School Grounds ProjectsUsing Google Tools

School Grounds Projects Using Google Tools

compiled by Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop Digital Explorer 71 Regents Studios London E8 4QN t: 07951 973249 e: info@digitalexplorer.co.uk w: digitalexplorer.co.uk © 2008 Digital Explorer CIC © 2008 Google All rights reserved #

Contents 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Background to Digital Explorer 2 1.2 Making It Happen 3 1.3 Curriculum Links - Geography 4 1.4 Other Curriculum Links 8 2. Getting Started 9 2.1 Talking to IT support at school 10 2.2 Equipment 13 2.3 Pre-work 16 2.4 Child Protection 20 3. Session 1 - What are the issues? (Digital photography) 21 4. Session 2 - What can we do? (Blogger) 23 4.1 Changing the look of Blogger 26 4.2 Writing a New Post 28 4.3 Inserting an Image 29 5. Session 3 - Creating a Virtual Tour (Google Earth) 30 5.1 Session 3a - Finding out more... 31 5.2 Session 3b - Google Earth skills 33 6. Session 4 - The Way Forward… (Google Maps) 38 6.1 Creating a Maps Post 42 7. Session 5 - Gaining support (Digital video) 43 7.1 Making video for web 44 7.2 Uploading Video to Blogger 46 8. Session 6 - Bringing it all together 47 Appendix 1 - Using GPS 48 Appendix 2 - Google Earth Version 4.3 53

Acknowledgements School Grounds Projects Using Google Tools has been developed with the kind support of Google UK. Many thanks to Kate Hammond and Liz Ericson. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to trial some of the Digital Ex-plorer techniques on a more local level. Thanks also to the pupils and staff at Eastbury Comprehensive School, who were amazing, enthusiastic and talented. Special thanks to Ruth Owen and Tracy Knight for all their help and support. The amazing film was made by the wonderful Jonny Madderson of Just So Films. Thank you for all your hard work. Continuing thanks to Mark Thackara at Olympus UK for the digital cam-eras that we used for photography and video during the pilot. And thank you to Marjan Shirzad for making sure that it all happened.

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1. Introduction This is a how-to manual to make the most out of your school grounds as a place for investigation, enquiry and inspiration for the pupils at your school. Fieldwork and environmental issues start right on your doorstep and there is not better way to sidestep the red tape, bureaucracy, anxiety and stress of an offsite visit, by making the best out of this fantastic re-source. This manual gives you the tools to run an exciting 6 to 8 one hour ses-sion school grounds project and sets out how to use a range of ICT and multimedia tools to add an extra dimension to your teaching and learn-ing strategies. When Digital Explorer trialled this project at Eastbury Comprehensive School, Barking, Essex, we could not have hoped for better results. The pupils and staff were fantastic. We worked through a 5 week enquiry into the state of the school environment, focusing on recycling and lit-ter, all in time to present a stunning presentation to the senior manage-ment team at the school (see the project blog at http://ecointheeast.blogspot.com). You don’t have to copy what we did in the pilot, but please feel free to steal, change, adapt and mix the ideas and techniques outlined in this manual to make your own school grounds based project. Here are some ideas about how you might use the manual in a school context: Run an after-school environmental school club Geography unit of work on micro-climates; any environmental

issue from resource use to litter; or on sustainability issues Science unit of work on biodiversity or ecosystems Citizenship unit of work exploring sustainability and local issues

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1.1 Background to Digital Explorer

A little bit about the people behind this manual. In a nutshell, Digital Explorer is a pioneering social enterprise working to develop young people’s emotional engagement with the wider world through technology and exploration. Digital Explorer provides a solution by putting young people at the cen-tre of the education process, taking select groups of talented young communicators on curriculum-based expeditions and projects and us-ing the latest technologies to broadcast their experiences to an online audience of thousands. This has meant projects in North Africa, the Middle East and Antarctica to date, with a China expedition coming in Spring 2009. We wanted to share some of the techniques that we use, but in a for-mat that doesn’t require heading off to another country or far-flung mountain range. School Grounds Projects are a great opportunity to conduct an environmental enquiry using multimedia tools and inspiring young people to make positive change. The techniques in this manual still utilise the main elements of the Digital Explorer model: Having pupils at the centre of the learning process, creating and

communicating their ideas, thoughts and feelings about their en-vironment

Using the internet to communicate on a real-time basis about the progression of the enquiry and to share this with a wider audience

Use of digital mapping techniques to create a strong link be-tween data, digital media and location

Ensuring that project work is closely linked to the curriculum and making explicit cross-curricular links

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1.2 Making It Happen

You have two choices about using the contents of this manual in your school. If you are not yet confident in the use of some of the techniques used in this manual (Google Earth, Google Maps, Blogger and Digital Video), it may be best to follow the session outlines fully. Because the pilot was run as an after-school enrichment, you will need to do one of the fol-lowing: Set up an after-school geography club (social and environmental

studies in Scotland) Set up an after-school citizenship club (England only) Work with the student council who may form an environmental or

green group to work on the project If you are a confident user of ICT and multimedia techniques in your teaching you may want to adapt the project to meet your own curricu-lum needs. In the next section, we outline some of the reasons why a school grounds project is a great way to deliver parts of the geography cur-riculum.

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1.3 Curriculum Links - Geography

School grounds projects have strong links with the geography curricula in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In particular there are great opportunities to make a start on some of the new curriculum opportunities as curricula are being revised: Enquiry-based learning Use of ICT and multimedia approaches to learning Strong development of positive attitudes and values to learning Use of GIS (geographical information systems) As Geography Teachers or teachers interested in developing a geo-graphical aspect to your project, the best resource to create curricu-lum links will be you, your Head of Department or other experienced teacher. Each school is different and you will all have different priorities, so here are some broad ideas about linking to the Geography curricula across the UK.

