Latest Contributions by AngelaLee

Chances are you’ve heard the term “lifelong learning” – the ongoing pursuit of knowledge for personal or professional development. Because the GIS industry is so dynamic in terms of both technological change and growth in application areas (e.g., health, public safety, infrastructure), lifelong learning is key to career success.   Wondering where to begin?  A wide range of resources from 2-minute video tutorials to professional certificates and masters degrees are available. Choosing the right resources for your needs depends in part on understanding your goals. A distinction is often made between “training” focused on learning the skills one needs to do a job and “education” focused on broad, conceptual understanding.  Daniel Burrus summarizes the distinction concisely: “You train people for performance. You educate people for understanding.” Both are valuable. Learning to solve a short-term problem often can be addressed with training while learning to design or change an entire system is often better addressed through education.  Below are resources progressing from shorter, training-focused activities to longer, education-focused activities. Tutorials Esri Academy includes many free hands-on tutorials ranging in length from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Many Esri Press books include tutorials ArcGIS Pro “quick start” hands-on tutorials range in length from 15 to 60 minutes. ArcGIS Developer Tutorials are hands-on activities for learning to build apps Esri Academy Training Seminars are videos ranging in length from 30 to 60 minutes. GeoTech Center’s Concept Modules and Demonstration Videos range in length from 15 to 30 minutes. Many colleges/universities publish free GIS tutorials online; search “GIS tutorial” in a web browser or YouTube.  If you want to learn a specific skill, add it to your search (e.g., GIS hotspot tutorial). Workshops Many professional associations and GIS user groups offer workshops as part of an annual conference, and many colleges/universities offer workshops through a continuing education/extension unit. Many Esri User Groups list workshops under the heading ‘Education’, ‘Events’, or ‘Training’. Professional associations such as URISA, ASPRS, NACo, and many others also list workshops under ‘Education’, ‘Events’, or ‘Training’. For the purpose of this blog, a workshop is rather arbitrarily defined as an episodic experience, in contrast to a course that has regular offerings. Courses Colleges/universities as well as commercial entities offer courses of varying lengths (from a few hours to several weeks) and varying formats (online, hybrid, instructor-led). In many cases, courses contribute towards the completion of a credential such as a certificate or degree. Many college/university GIS courses can be found with a web search or by searching the institution’s website. MOOC providers such as Udemy, Coursera, and edX offer GIS courses. Esri Academy offers web courses, instructor-led courses, and MOOCs. Several Esri Partners offer courses; one with a unique model is Bootcamp GIS, which follows the model of coding bootcamps. Credentials and degrees Hundreds of colleges and universities offer certificate and degree programs; you can search by specialty (e.g., GeoInt, resource management, data science), location or format. The GeoTech Center National Program Finder provides a directory of certificate and degree programs in the United States. Esri offers a Technical Certification Program that validates expertise in Esri products. The GIS Certification Institute offers the GISP certification program based on a combination of education, experience, ethics, and contributions to the profession. I hope blog this provides a helpful starting point, and I welcome comments and suggestions on additional resources for GIS training and education, especially collections of resources available outside the United States. ... View more

We want to learn more about how Learn ArcGIS lessons are currently used in higher education and how they can be improved to better meet your needs as educators.  If you currently use Learn ArcGIS lessons, could you please participate in this survey? If you’re not already familiar with them, Learn ArcGIS lessons are hands-on tutorials ranging from 20 minutes to 4 hours in length. They teach GIS skills using real-world scenarios. All data is provided and lessons are kept up-to-date with current software. Lessons are published by Esri under a Creative Commons license. Reuse and adaptation for educational purposes is permitted. ... View more

Why does every list of career advice stress the importance of a strong professional network?  Glassdoor states that nearly 85% of employees found or obtained their job through networking.  What may be less obvious is that your professional network also helps you succeed once you’ve found a job.  How so? Your network is an importance source of knowledge. Rather than trying to learn everything yourself, you can tap into the knowledge of dozens or hundreds of people.  Social connections make people happier and healthier, improving work performance. Your network improves your creativity and helps spur innovation. A diverse network introduces you to a wide range of ideas which can lead to new solutions, giving you and your organization an advantage. Social connections make people happier and healthier.   Two great ways to build your professional network are joining Esri Young Professionals Network on LinkedIn and attending the Esri UC.  We have special conference registration rates for both students and Young Professional Network members. The UC brings together thousands of GIS professionals from a range of industries. You’ll see how diverse the uses of GIS can be and might discover new career paths you didn’t know existed.  Be sure to work on your ‘elevator pitch’ before the event – you should be able to introduce yourself and say what interests you in 30 seconds.  Include an intriguing fun fact and be sure to ask others what interests them to get the conversation going. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking for growth opportunities, cultivating strong professional relationships will benefit you both professionally and personally. ... View more

