When teachers used the app it got them thinking and conversing about geospatial layers, envisaging possibilities for layered representation, as this interview with a fully qualified teacher shows:
Interviewer: So what did you think of it?
Teacher: I really liked it. It’s quite tricky to use but I don’t know if that’s just the HTC phone because I have an..
Interviewer: Because you’re used to using a iPhone? Yeah, like most people.
Teacher: Yeah, but then as soon as I had had a couple of goes…then it is ok to use. So it is just a case of needing a bit of training. As we were saying it would have been useful to have a lesson beforehand so that the girls had something.. and learnt to use it at school. Then they could use it here. I like the fact of adding the commentary and be intrigued to find out how many of them were adding the commentary, not just taking photos.
Interviewer: Not just taking random photos?
Teacher: Yeah. It would also be good to see at the end what the finished product…what the teacher gets.
Interviewer: Do you mean what they’ll do back in the classroom?
Teacher: Yeah see what you get so – where all the plants are from and how that then links into the shape.
Interviewer: Of where they are from across the world? Do you mean or the wider patterns?
Teacher: Yeah some sort of wider patterns thing, I am not quite sure what you will get from there so it would be interesting to know…and whether there are some sort of different colours to show that these plants have such and such a feature and that is why they are from here…because I assume the end product is too look at plants adaptations..
Interviewer: Well if I think on my feet then I was thinking that because this glass house is supposed to from south to north isn’t it. What would happen then if you were then in the alpine house, maybe that would be a different colour to this one?
Teacher: Yeah something like that so that you could see the difference.
Interviewer: Colour code according to temperature?
Teacher: Yeah. Which is ok because you have got the ambient recorder on their. Ooh I can’t remember what the question was now?
GeoSciTeach 