Latest Contributions by JosephKerski

We’ve had a few discussions on this and other lists about ways to get into the world of GIS web app development.  That’s why I’m happy to announce the following upcoming, free, hands-on MOOC: Do It Yourself GeoApps 3 Feb – 2 March 2016 Register and find out more here: http://www.esri.com/mooc/diy-geo-apps Anyone can build apps on the ArcGIS Platform. You don’t have to be a software developer to build valuable geo-enabled apps that make your communities smarter and businesses more successful. This course will show you how to combine location and narrative in one application to better communicate and broadcast your story, create custom web applications that solve problems in your community, and build powerful native applications for iOS and Android devices without touching a piece of code. If you are a developer, you’ll be interested in Esri’s APIs, SDKs, and the buzzing GeoDev community. ... View more

A new activity based on ArcGIS Online invites students to analyze real-time weather data. I wrote the activity for university students but upper secondary students with some GIS background could use it as well, particularly if beforehand they work through the How's the Weather? Geoinquiry. Using real-time weather feeds from NOAA, the activity asks students to note the relationships between pressure, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, proximity to coasts, latitude, and elevation.  Students also create interpolated surfaces from the real time weather station data, classify and symbolize data in a number of ways, and predict upcoming weather at specific locations.  ArcGIS Online enables students to quickly and easily analyze spatial data such as this.  Weather is an engaging topic, and the activity connects to geography, earth science, and meteorology courses and curricula, and in the process, fosters skills in critical thinking, GIS, spatial analysis, and spatial data. Analyzing current weather data and maps in ArcGIS Online. ... View more

How would you explain to fellow educators, to students, parents, or the general public why Geographic Information Systems (GIS) matters in education and in society?  One idea is to start with a document entitled "Why Maps Matter". While spatial thinking is much more than "maps", I aimed at a phrase that would attract people to this workshop.  I frequently choose similar presentation titles depending on my audience, such as "Mapping Your Educational Research" or "Mapping The Social Studies." Themes of this workshop include:  Maps foster understanding, tell stories, and enable decision making.  I included my favorite maps and map books for a personal touch. Topics include population, land use, urban, economics, health, and natural hazards, with frequent mention of scale, systems thinking, critical thinking, time and space, and place. The workshop is taught through an inquiry-driven, hands-on, problem-based format. I've posted related resources in the form of three videos and 20 resources for sharing GIS with others.  I look forward to hearing how you share "why maps matter" with others. Why Maps Matter Presentation and Workshop. ... View more

What did you do for GIS Day this year?  Since 1999, GIS Day has been set aside to promote, celebrate, and demonstrate the real-world applications that are making a difference in society using Geographic Information Systems technology. GIS Day always occurs during the Wednesday of Geography Awareness Week, and thus provides a good excuse for incorporating geographic perspectives, geography content, and spatial thinking into the activities. I had a great GIS Day and Geography Awareness Week.  As the week began, I finished presenting and exhibiting at the National Council for the Social Studies conference in New Orleans, where I met some wonderful economics, geography, history, and civics instructors.  I then flew to Philadelphia and visited one of my favorite programs that use GIS to make a positive difference in the lives of young people, Hopeworks 'N Camden.   Hopeworks 'N Camden is a nonprofit that has been working for over 15 years with Camden youth. Utilizing an advanced training curriculum in web design and development, GIS, and Salesforce, Hopeworks works with youth aged 14­-23 to get back in school and discover a safe pathway to their future.  One of their projects with GIS involves mapping all of the city's water infrastructure--valves, fire hydrants, and mains--for the American Water Works Company. Next, I visited Temple University's Department of Geography and Urban Studies, which recently began a new undergraduate GIS certificate program.   Next, I was invited to Penn State University to support their GIS Day activities, teaching a workshop, operating an information table, giving a presentation, and meeting with their innovative faculty across the campus who are using GIS in their courses and programs.  I also highly enjoyed speaking to two classes--an undergraduate course in professional development for geography students, and a first year seminar for earth and environmental students. Next, I visited Cornell University in New York, teaching a hands-on workshop for students and faculty, followed the next day by a workshop for the New York 4H community, In all of these visits I was highly encouraged by the energy and expertise of the students, staff, and faculty, and did my utmost to give plenty of encouragement and support in return. Share the stories of what you did on the GIS Day web site, by replying to this essay below, or in GeoNet. GIS Day events: Working with faculty, staff, and students. ... View more