There are some great opportunities to meet a lot of the aspects of the new curriculum for Key Stage 3. If you have a look at the new curricu-lum opportunities online (http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/geography/) or your own copy, you will see that a school grounds based project such as this meets most of them. In particular: use varied resources, including maps, visual media and geo-

graphical information systems undertake fieldwork investigations in different locations outside

the classroom, individually and as part of a team make links between geography and other subjects, including citi-

zenship and ICT, and areas of the curriculum including sustainabil-ity

1.3.1 Geography Curriculum in England

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The following key concepts can be covered in a school grounds pro-ject: Place Interdependence Environmental interaction Sustainable development Pupils will also be able to develop skills in the following key processes: Geographical enquiry Fieldwork and out of classroom learning Visual literacy Geographical communication

School grounds projects link most strongly to the Environmental Studies section of the 5-14 Curriculum. In particular, helping pupils to develop the following knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes: Knowledge and Understanding (Social Studies / Geography) Using maps The physical environment (weather and climate) Human - physical interactions (environmental issues and sustain-

ability) Skills (Social Studies / Geography) Preparing for tasks Carrying out tasks Reviewing and reporting on tasks Attitudes (Social Studies) Commitment to learning Social and environmental responsibility

1.3.2 Geography Curriculum in Scotland

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1.3.3 Geography Curriculum in Wales

The use of School Grounds Projects enables geography teachers in Wales to develop pupils’ skills knowledge and understanding within the geography curriculum. In particular: Geographical Enquiry and Skills When studying places and environments, pupils should be given oppor-tunities to: Identify questions about geographical features and issues and

establish an appropriate sequence of investigation Identify the evidence required and collect, record and present it Analyse and evaluate the evidence, draw conclusions and com-

municate findings, ideas and information in an appropriate way In undertaking geographical enquiry, pupils should be taught to: Undertake fieldwork Make maps and plans Select and use photographs, including satellite images to inform

their studies Use ICT to gain access to additional information sources and to

assist in handling, presenting and analyzing geographical evi-dence

Use problem-solving and decision-making skills to address geo-graphical issues

Pupils should be taught about: Weather and climate and how and why aspects of weather and

climate vary from place to place Ecosystems Environmental Issues and how considerations of sustainable de-

velopment affect environmental planning and management

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1.3.4 Geography Curriculum in N. Ireland

Schools Grounds Projects fit well into the Environment and Society: Ge-ography section of the curriculum in Northern Ireland. Developing pupils as Contributors to Society Pupils should have opportunities to: Explore how we can play a role in helping to promote a fairer world for all, for example, draw up a school recycling and/or Fair Trade policy; valuate different types of aid. (Key Element: Citizenship) Developing pupils as Contributors to the Economy and the Environment Pupils should have opportunities to: Explore how we can exercise environmental stewardship and help pro-mote a better quality of life for present and future generations, both locally and globally, for example, sustainable classrooms, eco-schools, Citizenship Action Projects, resource and waste management strate-gies, promotion of geo- and biodiversity, sustainable towns/cities, con-servation of natural resources, eco-tourism, Fair Trade, etc. (Key Element: Education for Sustainable Development) Use of School Grounds Projects also enables pupils to meet all of the stated learning objectives: Demonstrate skills in using maps, fieldwork equipment and meth-

ods of data collection in undertaking geographical enquiry Research and manage information effectively to investigate geo-

graphical issues, including using ICT where appropriate Show deeper geographical understanding by thinking critically

and flexibly, solving problems and making informed decisions, demonstrating and using ICT where appropriate

Demonstrate creativity and initiative when developing ideas and following them through

Work effectively with others Demonstrate self-management by working systematically, persist-

ing with tasks, evaluating and improving own performance Communicate effectively in oral, visual, written and ICT formats,

showing clear awareness of audience and purpose

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School Grounds Projects have great relevance to the Science curricula in the UK. The adaptation of this manual to the science curriculum is in the hands of talented science teachers up and down the country, but we feel that there is great opportunity to link into themes such as: Scientific investigation Classification of species/organisms Links between human acitivity and the natural environment Understanding of evidence Interdependence and eco-systems

1.4 Other Curriculum Links

The techniques used in this School Grounds Project manual can be ap-plied to other subject areas, in particular Science and Citizenship. The following cross-curricular themes are also covered: ICT across the curriculum Multimedia approaches to learning Education for Sustainable Development Out of classroom learning

1.4.1 Curriculum Links - Science

1.4.2 Curriculum Links - Citizenship

The format of this project is applicable to the Citizenship curriculum in England and especially active citizenship. It can provide opportunities for pupils to: Negotiate and make decisions Take into account an array of viewpoints when making change Focus on a community issue Work as a team

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2. Getting Started There are a few things that you will need to do to prepare to run a School Grounds Project at your school and a bit of preparation in the beginning will save a lot of stress further down the line. There is quite a lot of ICT involved as well as project management and group work. Some of the ICT may seem a little daunting at times, but remember that you will have key experts who will be with you all the way - the pupils in your class. So the first key step is to find the ICT-savvy, switched on, eco-friendly pupil in your school and get them on board. Every school seems to have at least one. Once you have done that, the rest of this chapter will take you through: 1. Talking to your IT support in school to make sure that everything is

set up the way you need it 2. Making sure that you have the right equipment to make this work

and some guidance about buying equipment if you think you need it

3. Some pre-work about setting up the project, user accounts, etc. 4. Some child protection and legal matters to think about and make

sure you get right (liaise with senior management and/or the edu-cation authority)

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2.1 Talking to IT support at school

If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can just photocopy this sec-tion and take it to your technical team at school. They also might be the ones in charge of ICT room and equipment booking. If so, show them the next section as well. You will need to be able to do the following in school: Have pupils accessing Google Earth Have pupils using Google Maps Have pupils upload images and video from a digital camera to

their own account Create a new project folder in your school’s shared area or virtual

learning environment (accessible by students and teachers) Set up new Google Mail accounts for pupils Set up and use Blogger View video online

2.1.1 Using Google Earth

Google Earth is a separate application that will need to be installed on the computers that pupils will be using for the School Grounds Project. It is free to download from http://earth.google.co.uk. Many schools have it installed across the whole network and some companies such as RM have created a ‘blue print’ to make it easier for IT support to install the application across the whole school network. Note: your school may already have Google Earth installed, but it is im-portant to ensure that you have version 4.2 or above.

