Educating the Next Generation of Spatial Thinkers
Why to do it | How to do it
[A] Why should we care about educating the next generation of spatial thinkers?
1. All 21st Century problems are spatial.
At no time in history have we been so empowered, and yet so challenged.
2. Each GIS professional has an education connection.
What do you want to see in society?
Education will continue as a relevant institution in society.
Geotechnologies will continue as a relevant set of tools, data, and methodologies.
You are solving the key 21st Century issues. You are revolutionary.
Interpreting Our World - book.
Interpreting Our World QR code for book.
(3) Who is a leader here?
Changing the way we see the world = That's your job.
What do we want education to look like in 2030?
Education that provides relevant, professional, affordable learning that (1) reflects and (2) anticipates workforce demands.
[B] How should we approach this challenge?
How can you lead the way?
(1) Make it personal. What's your story?
Early Geographic Days...
Meeting people and ...
... making maps.
What are those numbers ...
... in the margins?
Getting the angle juuuuust right...
... in urban and rural landscapes.
Finding far away AM radio stations at night
KFRC
But the best one was .... KOMA in OKC!
4 sectors of society
Nonprofit, government, academia, industry
Supporting GIS use in education
K-12, community-technical-tribal college, universities, libraries, museums
I am a believer in field experiences!
I have a great love for the GIS community.
... and all that you do!
(2) Anchor your approach to: The 5 forces that bring us to a pivotal moment in geospatial technology in education and society.
5 forces that bring us to a key moment in GIS in education and in society.
(3) Anchor your approach to: The 5 trends in GIS.
5 Key trends in GIS (Kerski).
South Dakota State University campus. Imagine if every natural and human-built feature could be instantly captured and mapped?
Citizen science street level imagery and mapping with Mapillary.
City of Englewood Augmented Reality Video.
GIS is no longer a niche technology and set of methods.
Demonstrate Phase 2 of GIS.
Analyzing traffic accidents in space and time.
(4) Listen to educators and speak their language.
Do you have your elevator speech? You need one.
Elevator speech on why GIS matters to society
(5) Focus on what's important.
1) Don't stop at "Look, my data is on the map!"
2) Don't focus just on the tools! The tools change...
Don't get too attached to your tools.
3 legged geoliteracy stool (Kerski).
(6) Focus on career opportunities.
The tools are changing, but the workforce is also changing.
Preparing https://www.weforum.org/projects/future-of-work for the future of work.
The World Employment and Industry Outlook
1. Automation, robotization and digitization look different across different industries.
2. There is a net positive outlook for jobs – amid significant job disruption.
3. The division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms is shifting fast.
4. New tasks at work are driving demand for new skills.
5. We all need to be lifelong learners.
The tools, the workforce, AND education are all simultaneously changing.
Share (in a balanced way) what YOU do with GIS.
My own research:
Online, Engaged Instruction in Geography and GIS Using IoT Feeds, Web Mapping Services, and Field Tools within a Spatial Thinking Framework
(7) Employ strategies that reflect the changing nature of GIS.
What and how should students learn geotechnologies in the 2020s? Is it still just overlay, buffer, geocoding? Or is it data sharing, field and office apps, integrating models with Python? Or all of the above?
Given the wide variety of tutorials and help files containing graphics and videos, networks and the tools to collaborate, ask questions, and share ideas, students, faculty, and GIS professionals have an amazing variety of learning options at their fingertips.
Tool-based approaches vs. how to solve problems using GIS. See David DiBiase's Stop Teaching GIS essay.
Help students "learn how to learn", emulating the kind of resource gathering, networking, and problem solving that they will use in the workplace.
Traditional lesson style and tutorial still has a place in learning, as students using these go through workflow of geographic inquiry, as I did in these 10 lessons.
There is no shame in using resources that others have developed.
Lessons should not include long how-to directions or screen shots. Why? (1) Workflows. (2) Resources. (3) Modern learning style. (4) Curation nightmare.
The Foundations matter. GTCM: https://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/competency-models/geospatial-technology.aspx
But - who needs to know which components?
Ricker, B. A., Rickles, P. R., Fagg, G. A., & Haklay, M. E. (2020). Tool, toolmaker, and scientist: case study experiences using GIS in interdisciplinary research. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230406.2020.1748113
Foster a champion in the school, college, university.