Why does every list of career advice stress the importance of a strong professional network?  Glassdoor states that nearly 85% of employees found or obtained their job through networking.  What may be less obvious is that your professional network also helps you succeed once you’ve found a job.  How so? Your network is an importance source of knowledge. Rather than trying to learn everything yourself, you can tap into the knowledge of dozens or hundreds of people.  Social connections make people happier and healthier, improving work performance. Your network improves your creativity and helps spur innovation. A diverse network introduces you to a wide range of ideas which can lead to new solutions, giving you and your organization an advantage. Social connections make people happier and healthier Two great ways to build your professional network are joining Esri Young Professionals Network on LinkedIn and attending the Esri UC.  We have special conference registration rates for both students and Young Professional Network members. The UC brings together thousands of GIS professionals from a range of industries. You’ll see how diverse the uses of GIS can be and might discover new career paths you didn’t know existed.  Be sure to work on your ‘elevator pitch’ before the event – you should be able to introduce yourself and say what interests you in 30 seconds.  Include an intriguing fun fact and be sure to ask others what interests them to get the conversation going. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking for growth opportunities, cultivating strong professional relationships will benefit you both professionally and personally. ... View more

Have you tried Esri Academy's Learning Plans? Learning Plans provide a sequence of courses on topics such as map design or spatial data science. Plans can be assigned to students or used to guide your own learning. You can start with a plan designed by Esri's curriculum team or create your own. “Fundamentals” plans provide great introductions to GIS concepts and specific applications: GIS Fundamentals Fundamentals of Mapping and Visualization Spatial Analysis and Data Science Fundamentals ArcGIS Online Fundamentals ArcGIS Pro Fundamentals   In addition, the Esri curriculum team has created several new learning plans that may be of interest: Distance Analysis Essentials: Learn powerful ArcGIS Spatial Analyst techniques for analyzing distance between locations using cost-weighted distance surfaces. ArcGIS Business Analyst Essentials: Learn to use Business Analyst Pro for customer and competitor analysis, territory design, target marketing, and site evaluation. ArcGIS API for Python Fundamentals: Learn to streamline analysis, manage content, and administer Web GIS using Python. ArcGIS Enterprise Fundamentals: Get started with ArcGIS Enterprise and learn to support operational workflows across your organization. ArcGIS Enterprise on Kubernetes Essentials: Learn how microservices and containerization provide a cloud-native architecture for ArcGIS Enterprise emphasizing scalability, resilience, and maintainability. ArcGIS Online: Administration Essentials: Learn workflows for common administrative tasks covering members, content, configuration, and monitoring of your ArcGIS Online organization. Learning Plans contain a variety of resources, including web courses, videos, and instructor-led courses.  Plans can be modified to meet your needs, and plans are frequently updated by Esri’s curriculum team. And you can always find a list of new and updated resources in the catalog under the heading New and Retired Training.  Over 20 courses have been updated to ArcGIS Pro version 2.9 in the past 60 days! If you have ideas or questions for the Esri Training team, please share them in the Esri Training Community. ... View more

Changes to the Esri Education Institution Agreement are documented in this file. Last updated October 2021. ... View more

We at Esri want to build mapping and spatial analysis tools that enable people everywhere to understand the world and make better decisions. To do that, we rely on the ingenuity of the GIS community to push the boundaries of products and imagine new ways to apply GIS in problem solving. When you have an idea for improving ArcGIS to make it work better for you, we want to know! ArcGIS Ideas is a forum for requesting new features/enhancements and adding your support to ideas suggested by the community. Esri product teams participate in the Idea Exchanges and shape future products based on community input. For example, this blog outlines how the April 2021 ArcGIS Online release incorporated input from ArcGIS Ideas. Members of the Education community can and should contribute to ArcGIS Ideas. By working together to define common needs, we can amplify the voice of the Education community.  For example, several institutions support these 3 ArcGIS Ideas: Make ‘create group with update capabilities’ a non-admin privilege Allow users to change content ownership without the ‘View all’ content privilege enabled Georeferencing in ArcGIS Online If you think they would make ArcGIS Online better for you, your colleagues, and your students, add your vote and/or comments to give them momentum. You also can review the Submission Guidelines and submit your own ideas or support ideas in other areas – there are Idea Exchanges for every major product and for My Esri.  And if you want to submit an idea for the Education program, you can do that right here in the Education Community (on the Question board for Higher Education, K12 Instruction, or Administration). We look forward to seeing and sharing your great ideas! ... View more

