Debbie Chikousky is an agricultural columnist that has combined her love of farming with her love of homeschooling. Her writing allows her to be a stay at home farm mom with her four children. Although the two oldest went through public school, their daughter is now a homeschooling high school graduate and the youngest isn’t far behind. Combining homeschooling with a busy day of farm chores and teenage life can be a challenge but it is always fun. She utilizes free tools as much as possible in her endeavors to keep learning connected to life. You can read more about her farm life at Chikousky Farms.

Name of Product: MapSkip

Link to Product/website: http://www.mapskip.com/

Description of Product: “MapSkip.com makes the world a canvas for our stories and photos.  The purpose of MapSkip.com is to create a weave of stories about the places in our lives. Users are invited to create a free account and to mark up places in Google Maps with their own stories and photos. Users can browse each other’s stories and can rate and discuss them.”

Debbie’s Description of Product: MapSkip is a unique blend of creative writing and geography, with the potential of adding visual learning tools to the mix.  There is nothing to download and the account is free.

MapSkips uses Google Maps libraries to the latest 2.x standard instead of the “old” 2.0.  When you arrive at the MapSkip homepage it greets you with a map of your area. I was curious as to how it does this and found the answer in their Blog section.  Apparently they have added a feature based on the new API loader using Google’s new client location feature, which means when a new user comes to MapSkip for the first time - or if a registered user comes back with a shiny new browser - MapSkip will take a guess at your location and open the map around your neighborhood.

Because of this updated technology, when I entered Narcisse, Manitoba, Canada (the remote hamlet we live close to) into the search a screen, our town location popped up instantly. The same experience was repeated when we clicked on the satellite and terrain view options located at the top right hand corner of the screen.

The My Passport area is used by members to keep track of their stories and other blogs that they are tracking.  There is also a blog section categorized by date.  All members are able to read what is posted there and it makes it easy to locate topics of interest.  If you and your children are just wanting to browse for learning ideas, there is a sidebar on the right hand side of each page that lets you choose locations, authors, and most popular stories.   We have used Google maps before when studying the geography of an area and I now prefer to use MapSkip instead.  It enable us to use just this one site to explore the culture (first hand accounts in tourists stories) and the geography (terrain maps) of the location.  It also includes visual and auditory learning (pictures, videos and MP3 recordings) and social interaction.

How the Product can be used for Homeschooling: Reading the travel stories posted in blog style by other members is a great teaching tool.  What better way of showing children what life is like in another country than by reading stories written by the people who live there?

It was very exciting for me to go to the sounds section of this website.  To listen to the sound recordings, roll over the icons on the map.  The Sounds of the World page only feature stories with sound.  To upload sound recordings from a trip, you click on the map, create a new story and upload your own personal MP3 recording.

Debbie’s Experience Using the Product: After exploring the map of our hometown, we decided to explore a different location. Two of our children are taking a trip to Wales this year.  While visiting, they plan to visit a tiny village named Gilfoch, where my grandparents lived before they immigrated to Canada.  I put the village name into the search and instantly a map of the area came onto our screen.  We searched further and the street on which my cousins live in Cardiff, Wales popped up.

We had a wonderful experience with the other locations we “visited” also.  I may never be able to travel to Africa, but I feel like we have been there through watching the videos (visual learning) and listening to the soundtracks of the wind and the ocean (auditory learning).

Our family is looking forward to using this site for learning as well as leisure. It is easy to navigate and can be used by any age group.

Tutorial or Promotional Video of the Product:

Summary: Mapskip is an easy to use, fun, interactive tool. I loved being able to see an aerial view of my house without flying over it! It makes geography fun.

Editor’s Note: Check out these FREE online tools for Geography:
Take a virtual tour of the Interactive Maps of the World (Field Museum, Chicago)
Free 3D photos of U.S. National Parks, virtal tours, and more!
FUN Geography Videos!