(8) Showcase student work.
Storymap from high school student’s senior engineering capstone. UAVs and GIS to create a campus map. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0556cbdd4d894a1bb06867c5b0020b54
Drones and GIS
Why are right whales dying?
Why are Right Whales Dying in the Gulf of St. Lawrence?
One teacher who lets the students fly!
What is the tiny little secret? Just like GIS is too valuable for 1-2 departments in a city, GIS is too valuable for just 1 or 2 departments or programs on a school, college, or university campus!
(9) The landscape of K-12 education.
(1) Anchor whatever you do to state and national content standards.
(2) Slow but steady progress in the use of GIS.
(3) Mostly used as an instructional tool in geography, math, history, science, and for content (teaching WITH GIS). About 10% of use in primary-secondary is teaching ABOUT GIS.
(4) See my video for more information.
US K12 Education map: ArcGIS Online organizational accounts.
(10) The landscape of higher education.
(1) Most GIS is still within GIS | Geography | Enviro programs.
(2) Increasing diffusion particularly in business and health programs.
(3) Digital humanities, history, computer science, engineering are still relatively small but growing.
(4) See my video for more information.
GIS in higher education.
(11) Final Recommendations
1) The importance of real-world examples. "Geo-News"
2) Use quizzes, crossword puzzles, "your own neighborhood", Survey123 with map and dashboard, and other strategies.
3) Go beyond the software: Pose questions, model inquiry.
4) Higher Ed: Advocate for a geospatial librarian on campus. K-12: Sometimes an after-school club is the best starting point.
5) Don't overstress about using the latest-and-greatest version of X software, but by the same token, don't teach like it is 1999.
6) More on enaging hands-on examples, less on you showing slides of what you are doing: Living Atlas apps , ArcGIS Online without signing in, Geoinquiries , Learn Lessons. For more strategies, read this.
7) Teach an after school club, or a course at a community college, give guest workshops...
(8) Be a geomentor: For more, see this essay. Geomentoring:
- It is diverse--ages, backgrounds, job roles.
- It is exciting.
- It offers both the mentee and the mentor something of value.
- It embraces new and innovative methods of teaching and learning--approaches, skills, tools.
- It infuses geotechnologies in rich ways, including spatial analysis, story mapping, field methods.
What can a geomentor do? 1. Assemble data, maps, apps. 2. Give presentations/workshops. 3. Guide an educator. 4. Sponsor an educator for professional development opportunities.
Do you have time for this?
What is the ROI?
What are the consequences of NOT doing this?
Are you the right person to get involved in education?
How many of you feel 100% adequate in your job?
To accomplish great things, two things are required: (1) A Plan, and (2) Not enough time. --Leonard Bernstein
(12) Focus on the 5 Top Skills for GeoTechnology Professionals AND instructors and students.
1. Be curious. This leads to > Tenacity. Asking Good questions is part of the Inquiry Process.
Geographic Inquiry model.
2. Be able to work with data and be critical of it!
Geospatial data book and blog: http://spatialreserves.wordpress.com
Spatial Reserves
Understand the ethical implications of what you are doing!
Be critical of data that even YOU generate!
For more, see my recent presentation on data quality.
Maps are easy to create, maps tend to be believed, maps are often used to generate views on web pages, maps are often attached to fun posts, maps are representations of reality.
3. Know your Geographic and Geotechnical Foundations: Skills (spatial stats, coding, web, projections, analysis, classification, etc.), but content knowledge as well and the geographic perspective (scale, systems thinking).
Give back! Who can I mentor? A school, a college or university, others ____?
Who can I connect with to receive mentorship?
Where are your gaps? Use the GTCM as a guide to help you identify gaps. How can you fill those gaps?
4. Be Adaptable.
Be flexible; be willing to go international; or at the very least, outside of your "disciplinary comfort zone"! Hence, read.
Seek the Center, Luke.
5. Nurture good communications. Do you have an elevator speech?
Elevator speech on why GIS matters to society
This decade will be exciting for geotechnologies, and you have a key role in achieving the goal.
The goal: That wise decisions will be made with the spatial perspective and the use of geotechnologies for a healthier, happier, and more sustainable future.
Guess where? Place matters.
