GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

The European country where Skype was born made a conscious decision to embrace the web after shaking off Soviet shackles Eesti keel | Estonian language version…

Can you imagine walking over 100 miles without losing your internet connection?  Estonia has done it by making internet access a public service along the lines of water and electricity.  The impacts and effects or profound considering that 9 in 10 Estonians have a computerized ID card that they can use to vote, transfer money and access all the information the state has on them.  Although this may sound very dystopian and authoritarian to many, Estonians argue that it actually empowers citizens to keep the state in check.      

Via www.guardian.co.uk

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

It’s the biggest political scandal to hit China in years, and it destroys any possibility of a smooth transition to the next generation of top leaders.

Seth Dixon-On April, 10th, Bo Xilai was suspended from the Central Committee and the Politburo amid allegations of his wife being suspected of murder.  This juicy gossip leads to political and social media pitfalls for the Chinese government.  One of the great paradoxes in China is the juxtaposition of it’s rush towards economic prosperity through technological modernity combined with the authoritarian impulse to control the media.  For three day, the government shut down SINA, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter because the gossip was too prevalent to monitor all of the discussions.  Chinese bloggers are finding ways around the overworked censors through coded messages, that won’t trip the alarm bells. 

Via www.businessweek.com

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

Top 10 Beaches from National Geographic…

I’d glady go to any of these gorgeous spots to appreciate the geographic marvels.  If you could only go to one travel destination (and had an unlimited budget), where would you choose to go?  How come?

Via travel.nationalgeographic.com

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

This is fantastic compilation of resources to act a culminating review before the big test. 

Via pantherfile.uwm.edu

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

A compilation of letters exchanged between two 18-year-old girls who live in Jerusalem: one Israeli and the other Palestinian. Having met through a student exchange program, they openly discuss their frustrations with the political situation of 2002, and over time come to appreciate the others cultural and political viewpoints. This is a great cross-cultural interaction as the girls show their misconceptions of the other group, but through open dialogue come to an appreciation for other perspectives. This would be a good project to have student read the book and synthesize the cultural and political elements within them to reinforce the class content with a real-world example.

Via us.macmillan.com

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

The average temperature across the U.S.was 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average…

Here is a link to some data that backs up what most Americans already knew: the month of March was much warmer that just “unseasonably warm.”  IN the Northeast, it was 9.8 degrees (F) above the average, and the warmest March in 118 years.  

Via www.scientificamerican.com

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

High-resolution imaging has allowed scientists to produce the first full count of Antarctica’s emperor penguins…

Before using satellite imagery to record penguin population statistics, there was no reliable, cost-effective way to do the job.  Geospatial technologies are now providing us the tools to teach us more about the biogeography of penguins.  The applications of geospatial technologies are endless.   

Via www.scientificamerican.com

Via Scoop.it – Geography Education

Farmers Fight is a student-led initiative to reconnect American society to the world of agriculture. Beginning with university students, Farmers Fight encour…

This video makes several important points about agricultural production within our modernized world, things that often go unnoticed and taken for granted.  Food for thought. 

Via www.youtube.com