Have I mentioned lately how much I love web 2.0 tools and geography? I am playing with Google Earth today in preparation for tomorrow’s keynote in Fort Worth, and discovered Semapedia. According to the creators of Semapedia:
Our goal is to connect the virtual and physical world by bringing the best information from the internet to the relevant place in physical space. We do this by combining the physical annotation technology of Semacode with high quality information from Wikipedia.
The Semapedia Learn More page explains this pretty well visually. An article is also available (PDF format) if you prefer text to images. The abstract of the article is:
With this article we would like to present an unique and new system for providing free relevant ad-hoc high quality information to mobile users in the real world. We discuss the idea that stands behind Semapedia and the componentes that it is made of. We look at the types of users involved, what they do and how they relate based on a use-case and sequence diagram. Finally we take a step back and make a SWOT analysis based on our experience and assumptions and discuss our goals.
I found Semapedia after doing an advanced Google search for kml files. KML files are used by Google Earth to link geographic information system (GIS) data to the program as a new layer, the content of which is “grabbed live” from the web. This was my search syntax:
filetype:kml inurl:kml
Semapedia is a project that could make traveling with a cell phone (and possibly access to a printer, at least in a hotel room) much more interesting. If you see a piece of paper taped up in a location with a Semapedia tag, you can click a photo of it with your cell phone and have the free software recognize the tag. Think of this as scanning a barcode, but just using your cell phone to do it. Then your web-enabled cell phone can connect directly to WikiPedia articles related to that geographic space.
The most recently posted semapedia images posted to flickr with geotagging info are available on the Semapedia Map page.
Very cool. And a very powerful idea. Just the sort we should be exploring for further creative uses, in classrooms and beyond! 🙂
Have a class project in mind for this year? Why not have your students write up their research findings as either new articles or appended information in WikiPedia? Then use Semapedia to create tags for those locations, and upload images to Flickr as well. Realtime publishing, available for a global audience, collaboratively created and edited by people who care around the globe.
This is the face of 21st century digital curriculum!
If you’re looking for a good place to find updated info about Semapedia and other geographically linked web 2.0 services and ideas, check out the Semapedia blog.
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On this day..
- SIFTing our Sources – 2024
- Digital Picture Frames – 2023
- 15 Minute Snapchat 101 Tutorial – 2016
- Print a QR Code for an AudioBoo Recording – 2014
- The Art & Science of Teaching by Dr. Phil Warrick (part 2 of 2) – 2012
- The Art & Science of Teaching by Dr. Phil Warrick (part 1 of 2) – 2012
- Webcasting with the Seedlings: In the Sprankle Podcave! – 2010
- Schools using Twitter for parent and community communication – 2008
- Family member tribute digital stories – 2008
- links for 2008-04-02 – 2008