Learn ArcGIS provides story-driven lessons to teach GIS concepts and workflows and is a great source of free learning resources to use in your courses and build your own skills.  The Learn ArcGIS team has been busy creating new materials and updating existing lessons.  Since June, over 20 new lessons have been released, over 60 lessons have been updated, and 2 new curricular packages have launched (How to Make a Map and Official Statistics Modernization | GIS Curriculum).   New lessons cover a range of topics, such as Crowdsource student hangouts, Map your community cleanup, Shade equity - Determine tree planting locations with suitability analysis, and Tell an interactive story using map actions. For more details on the new resources, check out the Learn ArcGIS blog on the Esri Community. We’re always interested in feedback from you about what other materials you’d like to see, and we appreciate all the input we received at the Higher Education Special Interest Group meeting at the Esri UC about Learn ArcGIS. One request was to make it easier to identify new and updated resources.  The Learn ArcGIS Team is in the process of adding a time-stamp to the lesson overviews, to indicate the date each lessons was last tested. If you have additional ideas for the Learn ArcGIS team, please share them in the Learn ArcGIS Community. ... View more

  Join us at the Higher Education Special Interest Group meeting, Thursday July 15 at 2:15 pm PDT to share your feedback on how Esri can improve our support to the education community.  Throughout the session, we'll ask your input on several topics, including community support, software, and learning resources, so here’s your chance to ask us anything! We’ll also share updates on our activities and new learning resources available from Esri Academy, Esri Press, and the Learn ArcGIS Program. Join us tomorrow online at https://uc2021.esri.com/live-stream/19775490/Higher-Education-SIG. (Register here for the UC, if you're not already registered.)   ... View more

As more disciplines recognize the value of GIS in research and learning, more educators and students are recognizing the value of libraries in supporting GIS across their institutions.  The evolution of GIS from complex desktop systems to simple web maps and apps lowered barriers to mapping and spatial analysis and raised demands for training and support. In many institutions, those increased demands are met by GIS librarians. Why are librarians and others working in academic libraries great partners for supporting GIS education? The mission of academic libraries is to support curriculum and research within the institution.  Their goals are aligned with educators’ and students’ goals.  Through collaboration, everyone can accomplish more without working more. Libraries play a crucial role in cultivating information literacy, including data literacy. These foundational skills apply to all disciplines.  The skills gained through library workshops in finding and evaluating information will pay dividends in your courses because you won’t need to cover that material. Libraries typically have a mandate to serve all students, faculty, and staff and therefore aren’t in direct competition with academic departments for majors.  They often occupy a central position in the administration and have stable funding. Because they are centrally positioned and serve multiple disciplines, libraries have broad subject matter expertise and can draw on extensive networks when highly specialized expertise is required. Librarians typically have a “customer service” mindset and want to help others succeed.  Great librarians combine curiosity with strong interpersonal skills and find satisfaction from both addressing the intellectual issue and supporting the patron’s need.   Academic libraries provide a range of GIS support services that vary by the size of institution, the knowledge/skills of library staff, and the nature of GIS activities elsewhere on campus. The following section outlines types of GIS services often provided by libraries, along with links to exemplary institutions. Data management. Collections traditionally have been the core of any library, although the nature of collections has evolved with the rise of digital information. Libraries increasingly manage access to networks of web services rather than build on-premises collections. Examples of such geo-portals include: ASU GeoData (Arizona State University) Big Ten Academic Alliance Earthworks (Stanford University) University of South Florida   Research consultation.  Through research consultations, GIS librarians provide one-on-one help for research projects to faculty and students. In some cases, particularly in institutions without a department of Geography, these consultations serve as an introduction to GIS and spatial analysis. Examples of institutions with robust GIS research support are: Cal Poly SLO Digital Projects Lab Johns Hopkins Libraries Data Services New York University Data Services Yale University Library Instruction. GIS instruction in libraries can take many forms, including workshops offered by library staff, guest lectures in courses, or co-teaching with a librarian embedded in a semester-long course.  Most academic libraries also offer access to self-study learning resources, such as tutorials, videos, web courses or software workbooks.  Examples of library-based instruction include: Clemson University Center for Geospatial Technologies MIT Libraries University of California Berkeley Library University of Maryland University Libraries Community and communication. Because of their centrality in the information infrastructure and mandate to serve all, libraries are well positioned to coordinate communication and community-building activities related to GIS.  LibGuides are a common tool for providing information about available resources and services.  Many libraries also host events to showcase GIS-based research projects as both a way to celebrate the accomplishments of scholars and a way to draw others in to learn about available GIS services.  Examples of research project posters can be found at: Brown University Library GIS Symposia Tufts University Student GIS Expo Explorer Davis Library Research Hub Project Gallery (University of North Carolina) Washington University Open Scholarship If you’re intrigued about the opportunities for collaboration with your library, reach out to the subject specialist for maps, GIS or data services.  Not all libraries will have a GIS Librarian per se, but most will have a Data Services Librarian or Data Services unit that works with GIS and geospatial data.  You can also consult the Online Guide to U.S. Map Collections created by the Maps & Geospatial Information Round Table of the American Library Association. ... View more

