Geograffiti's focus on K-8 Education

A while back I posted about a web2.0 tool that couples with cell phones called Geograffiti. One of the concerns with the tool is that you had to be at least 13 years of age to use the tool. However, Geograffiti has now lifted that ban and is encouraging educators in K-12 classroom to consider using their free and innovative tool. Geograffiti couples with ANY phone that can make a phone call (Yay! No Smartphone required, but it is not a toll free number so one should use a cell phone). It allows someone to make a phone call, speak, and have their voice instantly appear on a map (at Geograffiti on the Internet) from the location where they called in. This is an excellent and easy to use tool. Teachers should note that the voicemarks left on the map are PUBLIC, so the teacher should talk with students about digital footprints, appropriateness and the permanent record of the Internet before using this resource.

Here are a fe ideas of how to use Geograffiti in the K-12 classroom:
1) Center Time (K-3)
Students can work on fluency, oral presentation skills, reading, creating an argument, reasoning, inquiry, questioning, by calling in to Geograffiti.
2) Homework, Field Trips, Spring Break
Students can work with their parents over spring break or summer break and leave voicemarks about their experiences, vacations, and what they learned over the break. Students on a field trip could record their observations (such as a trip to the zoo or a science museum).
3) Language Study
Students learning a new language can call in voicemarks and practice their new language skills
4) Social Studies
Students can ask others (friends and family) to call in from different parts of the country to give their perspective on local, national, and international social and cultural issues.
5) Oral Histories
Students could document oral or local histories by conducting interviews that would be placed on the map.
6) Real time Math
Students could call in to Geograffiti when they recognize that they are doing algebra, geometry or physics in their real life, they could describe the situation and put it into mathematical terms.