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2.1.2 Using Google Maps

Google Maps is a web-based tool. This means that you do not have to download a separate application. Just make sure of the following: Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk) is not blocked in your

school Pupils and staff will be able to log on to the ‘My Maps’ section

using their Google Mail account (email and password)

2.1.3 Uploading Digital Media

During the project you will need to transfer digital media (i.e. photo-graphs and video) from digital cameras, camcorders and possibly pu-pils’ mobile phones. There are a number of different options here which we will go into in the next section, but in terms of IT support, there are two issues: All necessary device drivers for cameras and camcorders are up-

loaded to the network or individual computers Necessary pupil and staff accounts have permission to upload

digital media files to a shared area on the network (file types are likely to be .jpg and .avi but there may be others)

2.1.4 Project Folder

In terms of project organisation it will be useful to have a separate area of the school network or virtual learning environment to store files con-nected to the project. Make sure: You have an area created that can be accessed by all involved

(may be entitled ‘School Grounds Project’) You have permission to create sub-folders for different classes

and/or groups

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2.1.5 Setting up Google Mail Accounts

You will need to be able to set up Google Mail Accounts for all pupils (or pupil groups) involved in the project. Last time I tried to do this in school, I was blocked, so it may be worth investigating. To sign up for a Google Mail Account, you will need to go to: http://mail.google.com

2.1.6 Using Blogger

Blogger is Google’s online blogging tool. Some schools use blogs a lot and others don’t. For the purposes of this project, it’s simply an easy way to create a project website and to keep it updated with news and project progress after each session. Check with IT support that: You can have access to create a Blogger blog Pupils and staff can have access to this using their Google Mail

account Pupils and staff involved can upload new content (including mul-

timedia content) Pupils and staff can watch video hosted on Blogger

2.1.6 Online Video

There are other ways of hosting video online, other than using Blogger. These include: YouTube Google Video Teacher Tube Check whether one of these services is accessible for pupils and staff as you will need one of these or the ability to see Blogger video to include the Digital Video section of the project.

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2.2 Equipment

You will probably have the equipment needed for this project already, but here is a list of what’s necessary and what’s optional. Computer for each pupil or pupil group (with internet access) Digital Camera Digital Camcorder (or Digital Camera that can take video) Big bits of paper and markers GPS unit (optional) Digital projector (optional) Multi-card reader (optional)

2.2.1 Computers

First you will need to have a computer or laptop for each pupil or group of pupils. For the pilot project we worked with groups of 3-4 pupils, but you will probably have access to either a bookable ICT room or class set of laptops. Make sure that you book ICT rooms or laptops for every lesson time for the project, you will need access to a computer (with internet access) for every session. Note: this manual is based on using PCs with Windows as the operating system (apologies to all Mac and Linux fans out there)

2.2.2 Digital Camera

I use the Olympus μ790SW because it’s waterproof, shock-proof and comes in orange (so ideal for pupils outside). Pretty well any digital camera will do. If you are buying new cameras for this project, just make sure: It is 4 megapixels or greater It has internal focusing and zoom, this means that the lens doesn’t

come out when you turn it on (and so doesn’t attract grit, etc.) amazon.co.uk seems to be pretty cheap for buying cameras

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2.2.3 Digital Camcorder

To shoot digital video you can use anything from a mobile phone to a professional digital video camera. Most digital cameras come with the ability to shoot video as well as still images and for the purposes of this project should be fine. If you are looking to buy a new digital camcorder, we’ve had pretty good experiences with Sony and Panasonic. Things to look out for: You should be looking to spend about £250 to £300 You need the camcorder to be able to record digitally (memory

card or hard disk) and potentially on to mini DV tape as well (recording on to DVD seems a waste of time to me)

An external microphone socket is always a plus (more of this in the making Digital Video section later on)

Again amazon.co.uk seems pretty good value

2.2.4 Stationery, etc.

It seems obvious, but I thought it needed mentioning as department budgets grow ever tighter that you will need access to big bits of sugar paper, markers and there will be some sheets that need photocopying.

2.2.5 GPS units

GPS (global positioning system) is becoming more and more popular, Many people have GPS devices in their cars and some mobile phones have them in-built. In terms of the educational context, separate hand-held units are best and we have used the Garmin GPS60 successfully with teachers and staff. The use of GPS provides an extra accuracy to the project, rather than looking and reckoning using Google Earth and Google Maps, but is not necessary. There is a separate appendix on what is involved in using GPS technology with this project.

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2.2.6 Digital Projector

These are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in the UK classroom. It is not necessary to have one in the classroom for all the sessions, but it may be nice to have one to show the final presentation to senior manage-ment, other pupils and staff and potentially the wider school commu-nity.

2.2.7 Multi-card Readers

These are great little bits of kit and can be really helpful if you are using a variety of digital cameras for taking images and video. They are essentially little boxes with a variety of slots that can take the memory cards from digital cameras, camcorders and mobiles. Once you have put the memory card into the appropriate slot, the reader connects to a computer via the USB port and acts just like a memory stick. You can buy these in most high street electronics shops or online.

