On Google Earth

First and foremost, I want to say that controversy aside, I love Google Earth and Google Maps.
Once upon a time, I was a lowly MapQuest user...
I don't have a GPS, no turn by turn navigation for me. So when I have to go somewhere I've never been, I look it up on Google Maps. The unique and fantastic thing about this is the "street view" function. If there are tricky intersections, or weird turns that you might have to take on your route, just glance at the street view and note what the surrounding area looks like.
And which of you hasn't looked to see if your own house was on there yet?
Why just the other day as I was applying for transfer to JSC, I had to drive up there, and I looked at the street view for that five-way intersection in (I believe) Essex. The written instructions told me to go right on Maple Street and then turn left on Main Street. Really, I just had to go straight through. The other nice thing about this function is that you can look to see if there are turn lanes and whatnot, so you are prepared ahead of time.
Google Earth in particular is a lot of fun. When my sister first moved to Germany, I was able to look up her house on Google Earth, and see just how tiny of a little village she really did live in. According to Wikipedia, the population is 2,884. (Also according to wikipedia, Middlebury is over 35,000). So yeah, it's a tiny little town. But it was so cool for me to be able to go and actually see her house, without ever having been there.
The other thing that I did when I first got Google Earth was to go and look at all the places I really want to see.
The Kremlin, the Taj Mahal, the Golden Palace, the Great Wall, the Amazon Rainforest, the Sydney Opera House...
It was amazing to me that now I could actually see them. Right there.
Let's not forget the contribution that this technology has made in other areas. Now, rather than purchasing a GPS, there are applications for various cell phones that can, in conjunction with Google, provide turn by turn directions as you drive! I swear, some day we will be down to one portable device that will do it all. I mean, we're practically there but for the physical size of a computer and the greater comfort it provides for long typing/browsing sessions.
And there is so much more that can be done with Google Earth that I haven't even begun to explore. Ocean floor and surface data, Audio recorded tours! I mean, come on. You really can see the world without ever leaving your computer chair (or couch, or whatever).

I can just imagine how fantastic it would be to use this technology in the classroom. Besides exploring the world, it would provide a perfect segue to a discussion on privacy rights and safety with technology!

Thanks for reading,
Katie May