TPACK/ Google Earth!

     In my freshman year in college, one of my roommates introduced me to Google Earth. I thought it was a really cool tool, so I downloaded it onto my computer, but haven't touched in three and a half years later. So today was the day to explore it from a teachers perspective, and I am really inspired!
     In the case that you, the reader, hasn't used Google Earth before, you can click in the linked phrase "Google Earth" and are taken to the download page for PC, MAC, or Linux. Once you have it installed, you can type in anywhere in the world, and you manage how zoomed out or zoomed in you get to the desired location. 
     I could totally see a second grade classroom using this, since part of their Michigan grade level content expectations revolve around their community. This is a strength of Google Earth is that it can show detailed views of a broad area, or zoom in to a crack in the sidewalk! However, this could be a weakness as well, in that students can see anything from Google's pictures, that would be out in public. As the teacher, one would have to do a check of what the students might see, because I have seen in the news some of the inappropriate sights that have been captured on tape.
     The internet can be such a great learning tool in any classroom, but really should be  monitored closely, since anyone can find anything online. Using Google Earth for a lesson plan, I would personally have a detailed and specific area fro students to view and explore around, with a list of certain things to look for to keep them on task.
     For example, in teaching students about their community, I would have them type in "East Lansing, MI" (assuming they live in East Lansing) and then try to find the school they are in. They would use the school's address the pinpoint exactly where they are, then I would ask them to find the nearest gas station, or toy store, or barber shop. Then one could take this into a lot of different directions, such as having the students write out directions of how to get from their school to the nearest grocery store in a car, then by walking. Math can be linked by asking students to look up how far in miles the trip would take, or how many minutes it would take to drive. Social studies can be included by asking student to research how recent Google Earth is, and look up the history of the area. All of these ideas in using Google Earth along with TPACK learning in that content and technology are being fused together, with the teacher in the main leading role, but the students also in charge of their learning.  I would certainly classify this technology as a teacher tool/parent communication tool since as explained above, a teacher has countless ways to use this technology, but a parent and student could explore using this at home as well.