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2.3 Pre-work

There are a couple of things that you will need to do in advance to en-sure the smooth running of the project: Set up Google user accounts for each staff member, pupil or pu-

pil group involved Set up a Blogger account

2.3.1 Setting Up Google Mail Accounts

Each pupil or pupil group will need a Google Mail (gmail) account for this project. To sign-up pupils go to http://mail.google.com and follow the instruc-tions to set up a new account. Note: it is probably best not to use pupils’ names but rather something like Project Group1. Email Address Password 1.

2.

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2.3.2 Setting Up Blogger

Go to: https://www.blogger.com/start Click the large orange arrow – ‘Create your blog now’ If you already have a Google Account follow the prompt to sign in with your email address and password. If you do not already have a Google Account complete the form, using your own email address. Remember to make a note of your password. Name Blog The first things that you need to choose are the name of the blog and the web address or URL. 1. choose a name for the blog, e.g. Grange Hill Eco-Project 2. choose a blog address, e.g. http://ecograngehill.blogspot.com (this is what you will need to type into your internet browser to visit the blog) 3. Complete the word verification and click ‘Continue’ Choose a template This is where you can choose how your blog looks. Don’t worry too much at this stage as you will probably choose a new template with the pupils. 1. select a template from the list 2. click ‘Continue’ Confirmation Screen Just click ‘Start blogging’

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Adapting settings Before you start blogging there are some settings that you need to change. Click on the ‘Settings’ tab. This is located just under the ‘Blogger’ logo at the top left of the page. You will see a list of different settings options appear. To make the blog more suitable for educational purposes there are some things that you need to change from the default settings. Basic You should make the following changes to the Basic settings and then click ‘Save settings’ at the bottom of the page. 1. Title – can be changed if you want to 2. Description – there is an opportunity to complete this with pupils later 3. Add your blog to our listings? – change this to ‘No’ 4. Let search engines find your blog? – change this to ‘No’ Publishing There are no settings that you need to change in this section. Formatting There are no settings that you need to change in this section. Comments You should make the following changes to the Comment settings and then click ‘Save settings’ at the bottom of the page. 1. Who can comment? - change to ‘Anyone’ 2. Enable comment moderation? – change this to ‘Yes’ 3. Show profile images on comments? – change this to ‘No’ 4. Comment Notification Email – enter the email of staff member responsible for moderating this blog Note: comments can be written by people on a blog post. By changing these settings, all comments can be vetted (moderated) by a member of staff before they appear on the blog. This helps to stop inappropriate comments from appearing. An email will be sent to the email address you have entered asking you whether you would like the comment to appear on the blog.

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Archiving There are no settings that you need to change in this section. Site Feed There are no settings that you need to change in this section. Permissions This is the section where you choose who can read and write on the blog. Enter the email addresses of the Google accounts that you have set up for pupils for the project in the author section. They will then receive an email to their Google Mail account asking them to confirm.

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2.4 Child Protection

During the course of your project you will probably be putting images and video of pupils online as well as having pupils write and comment on the blog. It is essential that you consult your school management and/or your education authority and follow their guidelines concerning child pro-tection and pupil safety online. If you do not yet have a school policy governing these issues, you can consult the following sources for more information: BECTA’s site on e-safety for schools (http://schools.becta.org.uk/

index.php?section=is) the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (http://

www.ceop.gov.uk/) Learning and Teaching in Scotland’s ICT pages (http://

www.ltscotland.org.uk/ictineducation/ictadvice/index.asp) London Grid for Learning’s safety pages (http://cms.lgfl.net/lgfl/

web/safety) Google also have guidance for online safety: http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/familysafety/ and 2 blog posts about it as well here: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/common-sense-

approach-to-internet.html http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/online-child-safety-

initiatives.html

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3. Session 1 - What are the issues? Session Overview The purpose of this first session is to set the parameters of the investiga-tion or enquiry into the school grounds. In the pilot, this meant engaging pupils with their school environment and what they thought some of the issues were. This session can be adapted to be more focused on any given issue. Session Objectives 1. Express views about the school environment 2. Take digital photographs of different aspects of their school envi-

ronment 3. Vote on the issues they would like to investigate Session Outline 5 mins Introduce project to pupils Organise into groups 5 mins Ask pupils to make a table (Our School Environment) with two columns (good points and bad points) on a sheet of paper or in their books Pupils to write down as many points as they can think of 3 mins Mini-review through Q&A 30 mins Hand out digital cameras to pupils Pupils to tour school grounds taking pictures of good points and bad points in the school environment 5 mins Pupils upload images to the shared area set up for the project 12 mins Pupils complete funnel exercise and vote on the issues they wish to focus on (see next page for detailed description) Equipment needed Computers Digital cameras Sugar paper Markers

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Checklist Computer room or laptops booked Digital cameras charged Digital cameras have memory cleared You are familiar with how to upload images from the digital cam-

era to the computer All necessary drivers are installed on the network or the computers

that will be used Funnel Exercise Instructions

1. Pupils to draw large funnel figure as per diagram above on a

sheet of sugar paper (in groups of about 10, i.e. have 3 groups work together)

2. Pupils to list all the different issues that they have seen around the school in the top section of the funnel

3. Pupils to decide together (possibly using voting) on the most im-portant issues and list the top three in the bottom section of the funnel

4. A whole class vote can be taken at the end of this process or dif-ferent groups can focus on different issues

Area for pupils to write down all the issues that they have come across on their school tour with examples and

(number of votes)

chewing gum (3) recycling (14) litter (7) canteen (28) food (10) graffiti (19)

1. Canteen

2. Graffiti

3. Recycling

Area for pupils to list the top issues as per vote

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4. Session 2 - What can we do? Session Overview Building on the investigation carried out in the last session, the pupils will take their selected issues and will look at what can be done to improve the environmental quality at their school. This is also the session where pupils will start to add to the blog and an opportunity for them to add some of their own design touches. Session Objectives 1. Develop ideas about what can be done to improve the school

environment 2. Develop understanding of basic project management 3. Learn how to post text and images to a blog Session Outline 5 mins Introduce the concept of making change

Hold up an elastic band - introducing it as a metaphor for changing something - the elastic band of change!

