Google Earth

I decided to take an in depth look at Google Earth. I had seen other people use it before but I had never used it on my own, so I thought it would be a good idea to check it out. Using my mouse, I was able to navigate my way across the whole world. There are small compasses in the upper left hand corner of the screen that help with navigation. There is also an option that allows you to zoom in or out. Since I have always wanted to go to London, I made my way across the ocean and then zoomed in. I was able to zoom all the way on to street level where I saw cars in the streets and all of the different buildings in London. There are three different aspects that I was able to use when looking at the city. I could use a street map which took away the buildings and cars and just showed the streets. There is a satelite map that showssatelite imagery of the city, and also an Earth map which is 3D. The user can also type in different searches in the Search Bar to find different locations in the city. I typed in "Fish and Chips" and it found hundreds of restaurants around the city where I could eat fish and chips. I did notice,though, that as I zoomed in closer and closer, the images started to get a little blurry and fuzzy.
Google Earth could help accompany lessons where students are learning about different countries or regions. They can virtually travel to those places and see what the landscape is like, if it is mainly rural or urban, and many other things. They can navigate their way around cities and find different locations. I would suggest, though, that Google Earth should be accompanied with photos and readings about the places of study. While it is informative,it isn't enough to use as the only source of information for a place.