Latest Contributions by JosephKerski

  Four new SpatiaLABS are now available, focused on teaching spatial thinking and analysis through a compelling topic–search and rescue–and a compelling location–a national park.  To access the labs, use this story map, click on Social Sciences, and see the four listed on the left side.  They are also viewable on the map, located in Yosemite National Park.  All are authored by Paul Doherty, who has had a fascinating career with roles ranging from GIS consultant at Eagle Technology to park ranger for the National Park Service to disaster response lead at Esri. In the first of these four labs, you will use search and rescue incident locations to create an interactive web map and web mapping application in ArcGIS Online to explore the distribution of incidents in Yosemite National Park.  In the second lab, you will open a map project in ArcGIS Pro and create assignment maps for the emergency search operations.  In the third lab, you will map where searchers have been deployed and what they have found.  In the fourth lab, you will create a “clue log” that can be edited anywhere and with any device. SpatiaLABS are standalone activities designed to promote spatial reasoning and analysis skills. Covering a wide variety of subject matter useful in standard computer-lab sessions and longer term projects, SpatiaLABS illuminate relationships, patterns and complexities while answering provocative questions such as, “How might visibility have affected political boundaries in ancient civilizations?” or “Is there a connection between ethnicity and exposure to industrial toxins?” or “How worried should I be about the stagnant pond a quarter mile away?” SpatiaLABS contain instructional materials in Microsoft Word and other common formats so that you can easily add self-assessment questions, adjust the context for the analysis, rework the lab to use local data, or otherwise customize them to suit your non-commercial needs.  Check out these new labs and the others in the collection today! Some of the compelling maps and data you will analyze in the Search and Rescue SpatiaLABS. ... View more

Four new SpatiaLABS are now available, focused on teaching spatial thinking and analysis through a compelling topic--search and rescue--and a compelling location--a national park.  To access the labs, use this story map, click on Social Sciences, and see the four listed on the left side.  They are also viewable on the map, located in Yosemite National Park.  All are authored by Paul Doherty, who has had a fascinating career with roles ranging from GIS consultant at Eagle Technology to park ranger for the National Park Service to disaster response lead at Esri. In the first of these four labs, you will use search and rescue incident locations to create an interactive web map and web mapping application in ArcGIS Online to explore the distribution of incidents in Yosemite National Park.  In the second lab, you will open a map project in ArcGIS Pro and create assignment maps for the emergency search operations.  In the third lab, you will map where searchers have been deployed and what they have found.  In the fourth lab, you will create a "clue log" that can be edited anywhere and with any device.SpatiaLABS are standalone activities designed to promote spatial reasoning and analysis skills. Covering a wide variety of subject matter useful in standard computer-lab sessions and longer term projects, SpatiaLABS illuminate relationships, patterns and complexities while answering provocative questions such as, "How might visibility have affected political boundaries in ancient civilizations?" or "Is there a connection between ethnicity and exposure to industrial toxins?" or "How worried should I be about the stagnant pond a quarter mile away?" SpatiaLABS contain instructional materials in Microsoft Word and other common formats so that you can easily add self-assessment questions, adjust the context for the analysis, rework the lab to use local data, or otherwise customize them to suit your non-commercial needs.  Check out these new labs and the others in the collection today! Some of the compelling maps and data you will analyze in the Search and Rescue SpatiaLABS. ... View more

Folks: The recordings of 50 tech workshops from the Esri UC 2016 are posted in this playlist:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FFWVXKGd_Q&list=PLaPDDLTCmy4bn62KhEV6s6NcbIfOjkoYw   A really incredible resource on a wide variety of topics and tools. --Joseph Kerski ... View more

