What do Tsunami, Technology and Social Media have in common?

We were at NASA on Saturday with some visitors from the UK.  All of us were preoccupied with the earthquake in Chile and the impending tsunami in Hawaii. As we paused among exhibits and movies and hands-on experiments, either my husband or I would whip out our Droids and find out the latest news!  He went to Google and I went to Twitter, and between us we kept informed (as did other visitors who peered over our shoulders to catch a glimpse of what was going on).

Google sent us to Websites where we were able to find out the latest news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and track information from the NOAA buoy system. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/  We could watch “in living color” as the buoys reported the data of ocean water movement. Twitter set up groups where concerned family members could post messages and gather information, and my Hawaiian tweeps were posting regular updates about where gas and food were available for evacuees going to higher ground.

On the tram ride around NASA about six hours before the tsunami was scheduled to hit Hawaii, a family of three in front of us was talking on a cell phone. I was annoyed that someone was using a cell during a tour, and I confess that I eavesdropped on the conversation. My irritation vanished when I heard them talking to the father’s sister who lives in Hawaii. They were arranging for her to text them every six hours to conserve her cell phone battery, and they would relay the news to other family members around the states.  Their daughter, perhaps ten years old, said, “Are we worried about Aunt Rachel?”  And her mother replied, “Yes, we’re worried. But we’ll know where she is and that she’s safe because she has her cell phone.”

And last night, as the fear subsided, Twitter educators shared great Websites with lesson plans to help children understand more about earthquakes, tsunamis and emergency preparedness… making us all into better parents and teachers.