Learn By Doing

A Lifelong Learner Shares Thoughts About Education

  • Reprinted from GoogleLatLong.  I was lucky enough to speak and be a part of this learning and crowdsourcing experience this summer.

    The View from the Summit: Celebrating Geo Users Across North America

    Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    Across the globe, a steadily growing community of passionate users are blazing new trails in the world of online geographic content. With the help of products like Google Map Maker, Google SketchUp and Building Maker, and Panoramio, Geo enthusiasts are harnessing the ability to add and edit various aspects of geography across 180 countries and regions in Google Maps and Google Earth.

    To celebrate the valuable contributions of our users, particularly in light of Map Maker’s United States launch in April, we felt it was time to connect with our amazing U.S. Geo Community in person. From July 20th-22nd, the Google Geo team welcomed avid mappers, 3D modelers and Panoramio photo contributors from throughout North America to our Mountain View campus for the first ever United States Geo User Summit.

    Brian McClendon addresses a rapt audience of Geo users

    The summit was an opportunity for our most active contributing users to come together to learn, teach and share best practices with one another. A Map Maker workshop brought everyone up to speed on solid mapping practices and ways to add that next level of comprehensiveness to the map. Google reviewers also made the trip to Mountain View, CA to connect directly with users and give them the inside scoop on what goes into reviewing an incredible number of mapping edits each day, while offering insight to both new and experienced mappers. The user-generated unconference sessions also gave everyone a chance to troubleshoot, voice ideas, and brainstorm potential new product features with Googlers. There was also plenty of playtime, including an RC Car Scavenger Hunt, which had teams of summit attendees chasing remote controlled toy cars to points of interest across the Google campus. Ultimately, however, the event served as a forum for users to share their amazing and inspiring stories with fellow members of the Geo community.

    Geo users mark their place on the map

    Hearing their stories and perspectives was definitely the highlight of the summit. For example, Sophia Sallas-Brookwell, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, introduced her plan to implement Map Maker as a means of addressing the inequitable distribution of healthy food options in Chicago’s South Side. Educator John Walker described his extensive use of mapping and 3D modeling in his Gresham, Oregon classroom, and how he encourages his high school students to leave a thoughtful footprint in the world. Many other users also shared their tips, tricks, and motivations, igniting a noticeable enthusiasm among attendees.

    Googlers and Geo users join forces on Google’s Mountain View Crittenden Campus

    If you weren’t among the crowd at this summer’s U.S. Geo User Summit, feel free to visit the event website, where you can browse photos of featured speakers, brainstorming sessions, and RC toy cars escaping into the sunset. Extensive session notes and presentations are also available. If you’re interested in attending future events, please see the Map Maker Events Calendar, 3D Events Calendar and Panoramio Events Calendar. This summit was just the beginning of an ongoing celebration of the passionate mappers, modelers, and photo contributors around the world.

    Posted by Lori Savageau, Community Manager, Google Map Maker

  • I am still absorbing what I learned at the Google Geo User Summit.  I presented a quick presentation on what I work on with my learners and the slides are below.  Note that I rarely read my slides, although I did read the title on this one, I mostly use them to remind attendees of highlights of my talk.

    I learned a great deal and am still internalizing it, learning new tools, and absorbing everything I heard from so many interesting people.  Of course I am plumbing two bathrooms in my house, so this will come in fits and starts.  I am convinced, now more than ever, it is time to get your learner out in the world, learning to create there own job, and Google Geo tools are a great path.  Email if you want details faster than I post.

  • Google released their  Q3 Think Quarterly paper and it is a solid short read to inspire thought as well as generate topics to talk about.

    Innovation

    In 2003, a total of five exabytes of data existed. Now we generate that every two days. We are, literally, more creative than ever.

    Where to begin? Right here. We’ve curated big ideas from heads of industry, leading experts and our homegrown visionaries — all to help guide your own thinking. In this issue, we focus on Innovation. Where can you break molds and shape the future? We hope this gives you inspiration, insight, and some new ideas of your own.

  • The folks at Marketing Tech Blog have created a Do It Your Self Guide to Infographics as an Infographic!

     I know what you’re thinking… another Infographic? Wait… I know I’ve been on a roll lately publishing every marketing infographic I can find on the Internet, but this one’s really great. If you’re wondering why there’s been explosive growth in Infographics, the folks at Voltier Creative have made… you got it… an Infographic explaining just that! We develop infographics for our clients and think this is a perfect explanation!

    (more…)

  • Wondering what the next model of Teaching might be.  Look at Learnable which will host your online course for a cut of the fee.  But if you are hosting  a course, or tutoring, in your own location, even if on your own Moodle, I find that TeachStreet appears to be a better setup.  It seems to me that this model is going to convert to a hybrid style classroom very well and allow a teacher to extend their practices beyond their original school classroom.  The question is going to be, in a competitive world where a student can take your course, or someone else’s, how good are you?