Mention that in the last session you found out what the ‘current situation’ was with the school environment

Today the pupils are going to look at what they would like the school environment to be like

If there is no tension in the elastic band, there is no energy - like having really easy goals, nothing really changes

Stretch the elastic band more and more so that pupils realise that the more ambitious their goals are the more creative tension there is

Then stretch it to breaking point and show that if goals are too ambitious, then there is too much stress and everything goes wrong

5 min s Hand out copies of the ‘Making Change’ worksheet and ask pupils to fill in the environmental situation at the moment and then what they would like it to be like Note: make sure that they have chosen one of the issues they short-listed in the previous session

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7 mins Ask each pupil or pupil group to decide on three achiev- able steps that will ensure that they achieve their goals 7 mins Each pupil/group should share their ideas with the whole class and adapt their plans if there is too much overlap 6 mins Introduce pupils to the idea of a blog (see http:// ecointheeast.blogspot.com as an example):

A blog is a type of website, like an online journal. It consists of a series of posts as well as other information. Each of these posts is like a journal entry and can be text, image(s), video(s) or map(s) or a mixture of these.

5 mins As a whole class:

Choose a new template for the blog Choose a new colour scheme for the blog Choose a name for the blog Write a description of the blog

20 mins Each pupil or group to write a new blog post, including an image To start, pupils will need to log into Blogger using their Google Mail and password Pupils should then follow the instructions on the copied sheets 4.2 and 4.3 5 mins Review completed blog Equipment needed Computers ( with internet access) Elastic band Copies of ‘Making Change’ worksheet (enlarge to A4), ‘Creating

a New Post’ and ‘Inserting an Image’ for each pupil/group Checklist Blogger account set-up Computer room or laptops booked Pupil Google Mail accounts set-up You have familiarised yourself with Blogger

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4.1 Changing the look of Blogger

Sign into your blogger account and select the ‘Layout’ option. Four subheadings will appear: 1. Page Elements 2. Fonts and Colours 3. Edit HTML (don’t worry about this) 4. Choose New Template

4.1.1 Changing Page Elements

1. Change blog title and short description (click on ‘Edit’)

2. Add introductory paragraph and change ‘About Me’ to ‘About the Project’ (click on ‘Edit’)

3. Re-arrange items in layout by clicking and dragging on elements

4. Add elements that you think look interesting - polls are good in particular (click on ‘Add a Page Element’)

5. Remember to click ‘Save’ when you have finished or ‘Preview’ to see what your finished page will look like

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4.1.2 Changing the Fonts and Colours

4.1.3 Changing the Template

There is a scrolling list of different text elements for which you can change the colour. Simply highlight the text element in the list and click on your desired colour. Once you have finished remember to click ‘Save Changes’.

Blogger has a number of pre-formatted templates that you can use. Simply select the one that you like and click on ‘preview template’ to see if it works. Once you have found the one that you like best, click ‘Save Template’.

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4.2 Writing a New Post

To write a new post, click on ‘New Post’ on your Blogger Dashboard or the ‘Posting’ tab. Once you are there the screen above will appear. 1. Write a title for your blog - this should be snappy and make the

reader want to read on 2. Write the content of your blog - try using some persuasive writing

techniques such as repetition, emotive language (e.g. terrible in stead of bad) and rhetorical questions

3. Format your text using the format buttons - they are similar to most word processing programmes that you will have used

4. Click ‘Publish Post’ to make the new post appear on your blog Note: there are other options which you should explore if you are feel-ing confident, but these are enough to get you started. See http://help.blogger.com/bin/topic.py?topic=12457 for more infor-mation.

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4.3 Inserting an Image

To insert an image, you will need to be in a new post. Start by clicking on the image button on the post editor screen (see ‘5’ opposite). When you click the image button, the pop-up window above will ap-pear. 1. Click ‘Browse’ to locate the image you wish to insert on your com-

puter 2. Decide how you would like your image to appear in the poster by

choosing a layout 3. Decide how big or small you would like the image 4. Uncheck ‘Use this layout every time?’ 5. Click ‘Upload Image’ 6. This will return you to the post screen opposite - click ‘Publish Post’,

etc.

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5. Session 3 - Creating a Virtual Tour Note: Session 3 has been divided into two 1 hour sessions to take ac-count of the fact that some teachers and pupils may not be overly fa-miliar with Google Earth. If this is not the case, you can easily combine the two sessions. Note: you may wish to use GPS units during these sessions. Further in-structions have been included in Appendix 1. Session Overview During this session(s) pupils will create a virtual tour of the issue they are studying. This will give them a chance to spend more time investigating what the specific problems are. Pupils will tour the school grounds tak-ing photographs, recording locations (with GPS optional) and taking notes. They will return to the classroom to upload these images to Google Earth, creating a virtual tour of the issue they are focusing on. These can then be uploaded to the blog. Session Objectives Investigate the issue further Learn basic Google Earth skills Learn how to create a virtual tour using Google Earth Equipment needed Computers (with internet access) Digital cameras Clipboards GPS units (optional) Copies of ‘Virtual Tour template’ (enlarge to A4) Copies of Google Earth instructions for pupils Checklist Computer room or laptops booked Google Earth installed on all the computers and working You have familiarised yourself with Google Earth Digital cameras are charged and ready Check that any device drivers that you need are installed

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5.1 Session 3a - Finding out more...