Recently I created a “Famous Boots of Wimberley, Texas” story map for four reasons:  First, I wanted to show educators and the general public how to integrate art, history, science, technology, geography, and GIS.  My colleagues and I receive frequent inquiries from people asking how to integrate art into STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) educational programs, and Wimberley’s giant boots are a good illustration of this integration.  Second, I wanted to test the new capabilities of the side accordion story map configurable app.  This app is an easy and compelling way to tell a story. Third, I wanted to demonstrate that every community has a story, and story maps are a visually compelling, easy-to-create way of telling that story.  When I visited the town for the first time after a series of presentations I gave at the geography department of nearby Texas State University, I learned about the boot project from my town walkabout.  It was so interesting to me that I began collecting information, photographs, and video, and a short time later, I had created the story map that integrates all of these types of multimedia.  The boot project brought together local artists, the Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, and the entire community, and serves as a source of city pride as well as a tourist attraction.  Fourth, it is my hope that my brief story map (see my video) can in some small way inspire people in another location to think creatively about a place-based arts project that can help build pride in their own community. If I can do this for a community that I had just learned about, how much more can you and your students tell a story for which you conduct more in-depth research and may even have local knowledge about! ... View more

Analyzing car race data in ArcGIS Online! One of my colleagues at Esri has a hobby that is quite exciting - she races cars.  Timing is everything.  During her first race at "nationals", she won by 9 thousands (.009) of a second!  But besides timing, a wide variety of other data are collected during each race.  These data can be mapped in ArcGIS Online and used in education to foster spatial thinking in geography, physics, mathematics, and other disciplines.  For her recent race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where she was driving a Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer, I created a web map based on the data she generously provided.   Use the map with the following guiding questions, or make up your questions.   Investigate the data while fostering spatial thinking using this engaging topic!  Be sure to show your students this video of the first time my colleague drove this type of car and a more recent video here (but be sure to hold on while watching!). Here is the race car! A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Each racing event uses a custom course, which is marked off with pylon cones.  What do you notice about the spatial pattern of this course?  How many sharp curves did it include?  Go to the bookmark "Best Scale".  Use the measure tool and measure the distance that the car drove between the start and finish line using the "Track of Race Car" layer as your guide when measuring.  Compare that distance against the straight line distance between the two locations. Turn on the other map layers and open their tables to investigate the following questions: Examine the Speed MPH layer.  What was the speed achieved around the first curve?  Where did the vehicle achieve its maximum speed?  What is the relationship of speed to the curvature of the track?  What was the speed across the finish line? Turn on the acceleration layer.  What is the lateral acceleration around the first curve?  What was the range of acceleration around the race course?  What is the relationship of acceleration to speed?  Examine the oil pressure PSI layer.  What is the relationship of the oil pressure to speed?  Why? Each of the data points was resampled for a reading every 0.12 seconds. For additional math and physics integration, measure the distance between two adjacent data points in feet or meters, determine how long it took my colleague to cover that distance, and calculate speed in kph or mph based on your measurements. Change the style of one of your map layers to 'gear.'  What gear was the driver in most of the time?  Why do you suppose this was the case? Examine the steering wheel angle layer.  The Steering_P is given in angles from 0 (due north) with positive numbers to the right (+90=sharp right turn) and negative numbers to the left (-270=sharp left turn).  What is the relationship of the steering wheel direction to the curves?  From the steering wheel position, can you determine where the quick left-and-right motions occurred, indicating where a slalom was set up and requiring the driver to go back and forth around cones?  Run statistics on the attribute Steering_P and you will see the range, and that the average (just over the value of 1) is just about "straight ahead".  In other words, all of the curves average out!  Try using one of the rotational symbols in ArcGIS Online to visualize the direction of the steering wheel more effectively. What other variables and tools could you use to analyze the data using ArcGIS Online?  Try investigating the g-force (vector), braking velocity, and lateral force.  Try some of the analysis tools in ArcGIS Online to determine hot spots of understeer angle or other variables.  Have fun and think spatially! ... View more

GIS Day this year is 16 November 2016 !  I invite you to join in the worldwide celebration of GIS Day, the annual salute to geospatial technology taking place during Geography Awareness Week. This is a perfect opportunity to promote your work, student projects, and your school or university using the ideas on www.gisday.com and also to connect with geomentors on http://geomentors.net You can register your GIS Day event on:  http://gisday.com/register.html ... View more

I wrote the following on Pokemon GO, GIS, and Safety, which I hope might spark some interesting discussions in your classes! Pokémon GO, GIS, and Safety | Spatial Reserves​ --Joseph Kerski ... View more