An article I wrote in NASA's Geographia invites exploration of land use change using USGS historical topographic maps and historical and current Landsat satellite imagery, beginning in Lake Havasu, Arizona.  Humans have modified the landscape of Planet Earth in many ways. This modification is nothing new—it began as the earliest humans began burning of local grasslands to encourage new growth, tilling the soil for the first agricultural experiments, and building small dams to ensure a water source. Yet today’s changes are more frequent and also larger in area, from the construction of cities, reservoirs, and tunnels, to widespread land use change through the conversion of the natural land cover to cropland, grazing pastures, mining sites, and other uses. One of the ways that humans have modified the landscape is in their attempt to make parts of deserts more habitable. Some of the most famous examples include the transformation of coastal fishing villages in the United Arab Emirates into major world cities, and the creation of resort areas around the world in Australia’s outback, Namibia, Morocco, and in the USA, including the cities of Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and Lake Havasu City, shown on the series of topographic maps below. Use the Esri USGS Historical Map viewer, the Change Matters Landsat viewer, and the Landsat Look viewer to examine land use change in your own area of interest! 1911 USGS map at 1:125,000 scale of Parker. 1970 map at 1:24,000 scale, Lake Havasu City South. 1994 map at 1:24,000 scale, Lake Havasu City South. ... View more

The Partnership for 21st Century Learning, P21, has teamed with the Pearson Foundation to capture and share exemplary 21st century learning practices that are improving schools, student learning and opportunities in classrooms and communities across the United States. In addition to identifying, documenting, sharing and celebrating the 21st century practices of exemplar schools, they report on the broader common features– the Patterns of Innovation– that emerge across exemplar schools and appear to be at the heart of their effective transformation into 21st Century Learning Environments. The 5 essential ingredients that P21 has thus far identified as contributing to exemplar schools' success are: Student Voice Engaged Community Distributed Leadership Climate of Achievement Evidence & Research Besides being able to search the exemplar schools, one can search by state, educational level, and topic (such as professional development or technology). I could not help but notice that many characteristics of these exemplar schools are evident in schools where GIS is being used by educators and students, and where GIS is supported by the school and district administration.  For example, take a look at some of these videos of students who use GIS in their educational journey from primary school to university level:  The "student voice" mentioned by P21 is evident in each story told.  Explore why and how students are using GIS in education, and dig into some of the case studies of real students, faculty, and administrators doing real work with GIS.  These represent the "engaged community" identified by P21. As my colleagues and I have written in this blog and elsewhere for many years, it's not just the technology that has merit--it is the critical thinking, community connections, career pathways, media fluency, holistic thinking, and problem-based learning that is fostered when students engage in geotechnologies.  In short, GIS fosters the P21 tenet of the "climate of achievement."  In the past, my colleagues and I wrote the Geography Skills map for P21, which draws further connections between P21 goals and GIS. Finally, touching on the P21's identification of  "evidence and research", see the GIS education bibliography for studies measuring student achievement, educator professional development, and more. Using Geographic Information Systems in Education. ... View more

.. in education via http://www.ncge.org/webinars 6pm / 1800 Mountain Time. The presentation if you are not able to join us live, is here: http://education.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=ebfe7296f03e4f198494a8e8819a4453 --Joseph Kerski ... View more