Session Outline 5 mins Engage pupils with what they decided to focus on in the previous lesson looking at the ‘Making Change’ sheet that they completed Ask them to think about what additional information it would be useful to have 5 mins Download example of a virtual tour created by pupils by going to http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/ge/sgp/example.kmz Click ‘Open’… ‘OK’… as necessary If your computer doesn’t like this, try again and this time: click ‘Save’ and save the file on your computer. Then open the Google Earth application and go to the ‘File’ menu, click ‘Open’ and browse for your file. 5 mins Pupils plan the areas that they are going to visit and the kind of photographs they will need to take. 30 mins Using the template overleaf, pupils will need to go out into the school grounds and take 6 photographs that illustrate the issue they are focusing on. They will need to note the location (use of GPS optional) and write a brief description. It would be useful for each pupil or group to have a clip- board for this. 10 mins Pupils return to the classroom and select the images they want from their digital camera and upload these to their area on the network or the virtual learning environment. Pupils should rename their images giving them more descriptive titles. 5 mins Review learning and tell pupils what they will be doing in the next session

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5.1.1 Virtual Tour Template

Name of location (GPS) Photographs taken Description of issue

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5.2 Session 3b - Google Earth skills

Session Outline This session takes pupils through the process of creating a virtual tour. It is suggested that you take pupils through making a placemark with an image and then they can create the rest of their tour, put it in a folder and save it. All the instructions for this are on the next few pages. 5 mins Introduction to Google Earth Ensure all pupils have Google Earth open on their com- puters Show the example tour again: http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/ ge/sgp/example.kmz 5 mins Pupils to enter school postcode into the search box and navigate around the school getting used to using the navigation tools (steps 1-2) 10 mins Take pupils through the process of creating a placemark with an image and description (steps 3-8) 20 mins Pupils add their 6 placemarks as per their ‘Virtual Tour Template’ 10 mins Pupils create a folder, put their items in the folder and save this in their shared folder or on the virtual learning environ- ment. 10 mins Pupils watch each others’ tours

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1

3

10

1. Type the postcode for your school into the search box and press ‘enter’. This will take you to a view of your school.

2. Use the navigation to (a) zoom, (b) tilt and (c) move (see Appendix 3 for new controls)

3. Click the yellow drawing pin button to add a placemark

4. Use your mouse to click and drag the place-mark on the map to the exact position you would like it (zoom if necessary)

5. Add a title to your new placemark 6. Add the appropriate image to your new

placemark by typing some html code in the description box

i. Find the image you want to insert on your computer

ii. Open it with Internet Explorer or another internet browser (do this by right clicking on the file and selecting ‘Open with’ and then ‘Internet Explorer’ (you may need to select ‘Choose Programme’ and browse the list)

iii. Copy the text in the address bar (use CTRL + C as a shortcut)

iv. Use the example in the box opposite and replace the underlined text with the informa-tion you have just copied (use CTRL + V as a shortcut to paste)

7. Write some more text in the description box (the <br> means line break and separates your text from the image)

8. Click ‘OK’ 9. To edit a placemark once you have created

it, right click on the yellow drawing pin and select ‘Properties’

10. Your completed placemark will appear in ‘My Places’

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<img src=“C:\My Documents\Digital Explorer\Picture1.jpg” width=“300”> <br> <br> This is a picture of some really bad rub-bish around the school site.

2 a

b

c

4

5

6

7

8

9

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5.2.1 Using Google Earth

To create a virtual tour of the issue you are focusing on, you will need to follow the steps 1-10 on the diagram on the previous pages. You will then need to learn how to: Create a folder You can create folders and move other folders and placemarks to them. To create a folder: 1. Right-click on an area in the Places panel (10 overleaf) 2. Select Add > Folder from the pop-up menu. The folder you right-

clicked on is automatically set as the container for the new folder. 3. Copy and paste or drag and drop your placemarks into the new

folder Make a tour of the placemarks You can tour items in your Places listing by highlighting the folder that you want to tour and clicking on the Play Tour button at the bottom of the Places panel. To stop the tour, click the Stop Tour button beneath the Places listing.

Note: to see the information pop up go to the Tools menu > Options > Touring tab > check the box ‘Show balloon when tour is paused’. There are also options here to change the speed of the tour

1. Play Tour button

2. Stop Tour button

Save the tour Save individual placemarks, shapes, or entire folders by right-clicking the item in the ‘My Places’ area (see 10 overleaf) and selecting Save As... from the pop-up menu. Use the File dialog box to save the placemark or folder to your com-puter. Enter the name for the new file, and click Save in the dialog box, ensuring the file extension is .kmz.

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Create a new blog post with a link to your tour Hosting your new Google Earth tour online, and linking to it, is a bit tricky. It’s probably best if you (the teacher) make a single post for all the tours made after the end of the session. Here’s what’s involved: 1. To host kmz files online, you will need to upload them to Digital

Explorer’s Fieldwork hosting service 2. Go to http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/google/add.php 3. Enter your details 4. Enter the details of the kmz file that you are uploading 5. Browse for the kmz file on your computer 6. Drag the fieldwork locator to the correct position on the map 7. You can also add an image to placemark for your new Google

Earth file 8. Once you have completed all the details, click on ‘Submit KML/

KMZ for Review’ 9. The file will be uploaded and moderated by Digital Explorer To find the link to your Google Earth file: 1. Go to http://digitalexplorer.co.uk/google/index.php 2. Click on the marker for your file 3. Right click on the ‘Download File’ link in the balloon 4. If you are using Internet Explorer select ‘Copy Shortcut’ 5. If you are using Firefox select ‘Copy Link Location’ Then you will need to create a new blog post (see page 28 for more information). Paste the link into the new blog post.