We have had the capability to create story maps (multimedia-rich, live web maps) for a few years now, and we have also had the capability to collect data via crowdsourcing and citizen science methods using a variety of methods.  But now the capability exists for both to be used at the same time. One way is with the new crowdsourcing story map app from Esri.  To get familiar with this new app, read this explanation and explore a new crowdsourced story map that, after selecting “+ Participate”, prompts you for your location, photograph, and a sentence or two about attending, in this case, the Esri User Conference.  If you did not attend, examining the application will give you a good sense for what this new app can do. We have also written about location privacy concerns in the book that Jill Clark and I wrote about GIS and public domain data.  The story Map Crowdsource app is different from the other Story Maps apps in that it enables people to post pictures and information onto your map without logging in to your ArcGIS Online organization.  Thus, the author does not have complete control over what content appears in a Crowdsource story.  Furthermore, the contributor’s current location, such as their current street address or locations they have visited, can be exposed in a Crowdsource app and appear with their post in these maps as a point location and as text. This may be fine if your map is collecting contributions about water quality, invasive plant species, or interesting places to visit in a city, where these location are public places. But it may not be desirable for other subject matter or scenarios, especially if your students may be posting information from or about their own residence. Thus, it is up to you as the author of a Story Map Crowdsource app to ensure that your application complies with the privacy and data collection policies and standards of your organization, your community, and your intended audience.  You might wish to set up a limited pilot or internal test of any Story Map Crowdsource project before deploying and promoting it publicly in order to review if it meets those requirements. And for you as a user of these maps, make sure that you are aware that you are potentially exposing the location of your residence or workplace, and make adjustments accordingly (generalizing your location to somewhere else in your city, for example) if exposing these locations are of concern to you). Thus, the new crowdsource story map app is an excellent example of both citizen science and location privacy. Example of the new crowdsourcing story map app. ... View more

I recently had the opportunity to discuss Geomentoring at the Esri User Conference.  In response to the comments I received at the conference after the presentation, I created a presentation on strategies for geomentors to use in fostering geoliteracy through the of mapping and spatial thinking. The presentation covers these tenets: The issues we face on the planet can be solved with increased engagement in geography. Five converging forces make this the ideal time to engage students with geography. Geographic mentoring should involve content knowledge, skills, and the geographic perspective. Geomentoring involves work with students and educators, and even with the community. Following the tenets, I describe three ways of geomentoring and three success stories.  Next, in a section entitled "Don't put them to sleep!", I describe six tips for engaging students while geomentoring.  I show examples of crowdsourcing as one of the activities that can be effectively used, as well as story maps.   These tips and strategies can be used with primary, secondary, university, and informal levels of education.  By using Sway for my presentation tool, I was able to embed ArcGIS Online maps and story maps into the presentation.   In this essay, I describe how to embed these maps.I hope that you find this document useful and I look forward to hearing your comments.  Mentoring for Geoliteracy ... View more

I wrote an essay about creating a story map that made extensive use of audio files, the result of which was a tutorial about names of landforms in the Lakota language.  Since the essay was published, I have had inquiries about the specifics of how to encode the audio links in captions of photos in Story Map tours.   This essay explains how to do this. For the complete essay, see the following: Adding Audio to Story Maps | GIS Education Community ... View more

