reference to my story, my trip obviously took place in a certain order but to understand my thoughts on a city or to view my images one does not need to view each part in order.
I wanted to express that my travels were not linear events but rather interconnected events that were many individual experiences that also formed a collective whole. Google Maps was the tool that could best represent this due to several features.
1) The ability to colour code locations. Note that blue markers were my first trip and green markers were my second trip with London as the sole yellow marker because it was a part of both trips.
2) The ability to “symbol code” locations. The thumbtacks represented overnight stays whereas the raindrop markers represented daytrips.
3) The ability to draw routes. Google Maps allowed for me to draw my route of travel and also colour code them.
4) The ability to allow for sequential and non-sequential viewership.
5) The ability for me to situate locations on or near a map so that viewers can physically see the locations and the distances between them.
How did the tool impact the manner in which you told your story (perhaps in a way that is different had you just used text or related the story using your voice)?
I certainly could have written an essay about my travels but it was more engaging, meaningful and interesting to tell my story instead through Google Maps. My story feels more personalized through Google Maps because I am able to add my own pictures and since the writing is in snippets based on the location rather than essay style, it felt most comfortable to write in an informal, blog style to make it more personal.
How might you use such tools in your own teaching to produce materials for students?
A story telling approach in the social studies classroom using social media allows for students to create outside of the static Web 1.0 in the dynamic Web 2.0. In reflection, I can already see how a story telling approach in Google Maps would enhance a project that I have already done with students. Previously, I had students complete a “Lonely Planet” assignment where they used Powerpoint to create a slideshow meeting specific criteria about a country that they wanted to visit using their newly acquired information literacy skills. However, even after spending many weeks on this, most students could not situate their country on a map! Had I used Google Maps to have students write a fictional story about traveling in a country of their choosing that demonstrated knowledge about the country, students would be physically creating on top of the map.
Furthermore, Google Maps could be utilized as a much more dynamic way of having students report on summer vacation, field trips or camps
How might students be given access to the same authoring tools?
Thankfully, Google Maps is free to use. All that is required is a Google login which can be individually created by students with only basic information or which can be generically set up by the teacher. A login is essential so that maps can be saved. I think the best way to go here would be a class account so all of the maps are easily accessible.
What kind of impact would you expect to see in your students in terms of motivation, creativity, or any other characteristics?
I would absolutely expect to see students become more motivated because of this tool. I actually really enjoyed creating my story and didn’t look at it as “an assignment that was being forced upon me “. I would expect that students would be more motivated to create in Google Maps because it allows them creativity with respect to what images they can add and how to organize their map points. The nature of the map points would also allow for an otherwise lengthy report to be broken up since students aren’t continuously writing but rather plotting, adding images, writing, coding etc. as they see fit.