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6. Session 4 - The Way Forward… Session Overview This is the session when pupils plan their course of action for the im-provements that they wish to make to their school grounds. After re-viewing the work that they did last week, they will learn about SMART targets. Pupils will then have time to set themselves three targets before displaying these on Google Maps. The targets and map will then be posted on the blog. Session Objectives Learn about SMART targets Learn how to use Google Maps Create map blog post with targets Session Outline 10 mins All pupils/groups to login to Blogger and write a post about what they achieved in the Google Earth session(s) See http://ecointheeast.blogspot.com for examples 20 mins Pupils to learn about SMART targets and come up with their three targets for the project (hand out worksheets) 15 mins Pupils to learn how to create a Google Map showing the action that they will take 15 mins Pupils create a map blog post and publish to the blog Extra If you haven’t done this already, now is the time to advertise your blog to the wider school community. Set a homework task to create posters, fliers, etc. to hand out, organise talks for assemblies. Equipment needed Computer (with internet access) Copies of instructions for Google Maps Copies of SMART target sheet (enlarge to A4) Checklist Computer room or laptops booked You have familiarised yourself with Google Maps

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SMART Targets Targets that are smart need to be:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-bound List your three targets and make sure that they are SMART.

What exactly are you going to do?

How many? How will you know if you’ve done it?

How are you going to do this?

How does it help to meet your

goals?

Who is going to do this and by when?

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3 4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11

13

1. Go to http://maps.google.co.uk 2. If you are not already signed in with your Google Account, you will

see a prompt here to sign in 3. Type your school postcode into the search box and click ‘Search

Maps’ 4. Click on the ‘My Maps’ tab 5. Click on ‘Create new map’ 6. Enter a title for your map 7. Enter a description for your map 8. Use the navigation tools to zoom in on your school grounds

12

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2

14

a

b

c

d

9. Click on the placemark icon to create a new placemark and drag it to the correct location (a) add a title, (b) add a description, (c) change the icon, (d) click ‘OK’ to save

10. Use the line tool to draw a line and follow steps (a) to (d) above 11. Use the polygon tool to shade an areas and follow steps (a) to (d)

above 12. Click ‘Save’ when you have completed your map 13. Click ‘Done’ 14. Click on ‘Link to this page’ and copy (CTRL + C) the ‘Paste HTML to

embed in website’

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6.1 Creating a Maps Post

To post an interactive map in Blogger, you will need to have copied the code from Google Maps (see ‘14’ overleaf). 1. Copy the link from Google Maps (CTRL + C)

2. Create new post in Blogger

3. Select ‘Edit Html’ (this is because you are pasting code, rather than normal text)

4. Paste the code (CTRL + V)

5. Switch back to ‘Compose’ and add any text that you would like

6. Click ‘Publish Post’ and your Maps Post will appear on your blog

3 5

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7. Session 5 - Gaining Support Session Overview This session is an opportunity for pupils to interview other pupils and staff to get their views on the project. These interviews can be filmed and the video can be uploaded on to the blog, providing more support. Session Objectives Learn about making web video Develop plan for interviews Make videos and upload to Blogger Session Outline 10 mins Pupils to plan the interviews they want to film and the ques tion they want to ask. Make sure pupils are familiar with how to work the video camera they will be using (camcorder, digital camera, etc.) 30 mins Pupils to go out and shoot 3 to 4 video interviews. 5 mins Pupils to return and download the videos to the computer and save them in the shared area or virtual learning environment. 15 mins Pupils to create 2 video posts. Equipment needed Computer (with internet access) Video-recording equipment (camcorder, digital camera, mobile,

etc.) Copies of ‘Making Video for Web’ and instructions about how to

create a video post Checklist Computer room or laptops booked Video-recording equipment charged and memory empty and

you are familiar with the process for recording video on the equipment you are using

You have checked you are following school policy on uploading video of pupils to the internet

You are familiar with creating a video post in Blogger

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The people you are interviewing may well be a little nervous. There are a few things that you can do to make the whole experience look good on film: 1. Position yourself as in the diagram - this means that the interview

will look more natural 2. Tell the person you are interviewing (the interviewee) what you

are doing and the purpose of the video 3. Tell the interviewee the question that you want to ask them and

also let them know how long you want them to speak for (no more than 30 seconds)

4. Give them a chance to practise an-swering the question before you start recording

5. For the real thing, ask the question and immediately press record (you won’t have to edit out asking the question).

6. As soon as the interviewee has finished speaking, stop recording

7. Record the answer as many times as necessary until you’re happy

7.1 Making video for web

There are a few principles to bear in mind when making video for the web. Web video is usually shorter (10-30 seconds) and so you should try

to shoot it in one. This means that you won’t have to edit the clip. Web video is shown smaller and in lower resolution than say televi-

sion. This means that you can use an array of video-recording equipment from a DV camcorder to a mobile phone.

Sound is extremely important and so you should stand as close as possible to your subject and out of the wind. If your camcorder, etc. has a microphone input jack, it would be worth buying a cheap clip mic.

7.1.1 Interview Technique

Position of interview

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7.1.2 Framing your shot

To frame your shot, there are a few basic rules to make your video look better: Give your subject ‘look room’ - this means that they are facing

into the frame and have space in front of them Keep the eye-level in the top third of the frame Below are three examples of framing an interview.

This is a close-up shot. If you are using a built-in microphone, you may want to get this close (don’t use the zoom!) so that the sound recording is better. Make sure you show some of the shoulders, but don’t worry about cut-ting off a bit from the top of the head.

This is a head and shoulders shot. It can give a bit more of an idea about location and what is going on around the subject. Remember that if you are a bit further away from the subject, the quality of the sound may not be as good.

This is a three-quarters shot. It gives a lot more idea about where the sub-ject is. Think about having the school sign or school grounds as a back-ground. Avoid having too much movement behind as this can be dis-tracting. Sound may well be an issue at this distance.