Dive into Demographic Data   You might have heard the first U.S. 2020 Census results were recently released.  For some of us, the arrival of new U.S. Census data is as exciting as Christmas! (Of course, not everyone is such a data nerd, but humor me...) However, the first results, known as the apportionment population count, includes population counts at the state level only, and not demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race or Hispanic origin, which will come later.  So how does one satisfy one’s curiosity in the meantime? With American Community Survey and Esri Updated Demographics data, of course!  The American Community Survey (ACS) and Esri Updated Demographics are now the best sources for the detailed information on population and housing characteristics we data nerds find so fascinating. After the 2000 U.S. Decennial Census, the Census Bureau introduced the American Community Survey to collect detailed characteristics on a continuous basis, replacing what used to be called the “long form” in the Decennial Census.  In addition, Esri has a team of demographers who create detailed data on population, households, income, daytime populations, and housing on a continuous basis. Esri Demographics provide current-year estimates and 5-year projections, providing a nice forward-looking complement to Census data. Both ACS and Esri Updated Demographics are available through the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, which in turn can be accessed through ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro.  The data also are available through ArcGIS Business Analyst, ArcGIS Community Analyst, ArcGIS Maps for Office, and ArcGIS for Power BI. A wonderful guide for working with ACS data is available in the StoryMap “Easily Access and Use American Community Survey Data.” For Esri Demographics, the StoryMap  “Understanding Esri’s Updated Demographics Data Portfolio” provides an overview of the data development methods and other details. Ready to dive in?  Check out these resources from Learn ArcGIS and Esri Academy. ... View more

Explore new GIS capabilities such as deep learning or new cartographic techniques such as multi-variate mapping through a free workshop at the AAG 2021 Annual Meeting.  Whether you’re looking to gain expertise in spatial data science or looking for new resources for your teaching, a workshop is a great professional development opportunity. You’ll acquire new knowledge and expand your professional network. Attendees can also enjoy special discounts on Esri Press books. Workshop registration is through the AAG 2021 Annual Meeting website.  If you’re already registered for the 2021 Annual Meeting you can add workshops at no cost.  If you’re not currently registered for the Annual Meeting, visit the Annual Meeting website to get started. Below is a rundown of topics, or you can browse the schedule at go.esri.com/aag. A Gallery of Spatial Data Science and Machine Learning in the ArcGIS Platform, including an optional hands-on session Extract Insights from Imagery Using Deep Learning in ArcGIS Making Space for Time: Robust Workflows for Incorporating Time into GIS Analyses Multivariate Mapping with ArcGIS Online Multivariate Mapping with ArcGIS Pro A New Website for Educators: Introduction to Imagery and Remote Sensing Add Web GIS and Mobile GIS to your Curriculum Spatial Data Science with GIS Teaching Physical Geography in Dynamic Ways with Web Mapping Tools and Spatial Data Teaching Cultural Geography in Dynamic Ways with Web Mapping Tools and Spatial Data Teaching with ArcGIS Pro   ... View more

