Reflection on Social Media Creation

Good day all:

My choice in using Google Maps My Maps was based on a few criteria (some not by choice). I have always felt that Google Maps has much potential. I’ve noticed that students in my classes have just enjoyed playing around with it, something that is not always true of all software. I really believe that it could be used in place of hand drawn maps in social studies (geography). As such, this is why I chose this tool – to take something that I have had my students do by hand and do it online.

Originally, I wanted to use a tool that made use of geotagging. While there are tools that allow you to post pictures online that map where that picture were taken, there is little option to develop a story (ex. panoramio). I think My Maps really allows a viewer to experience the journey or story in a deeper way – those who are viewing may be able to connect to locations and pictures more than they could to a hand drawn map.

While my story is not completely factual (it’s a combination of a number of true stories), the tool did let me develop it in a way where it could be. The tool allowed me to go back to those locations and think of why they were important. It very much streamlined my thinking, putting all events in a linear path. Also, with the ability to shift icons up or down, I could change the progress of the story. In comparison to voice or simple text, I found the tool ignited more memories to use as content for the story.

I could see this tool being used in the classroom for a number of reasons. Yet, I developed my story to match an expectation for the grade eight social studies curriculum:
“create and use a variety of maps for specific purposes (e.g.,to show land use, transportation routes, population distribution,popular tourist destinations)”
(Courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of Education)
The challenge here is to allow students access to Google Maps. As long as they have a google account, they can access the tool. This may differ from school board to school board based on firewalls and internet filters.

In the end, I think students would find this to be a rewarding experience. It gets them working with online tools, developing content, using a camera and presenting a finished product they can share with their classmates. I particularly like that the work is not “islanded” at the school. It can accessed from home, where the parents can share in the experience with their son/daughter.