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7.2 Uploading Video to Blogger

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

To upload a video to Blogger, you will first need to login and create a new post. Once you have done this: 1. Click on the ‘Add video’ button

2. Browse and locate your video on your computer

3. Give the video a title

4. Check that you agree to the Terms and Conditions

5. Click ‘Upload Video’

6. Write a description about your video if you want to

7. Click ‘Publish Post’

It may take a while for the video to load and then it will appear on your blog.

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8. Session 6 - Bringing it all together Session Overview Having spent 5 or 6 sessions compiling your project, whether it be on litter and recycling or another project, this session is the time to have bring it all together in a presentation (to senior staff as in the pilot) or maybe an assembly or wall display. Session Objectives Plan assembly, presentation or wall display Create additional presentations (using presentation software) or

displays Decide on action points to come out of the project and a plan to

keep the momentum going Session Outline 5 mins Review the whole project in a plenary Q&A What have pupils enjoyed? What do pupils think that they have achieved? What’s the best way forward? 5 mins Decide on a way forward (presentation, assembly or wall display) 45 mins Create additional material Potentially deliver presentation if appropriate 5 mins Review and decide action plan Equipment needed Computers (with internet access) Poster and/or flier making material Digital projector for presentations Checklist Computer room or laptops booked Other materials gathered Presentation with senior staff or assembly arranged with the ap-

propriate people

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Appendix 1 - Using GPS Note: to use GPS with Google Earth, you will need to upgrade to install the latest version of Google Earth (version 5) or use Google Earth Pro. About GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation sys-tem made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military appli-cations, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. Google Earth can accept GPS data from two makes of GPS unit: Garmin (http://www.garmin.com/uk) Magellan (http://www.magellangps.com) You need either a serial or USB cable to connect the GPS device to your computer. Typically, your device is sold with one type of cable. If your GPS device did not come with a cable, you can visit the manufac-turer's web site to purchase the correct one for your model.

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Marking a waypoint is the way to store specific points. With the Garmin GPS60 marking a waypoint is incredibly simple: press the MARK key and then ENTR when the GPS unit is on. It does not matter which GPS menu page you are on.

Extract from Garmin GPS60 manual

MARK key

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Entering GPS data When your GPS data is imported into Google Earth, it is categorized into three possible folders, depending upon the type of point. These folders are:

Tracks - Tracks (or trackpoints) are the points automatically recorded by the GPS device periodically along the recorded route. They can be imported into the Google Earth application as paths.

Waypoints - Waypoints are points entered manually by the user and typically marked with a name, such as "home" or "turnaround point."

Routes - Route points are those points that the GPS device uses to creating the routing, such as when you instruct the device to "go to" a recorded point from another recorded point. Route points can contain multiple connected "go to" instructions. They can be im-ported into the Google Earth application as paths.

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Importing the data from your GPS to Google Earth is simple:

1. If you are using a Garmin USB device and a Windows computer, please install the Garmin USB driver from the CD that came with your GPS device or download this driver from the Garmin website.

2. Connect your device to the computer running Google Earth. You can use either a serial cable or USB cable, depending upon which one came with your device.

3. Turn on the GPS device. Once your device is on and activated, it is not necessary to wait until it connects to satellites.

4. From the Tools menu, select GPS. The GPS window appears.

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5. Select the correct manufacturer type for your device.

6. Under Import, Select the types of data you want to import. 7. Under Options, choose your drawing preferences. Check Draw icons

at track and route points if you want an icon to be displayed in the 3D viewer for every track/route point recorded by your GPS device. Check Draw lines for tracks and routes to draw each GPS track and route as a solid line.

8. Check the Adjust altitude to ground height check box to adjust all recorded point to ground level, such as when importing a track taken on foot, car, or bike. However, if your GPS track was recorded while hang gliding or flying, make sure this option is not selected so that your points will appear as above-ground points.

9. Click OK. When your GPS data is finished loading into Google Earth, a confirmation dialog box appears.

Your data appears in the Places panel with the label Garmin GPS De-vice or Magellan GPS Device, depending upon the device used (see Supported Devices). If you expand that folder, you can see the data sorted into the appropriate folders depending upon the type of data, as illustrated in the example below.

You can expand those folders and explore the information within as you would any other type of places data. This includes organizing, editing, sharing, saving, and more. Note: If you receive a connection error, turn off the GPS device, turn it on again, and start again from Step 4 above.

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Appendix 2 - Google Earth v4.3 & later

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1. Search panel - Use this to find places and directions and manage search results. Google Earth EC may display additional tabs here.

2. Overview map - Use this for an additional perspective of the Earth.

3. Hide/Show sidebar - Click this to conceal or the display the side bar (Search, Places and Layers panels).

4. Placemark - Click this to add a placemark for a location.

5. Polygon - Click this to add a polygon.

6. Path - Click this to add a path (line or lines).

7. Image Overlay - Click this to add an image overlay on the Earth.

8. Measure - Click this to measure a distance or area size.

9. Sun - Click this to display sunlight across the landscape.

10. Sky - Click this to view stars, constellations, galaxies, planets and the Earth's moon.

11. Email - Click this to email a view or image.

12. Print - Click this to print the current view of the Earth.

13. Show in Google Maps - Click this to show the current view in Google Maps in your web browser.

14. Navigation controls - Use these to zoom, look and move around (see below).

15. Layers panel - Use this to display points of interest.

16. Places panel - Use this to locate, save, organize and revisit place-marks.

17. Add Content - Click this to import exciting content from the KML Gallery

18. 3D Viewer - View the globe and its terrain in this window.

19. Status bar - View coordinate, elevation, imagery date and stream-ing status here.

Notes

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