As education moves increasingly online, information security and privacy become increasingly important. We on the Esri Education Team regularly receive inquiries about information security, privacy, and compliance with policies such as GDPR and FERPA. Although I have worked in the tech industry for many years, I don’t have a formal background in IT and wanted to educate myself on the issues. So I poured a big cup of coffee and spent some quality time exploring the ArcGIS Trust Center and other resources.  Here’s what I learned about privacy and ArcGIS Online.   First, I wanted to understand the relationship between security and privacy.  Working with K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, we know student privacy is a huge concern to educators, administrators, students, and parents. So, are security and privacy synonymous? Not exactly.  A helpful discussion of the differences is available in the EDUCAUSE Information Security Guide.  Information security and information privacy overlap, with information security encompassing confidentiality, integrity, and availability.  Privacy concerns the rights of individuals and organizations with respect to personal information and how such information is collected, used, and disclosed. Next, I wanted to understand what privacy measures Esri has put in place.  Esri has a general company Privacy Statement and a supplementary Products & Services Privacy Statement, with the general privacy statement governing Esri’s public websites and the Products & Services Privacy Statement Supplement governing ArcGIS Online, Esri Managed Cloud Services, Customers Support, and Professional Services. My key take-away is that there are two sets of concerns: a. the privacy of individuals purchasing and administering Esri products and services, and b. the privacy of individuals using Esri products and the data they create. In the context of student privacy, the second set of concerns is more relevant. ArcGIS Online is designed for use by an organization, with many individuals (such as students and educators) using accounts and data.  The accounts and data are managed by an administrator, who acts as an intermediary between Esri and the organization’s members (i.e., students and educators).  Student privacy is affected by both the privacy and security policies of Esri as well as the policies of the organization (i.e., the school or university).  In fact, the privacy and security policies of the organization (school or university) have as much impact on the privacy of students and student-created data as Esri’s privacy and security policies. Why is that?  In part, this is because no personal information of students needs to be provided to Esri for students to use ArcGIS Online.  Esri collects personal information only from the administrator who needs to interact with Esri (e.g., Customer Service, Technical Support). In addition, the ArcGIS administrator can choose to create usernames that do not use students’ given names or other personal information, and to limit the creation of member profiles to prevent personal information about members from being shared.  And while the creator (e.g., student) can choose to share, the administrator can limit the scope of sharing so that no student-created data can be shared publicly.  Finally, the organization’s IT policies create norms that help students understand what data are appropriate to share and with whom.  For example, it’s appropriate to share data with your teacher but not with the general public. The ArcGIS Security Advisor can help an ArcGIS Online administrator review ArcGIS Online (or ArcGIS Enterprise) security settings and logs and make informed choices.    The organization’s policies educate students about privacy as it relates to many products and services, not just ArcGIS Online.  Limiting the sharing of student-created data and student profiles can help maintain compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which concerns the privacy of student educational records, and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Detailed information about the security and privacy controls in ArcGIS Online is available on the ArcGIS Trust Center. In particular, see the ArcGIS Security Checklist and Esri’s self-assessment answers in the ArcGIS Online Cloud Security Alliance Consensus Assessment Initiative Questionnaire.  The Cloud Security Alliance is a “not-for-profit organization with a mission to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing, and to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing”. A wide range of industry security practitioners, corporations, and associations participate in this organization to achieve its mission. For additional recommendations on protecting student privacy within ArcGIS Online, especially in the context of K-12 education, see pages 22-31 of the document ArcGIS Online Organizations for Schools & Clubs. To recap, then, what are the four things to know? When thinking about privacy and ArcGIS Online, there are two sets of concerns: a. the privacy of individuals purchasing and administering Esri products and services, and b. the privacy of individuals using Esri products and the data they create. The privacy and security policies of the organization (school or university) have as much impact on the privacy of students and student-created data as Esri’s privacy and security policies, because: No personal information of students needs to be provided to Esri for students to use ArcGIS Online. The organization’s IT policies create norms that help students understand what data are appropriate to share and with whom.  For example, it’s appropriate to share data with your teacher but not with the general public. Limiting the sharing of student-created data and student profiles can help maintain compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which concerns the privacy of student educational records, and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The ArcGIS Trust Center provides resources to help educators and administrators make informed choices to protect student data privacy when using ArcGIS Online. As mentioned earlier, privacy is just one component of security.  Watch for another post exploring other aspects of security.  But first, time for more coffee. ... View more