Connecting with the GIS Education Community

1. The division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms is shifting fast.

2. Automation, robotization and digitization look different across different industries.

3. There is a net positive outlook for jobs – amid significant job disruption.

4. All stakeholders need a common language for defining and assessing skills.

5. Industries need a shared approach to managing workforce transformations. 

6. New tasks at work are driving demand for new skills.

7. We all need to be lifelong learners.

For more, see Preparing   https://www.weforum.org/projects/future-of-work   for the future of work.

My own research:

Online, Engaged Instruction in Geography and GIS Using IoT Feeds, Web Mapping Services, and Field Tools within a Spatial Thinking Framework

 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19338341.2022.2070520 

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 media-infused tutorials, networks, and tools to collaborate and ask questions, 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 resource gathering, networking, and problem solving that they will use in the workplace. 

Don't stress that you are not using the latest version of software tool X, but also remember the song Party Like It's 1999---don't get "stuck" either.

Traditional lesson style still has a place in learning, as   I did in these 10 lessons.   

Holistic ways of learning and knowing Geotechnologies.

3 Guiding Educational Points

1) As GIS evolves, it becomes more powerful and easier to use.

2) You don't need to create everything yourself.

3) Re-think how you craft your own training activities.

Foundations matter. GTCM:   https://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/competency-models/geospatial-technology.aspx  

But - who needs to know which components?

The geo/enviro/planning community have long used location as essential part of their analysis.

Now, those with backgrounds in computer science and statistics and programming are using location to build better models: Spatial Data Science.

 https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/20-ingredients-important-for-a-vibrant-and/bc-p/1535545 

 https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/20-ingredients-important-for-a-vibrant-and/ba-p/1525243 

UAVs and GIS > create campus map.   https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0556cbdd4d894a1bb06867c5b0020b54 

Why are right whales dying?

One teacher who lets the students fly!

With educators: Start with “what are you teaching and where in the curriculum are students not engaged OR you are using outdated and static maps/other resources – then focus on how GIS could enhance those parts of the curriculum and then actively listening! … RATHER THAN blazing in there saying “you need to use GIS in all of your lessons….” (which won’t resonate with very many educators!).

With K12, it is largely NOT “teaching GIS” but rather “how can I use GIS to teach ____” (science, social studies, history, math, data science, and other disciplines). Obviously starting with their own school neighborhood and looking at “where has the nearest hurricane occurred over the past 60 years? What is the median age in my community?” .. and of course the satellite image of their school as well as a starting point for discussion.

Start with some links of data and maps that I recently taught for educators in a professional development institute, using this syllabus:  https://community.esri.com/community/education/blog/2020/02/19/a-model-professional-development-workshop-for-educators 

Then use apps listed on  https://community.esri.com/community/education/blog/2017/07/26/10-things-you-can-do-with-arcgis-online-story-maps-apps-and-spatial-analysis-workshops  10 things you can do with ArcGIS Online – migration app, wayback imagery, USGS historical topo maps, water balance app, and a few more, couching each in a spatial thinking discussion of what’s where, why is it there, why should we care? These do not require a sign in to ArcGIS Online, by and large --- no sign in is an important thing to start with!

 https://esriurl.com/k12gis  - Many short activities are in our K12 zone.

More activities are here:  https://teach-with-gis-learngis.hub.arcgis.com/  and in the Learn library, here:  https://learn.arcgis.com  Show videos that listed here -  https://community.esri.com/community/education/blog/2020/02/28/videos-to-get-students-excited-and-knowledgeable-about-geography 

Say: An educator could: Choose a few lessons and maps on  www.esri.com/geoinquiries  These all use ArcGIS Online for the maps and spatial analysis. Start with the Level 1 exercises -no sign in required! Many educators start here.

Then, when they are ready to dig deeper, continue with GeoInquiries and move to Level 2 – analysis, sign in required.

I have created short activities (such as in Arcade, joining data to living atlas, how to create a story map, and other items) in our education space and blog on Esri Community:  https://community.esri.com/community/education/pages/education-blo g

Bigger Picture:

A resource to get students thinking critically about data is the data blog  https://spatialreserves.wordpress.com  Look at the China Google Maps, the “bad maps” presentations including the 3200 degrees in Texas, and location privacy. Be critical! Don’t just “accept” every map you see! The developer labs to nudge students to using some Python are on https://developers.arcgis.com Start students building expressions in ArcGIS Online: Age 11-15 year olds in census tracts in Chicago / total pop of that census tract and divide the result by 100 for the percentage. Powerful yet simple with good math connections (STEM in action!).

See some of my examples here: Start:  https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/using-custom-expressions-in-arcgis-online/ba-p/884516  and spatial joins, here:  https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/2-short-activities-that-illustrate-how-to-join/ba-p/884947  14.

Field Work: The Survey123 field tools are powerful – collect data > map it > analyze it > communicate results with story maps. See my example here: On walkability, but you could collect fire hydrants, tree species, traffic or ped counts, weather info, noise (with a phone app), and much more:  https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/how-walkable-is-your-community/ba-p/883382   

Information

Schools will get the whole school bundle with their ArcGIS Online organization account, including ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro and other software. Most K-12 schools are focusing on ArcGIS Online – it provides in most cases, more than enough capabilities for their needs.

Universities and colleges: Most already have a site license for Esri technology, or at least a departmental license.

 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/edd676b67f5f4c749ab3e6922bd9237a 

Geospatial data book & blog:   https://spatialreserves.wordpress.com  

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, and maps tend to be believed.

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?

Be flexible; be willing to go international; or at the very least, outside of your "disciplinary comfort zone"!  Hence, read.