I wrote an essay about creating a story map that made extensive use of audio files, the result of which was a tutorial about names of landforms in the Lakota language.  Since the essay was published, I have had inquiries about the specifics of how to encode the audio links in captions of photos in Story Map tours.   This essay explains how to do this. First, save your audio files.  In my case, I had a long interview as one file, and used Camtasia to cut it into individual audio files.  You could use Audacity or other audio or video editor to do the same thing.   Then, move your audio files to a website.  Story maps need to point to online content, not content that is stored on your local computer. Then, edit the captions section for each of your stops on your map tour.  These stops can be photographs or videos.  Note that my "lake" stop is a video and the rest of the stops  are photographs.  The HTML code that I used for one of my captions was as follows: <audio controls=""> <source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://josephkerski.com/storymaps/lakota-sound/lake.mp3"type="audio/mpeg"></source>does not support?</audio>On this and the following: <font color="#FFFF00">click Play </font>above to hear the sounds in English and in Lakota. That's it!  The beauty of HTML 5 is that my code above helps the browser know that an audio file will be played, and the browser knows how to configure an audio player without any extra coding on my part.   Here is more information on how the HTML audio tag works. This illustrates that (1) story maps are truly multimedia, and audio can be an effective part of these maps.  Think of the audio you and your students could be using in their story maps, comparing the calls of different birds, the sounds of the ocean on different days in different weather conditions, narrations of all kinds, and much more; and (2) knowing just a bit of coding, as I did with HTML in this example, allows you to extend the capabilities of story maps and ArcGIS Online in simple but powerful ways. Adding audio to captions in a story map. --Joseph Kerski, Education Manager, Esri. ... View more

The New Cascade Story Map is Here! by Joseph Kerski on July 1, 2016 14 18 32 Last week, I wrote about the new Crowdsourcing Story Map app.  There is another new story map app that will be very useful in education, the Cascade app.  The Cascade app, as the name implies, allows you to combine narrative text with maps, images, and multimedia content in a “cascading scrolling experience.”  This engaging, full-screen way of interacting with your map’s sections can be interspersed with “immersive” sections that fill the screen with your maps, 3D scenes, images, and videos. Cascade is ideal for making compelling, in-depth stories that are very easy for people to navigate. To get inspired, see this gallery of Cascade apps, including those on the oceans, Alexander Von Humboldt, the crisis in Syria, and my favorite, A River Reborn. How could you use the Cascade story map in education?  You could use a selection of existing story maps to teach about watersheds, population change, natural hazards, land use, and other topics.  You could create a new one easily on a topic that you would like to teach about.  Your students could create one to present the results of their research to you as their instructor and to their peers.  You could use them as assessment tool to gauge student acquisition of content knowledge and skills.  Share with the community in the comments below how you are using these or other story maps in your own instruction. Give the Cascade story maps a try! Gallery of Cascade Story Maps. ... View more

We have had the capability to create story maps (multimedia-rich, live web maps) for a few years now, and also the capability to collect data via crowdsourcing and citizen science methods using a variety of methods in the field or in the classroom.  But now the capability exists for both to be used at the same time!  That is because the crowdsourcing story map app is here! The crowdsource story map app joins the other story map apps that are listed here.  To get familiar with this new app, read this explanation.  Also, you might explore a new crowdsourced story map that asks for your location, photograph, and a sentence or two about why you are excited to attend the Esri User Conference.  If you are attending the UC, feel free to post your name, your location, and why you are excited about attending.  If you are not attending, examining the application will give you a good sense for what this new app can do. It’s not just this story map that has me interested.  It is that this long-awaited capability is now at our fingertips, where you can, with this same app, create crowdsourced story maps for gathering data on such things as tree cover, historic buildings, noisy places, litter, weird architecture, or something else, on your school campus or in your community.  It is in beta, but feel free to give the crowdsourcing story map app a try! The new Crowdsource story map app is here! ... View more

We have had the capability to create story maps (multimedia live web maps) for a few years now, and also the capability to collect data via crowdsourcing and citizen science methods in the field or in the classroom.  But now the capability exists for both to be used at the same time!  That is because the crowdsourcing story map app is here! The crowdsource story map app joins the other story map apps that are listed here.  To get familiar with this new app, read this explanation.  Also, you might explore a new crowdsourced story mapthat asks for your location, photograph, and a sentence or two about why you are excited to attend the Esri User Conference.  If you are attending the UC, feel free to post your name, your location, and why you are excited about attending.  If you are not attending, examining the application will give you a good sense for what this new app can do. It’s not just this story map that has me interested.  It is that this long-awaited capability is now at our fingertips, where you can, with this same app, create crowdsourced story maps for gathering data on such things as tree cover, historic buildings, noisy places, litter, weird architecture, or something else, on your school campus or in your community.  It is in beta, but feel free to give the crowdsourcing story map app a try! ... View more