Category Archives: Geoliteracy

One activity I enjoyed from EDCP 432 was our use of Google Earth in understanding the underlining factors involved with natural disasters like volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes. Google earth provided the spatial awareness of these threats and it allows to gain a realistic perspective. Linking the tectonic plates and ring of fire volcanoes to the latest disasters that have been in the news provides students with the interconnected relations we share with other countries. I think it is easy for students to dismiss global disasters because it feels so far removed from their lives. But by showing the oceanic plates, how volcanoes are formed, and the registered earth quakes on Google Earth, the global disasters don’t seem so foreign and empathy can grow.

Harnessing this growing knowledge and empathy, students then switch to the online computer game “Stop Disaster.” The game does a powerful job at going beyond the physical impact disasters have to the importances of socio-cultural problems and emphasizing on the economic sustainability that is so important in the bigger picture.

I personally have been interested in incorporating games into my classroom. I have read the power in gamifying my classroom and how it engages multiple learners. Computer games have a unique ability to engage players, subconsciously teach, and promote mastery learning. I love the idea of incorporating this game because I see it engaging those kids that struggle to pay attention. I can also see those students being persistent in their playing, desperately trying to perfect their strategy in winning the game.

But it is important to go beyond just playing the game and reflect on the playing strategies and how it relates to the real world. I love how the next stage to the lesson was going back to google earth and applying what we learned from the game to a real place that is relatively close to home. Clearly this lesson hits on the three concepts of geo-literacy: interactions, interconnections and implications.

I would be interested in using google earth in respect to analyzing different cultures and aboriginal education. Off the top of my head, one could analyze the landscape of BC or the lower mainland and make inferences on the cultures of BC’s First Natives. There may be opportunity to compare the diversity of the physical geography with the cultural diversity amongst the different aboriginal nations.

I really enjoyed our lesson on Infographics. In teaching this class, students are active in producing there findings into a medium that is clean and concise. The assignment lends itself well to the interests of many students with its components of art, technology/research, and current events. This teaching method provides entry points for multiple learners and for them to use multiple sources for their information. This is a terrific activity that encourages critical thinking and communication – two of the key themes in the revamped Social Studies curriculums. Students can then reflect on their work with comparisons to other groups projects and see similarities between them.

I am a big proponent of teaching methods to invite students to be active participants in their learning. The next stage I would like to see is increasing the ceiling of this activity by allowing students to use this to contribute to something greater in one aspect or another. If that means via social media, traditional media, or simply raising awareness/forwarding knowledge locally within their community.

One interesting point that I believe comes with working with infographics is that since that they relay messages in a more positive manner. They are meant to be engaging and aesthetically pleasing and it is a fantastic way to relying information that is typically dry or depressing. With the nature of infographics, students may feel encouraged to produce their content and research in a (more) positive light. This sort of setting could be useful when working with sensitive content such as aboriginal education and cultural diversity.

Regardless of the topic, this activity no doubt engages learners to think critically, creatively and reflectively to generate innovative solutions.