Electronic+Geography

Session Description:
Did you know that according to a [|2006 National Geographic-Roper Survey:]


 * 37% of young American can find Iraq on a map
 * 47% could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia
 * 75% were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East
 * 20% of young American think Sudan is in Asia
 * 50% of 18-24 year old Americans can't find New York on a map

If our students are going to live in a "flat world" they need to understand geography and intercultural literacy. **Any** discipline can be approached from a geographic perspective, and digital cartography brings an interactive dimension to maps and globes that engages students and facilitates geography and culture across the curriculum.

This workshop will introduce participants to the two most popular cartographic applications for the classroom; Google Maps and Google Earth. Google Maps offers custom maps, street view, photo, video, Wikipedia, and webcam overlays, and the ability to easily create placemarks with text, images, and video. Google Earth brings an added dimension to the world and its new features include historical imagery, oceanic data, and the ability to create narrated tours. These free and easy to use tools can transform your students' understanding of and appreciating for their world.

You will learn 1. How to approach your discipline from a geographic perspective 2. Fundamental features of Google Maps and Google Earth 3. How to create custom 2D and 3D geographic content that meets your curricular needs

Presenter Bio: Patrick Woessner, St. Louis, MO
Patrick Woessner is a middle school educator with nearly 20 years of experience in public and independent schools. A Minnesota native (and U of MN graduate), he began his teaching career in New Zealand, migrated to Texas, and then moved to St. Louis in 1994 to teach at [|MICDS]. After serving as the Science Department Chair for eight years, he assumed his current position as the Middle School Coordinator of Instructional Technology in 2002 after completing his MAT in Educational Technology at Webster University.

Patrick has presented at numerous conferences, including the National Science Teacher’s Association, Midwest Educational Technology Conference, and Lausanne Laptop Institute, been featured in publications including ASCD Express and the MacArthur Foundation’s Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning, and currently serves as a online book reviewer for Stenhouse Publishing and public relations chair for the K12 Online Conference. He shares his insight on all things education-related at his blog, **Technology in the Middle.**