Ning misses me

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Apparently, Ning is 75,000+ customers strong but is still missing me, according to an email message I just received from them.  In Fall 2009, I taught my EARTH 101 course in a blended format and used Ning for the online transmission of content and platform for student engagement (sorry, ANGEL).  I really liked using Ning.  I was concerned the students would not be accepting of a new course website, especially when Penn State provides and supports ANGEL as its course management system.  But the students had no problem getting online, accessing the course material, and engaging with each other on team discussion boards (it is the discussion board format in ANGEL that I am not pleased with).

Why did I stop using Ning?  Because I didn’t want to start paying for a course website.  Once the monthly fees came about, that’s when I pulled out.  Although the way I structured my Ning course with audio, video, photos, and discussion boards, I don’t feel that I need to pay for these features.

Yes, Ning, I miss you too, but not enough to start paying for the technology.

New Panoramic Photos in Google Earth

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Google LatLong has announced that there is a new layer in Google Earth titled “Photos.”  From their description, it seems that the Panoramio and 360cities.net layers have been merged into this new one.  However, 360Cities is still present under the Gallery, as well as the Gigapan photos.  I had difficulty copying some of the new placemarks under the Photos layer into My Places.  For classroom assignments, I like having students utilize the existing placemarks in Google Earth with their projects.  It will be interesting to see what the students think of this new layer and access to additional photos.

Visit:  http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-panoramic-photos-in-google-earth.html

The Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science

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I recently returned from an exciting conference, the Fine International Conference on Gigapixel Imaging for Science (or FOFSgigapan for short).  My goal in attending this conference was to learn about the Gigapan technology (http://www.gigapan.com/) and how it can be used in the geoscience classroom.

I was pleased to learn that other disciplines (soil science, archaeology, fashion studies, to name a few) have found ways to use a set of stitched digital images for research, education, and outreach.

Although I attended the conference with my own motivations to learn about how I could use Gigapan in my classroom and for undergraduate research projects, I think I may have learned the most from the two undergraduate student researchers from Brandywine that I brought with me.  In fact, if you visit @earthspacequest on Twitter and search her #gigapan hashtag as well as her tumblr blog, you will learn about Gigapan through the eyes of a student with future career goals of curriculum development at the middle school level.

I’m going to need some time to get comfortable with the equipment (need to order it first!), but I certainly see much value in using this to take students on virtual fieldtrips, to conduct virtual research investigations, and to allow the students to get outdoors to take their own Gigapan images.