Create Truly Authentic Learning with Google Tour Builder

My grandma is 98 and every second spent with her is special. About a year ago, she gave me something also very special. It was a book that had belonged to my grandpa Rex Cooper, who passed away nearly 23 years ago. It wasn't just any book either; it was a book awarded to him by the 103rd Cactus Division's 409th Infantry Regiment shortly after the end of World War II. That book in conjunction with Google's TourBuilder would, over the course of the next six months, provide me with one of the most authentic learning experiences of my life and allow me to deepen my love and respect for my grandpa decades after our last conversation.

Rex Cooper and the 409th Infantry in World War II - Tour Builder with Google

Like many veterans who served in the Pacific, Africa, and Europe during the war, my grandfather spoke little of his experiences. According to my grandma, the most he ever opened up about his time in the Army was when he was a guest speaker in history classes for both my sister and me. This small 75-year-old hard-bound book called The 409th Infantry in World War II  (also accessible digitally) is a day-by-day retelling of arduous marches, fierce fighting, heartbreak, and triumph. It essentially tells the story for all of the vets who found it too painful to do so themselves.

I absolutely devoured every account and dug deep into the web for more information on each location, battle and other Army divisions referenced. What allowed me to organize links, photos, videos, and locations was TourBuilder. It was fascinating to find in the French mountains, the actual hairpin turn being used as a German road that is referenced in the text of the book.

Not only did this project draw me closer to my grandpa's journey through Europe, it tremendously deepened my understanding of World War II and other heroes from other brigades who fought alongside the 409th at times. One such group was known as Patton's Panthers. 

From my tour: Joining the 103rd at Reisdorf was Charlie Company of the 761st Tank Battalion. This all-African American unit of tank commanders proved to be some of the best of the best despite having to endure tremendous prejudice along the way. As Charlie fought with the Cactusmen, more companies of the 761st would soon join them. 

Because TourBuilder allows for the inclusion of media, I was able to include the following YouTube video to better tell the story of the Panthers and how important they were, not only in assisting the 409th but also in their total contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. 

There were many late nights this summer as each segment of the book opened up another deep dive into events of 75 years ago. It is one thing to get lost down a rabbit hole of something on the Internet. It sure feels a lot more worthwhile when that rabbit hole is your own family's history. Even at 48 years old, I was able to experience some of the most authentic learning of my lifetime.

Just think about all of the authentic learning experiences that we can foster for kids by combining their own personal history with Google's TourBuilder. Many other regiments created similar accounts documenting their soldiers' time in the war and many of those can be found in digital form across the web. Students with great grandparents who served can create the same kind of tour I did. What if students traced their ancestors' journeys to America with TourBuilder? Think about how powerful and empowering it would be for a student new to the United States to tell their journey's story in TourBuilder. 

As digital tools continue to evolve, TourBuilder with Google is one that can be utilized to create deep and truly authentic learning experiences.