I like maps and I love exploring media rich interactive maps. In preparing this post, I spent far too much time exploring projects like Bomb Sight, Mapping the Long Women’s Movement, the New York City Graffiti & Street Art Project, Travelogue, or Visualizing Emancipation. It seems like there is now a multi-layer interactive map for just about any subject.
Mashing up research and maps can be a great class activity that involves planning, research, evaluation, curation, visualization, and collaboration. However, most of us are not GIS experts, and even if you are, you may not need or want your students to become experts in GIS in order to accomplish your learning goals.
Enter Google Maps Engine Lite, a very simple entry point into the world of annoated maps. This tool allows you to create maps with up to three different layers; add points with text descriptions, URLs, images and other media; collaborate with a group; and share the map with a broader audience. Getting started is easy, and because all faculty and students at Connecticut College have Google accounts, there is no need to create any new accounts. Learn more about using Google Maps Engine Lite in this site that I created, or contact your Instructional Technology liaison.
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