World Heritage Threats...

Last year, one of the projects I was involved in was for the Google World Wonders project.
It involved writing about some of the world's World Heritage Sites.
I created some resources relating to the Pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela, and the area around Saint Emilion.
These are yet to be added to the website, although a 'stamp' with the logo of the city appears on the front cover of the teacher notes which can be downloaded from the website.
There are currently 28 places in the UK that are listed.
There are applications currently in to add some further places. These are currently on what is called the tentative list.

I started to explore these sites as a result of a story relating to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
A golf course is planned, and the development threatens the nature of the area around the causeway, to its detriment according to some people. Stonehenge has had long-standing problems identifying a solution to the busy A303 road and a lack of easy access and a decent visitor centre.

A few other searches related to other World Heritage sites in the UK (and elsewhere) identified a range of potential issues which could affect their listing, and provide the context for a little investigation by students...

Last week, while in Salzburg I heard about some of the proposed developments which threaten to change the nature of the old town, which is listed (and quite rightly)
There is already a Spar in Mozart's house... which seems a bit wrong...

Google Geo Teachers Institute - 5 of 5

The final of five posts to sum up my recent experience at the Google GeoTeachers Institute in Dublin.


The London Google GeoTeacher Institute made a little more of the extra projects that Google is involved in related to education. Since the event there have been the announcements of the new Chromebook, and the Nexus 7 tablet, which would both be of interest to educators.

There are various projects linked to Google Earth which you may find useful. The Google Outreach team are active in a lot of places - they were recently at Rio+20.

Using Google Apps ?

The GOOGLE APPS TRAINING CENTRE has a range of resources, which will be useful for anyone thinking of using these with colleagues.

Google WORLD WONDERS is worth a repeat mention - I will be doing a quick introduction to this at a Teachmeet in Cambridge in a few weeks time. Perhaps see some of you there...
I showed this yesterday at a CPD event too. More materials are due to be added.

Richard Allaway has provided some links to some of the resources on Geography all the Way that he has produced that link to the use of Google Earth.

Google Search Training
Google are putting on training during this summer on how to search for information. Many people don't use the advanced search.
Some resources on searching here.

You can sign up for the GOOGLE POWER SEARCHING academy. Register before the first course on the 10th of July. There are 6, 50 minutes sessions online, and a certificate is available for successful completion of the associated tasks...

Thanks once again to the Google Education team for organising the event, and I hope that there is continued support for UK Geographers.... 

Google GeoTeachers Institute

I organised my travel and accommodation earlier this week for the Dublin Google GeoTeachers Institute.

The site for the two events is now up and running here.
Some interesting speakers and a busy schedule. I'm looking forward to learning lots and also sharing what I've done with Google Earth over the years.

I wonder if we'll also hear about further plans for the Google World Wonders project, which I contributed some materials for.
Any one else going ? I'm looking forward to seeing Rob M and John H there.... plus Digital Explorer Jamie BD of course, and meeting Richard Treves again...

Google World Wonders launches....

Google World Wonders is a new site which I contributed some Educational materials for a while ago, and have been waiting for it to launch - that wait ended today. 


Thanks to Keir Clarke for the tip-off once again. 


The website offers the chance to explore a number of World Heritage sites. Here's the description from Google.

This new project from Google that allows you to take a virtual trip around 132 of the World's most famous historical and cultural sites. The sites includes historically important locations, such as Stonehenge and Pompeii and also natural wonders, such as the sandy dunes of Australia’s Shark Bay and the rock domes of Yosemite National Park. 
Google World Wonders uses Google Maps, Google Street View and Google Earth 3d models to explore these 132 historical locations. Each location also includes YouTube videos and photographs from Getty Images.

Information about each location is also provided by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

There is a cool spinning globe which shows the locations that are featured, and some of them also have additional educational resources which are available as downloadable zip files. There is a useful one on the Jurassic Coast, and the less familiar Ogasawara Islands.

 You can download a useful leaflet on how to use this for Primary and Secondary uses. This is the cover of the Secondary booklet, with 'stamps' showing some of the destinations. This design is used for the educational materials too...

The site offers the chance to explore a number of WORLD HERITAGE sites, and there are more to come (including the resources that I wrote for one of the destinations shown on the stamps....)


Wonder if this will feature in the Google GeoTeachers Institutes in June ?