Something that Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond said this summer at one of the Young Professionals Network panel sessions at the Esri User Conference this past summer has stuck with me ever since: Jack said that he is "desperately learning." It was the first time I had heard this adverb applied to learning and I liked it immediately. I think it typifies the attitude of those involved with GIS in education, and one that we need to cultivate in our students.  I believe it has several key implications, as I describe below and in this video. The adverb implies that learning is lifelong. GIS technology is rapidly changing, with citizen science tools, users as data publishers, mobile applications, open data, 3D tools, and the evolution of GIS to the web to name a few. The application areas for GIS are rapidly expanding, as is the audience for communicating the results of GIS analysis and the means available for communicating one's GIS story. But more than that, "desperately learning" implies that learning takes effort. Learning takes hard work; it takes initiative; it requires challenging oneself to try new methods and tools. It requires listening and continually asking questions. Finally, "desperately learning" implies that learning is imperative. It is not an option. Given the complex and vexing challenges our world is facing, we cannot be complacent in our work in education and GIS. Indeed, the world needs the contribution of all of us involved with grappling with issues of water, energy, human health, crime, land use, urban planning, natural hazards, and other issues that GIS can be of great utility in understanding, modeling, and solving.  As my colleague Charlie Fitzpatrick wrote recently, we need to be learning quickly--there's no time to lose. Are you "desperately learning?" How are you fostering this attitude in your students? Are you "Desperately Learning"? There's no time to lose--the world needs your contribution. ... View more

Recently I posted a document that I have been curating for quite a few years now, one explaining why GIS in education matters.  This content is also posted with graphics on the Esri Insider newsletter.  To provide another way of communicating this information, I have created a series of videos on this same theme, in three parts--Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. The reasons why GIS in education matters include critical thinking, career pathways, spatial thinking, understanding how to work with data and the limitations of data, building media fluency, focusing on the whys of where, asking good questions, solving problems, sustainability and green technology, and understanding changes over space and time. I am interested in your reactions to these videos:  What is missing from this message? What is useful about these videos?  In what settings could you use them in your own work with fellow faculty, with faculty from other disciplines, with administrators, with parents, and with students?  What do you include in your own messages about the reasons for GIS in education? Why GIS in Education: Series of videos. ... View more

We write frequently in this blog about educating students and professional development for educators.  But, could the general public also benefit from GIS education?  I contend that not only can the general public benefit, but it is part of our responsibility as GIS professionals to seek out opportunities to do so.  And, when we find an opportunity, what are some tried-and-tested strategies for educating the general public about GIS?   In this essay I present 20 ideas that I have used in many different venues for general-public GIS outreach, and I would like to hear about your ideas and strategies as well. 1.  Sometimes, a one page information sheet about "Why GIS in education (and society) matters" is what is needed.  Here is my document on this theme. 2.   You may have the opportunity to teach a workshop or a short course for the general public.  I recently taught a course for the general public and titled it, "Why Maps Still Matter", at the University of Denver. 3.  Need an example of an elevator speech?  I have a series of them, filmed in actual elevators, here. 4.   I created a series of "Why geography matters" videos in this playlist. 5.  Events such as the one I describe here at a local history museum are sometimes effective ways.   Note that “G-Harmony” was the message here! 6.  Geocaching provides a good way of outreaching to the general public.  I have created a set of geocaching courses that I have set up and run at events, parks, and other locations.  I favor "virtual geocaching" where the course still takes place outdoors, but rather than planting plastic or other containers, I use objects already on the landscape, such as light poles, trees, and so on.  Some of these geocaching courses are listed here; all contain a story “theme” to spark interest, such as “aliens land at city park!” 7.  Messaging.  For some events, consider not leading with the term “GIS” or “spatial analysis” might puzzle or alienate some.  Consider “Mapping” or “Spatial Thinking” or “Geo-enabling your …” or Telling Your Story through Maps.  I realize that "mapping” is not the end goal – it is admittedly an oversimplification, but it in one word at least gets to some of our message that is at least understandable to someone browsing an event program. 8.  Spreadsheets to Maps.  If you only have a short time, show (1) a table / spreadsheet; demonstrating attempting to understand it as is, but then show (2) a map of that same spreadsheets’ data.  The spreadsheet could be earthquake epicenters, location of hydroelectric dams, countries with high birth rates, or another topic that would resonate with your audience. 9.  Create story Maps to help people understand what GIS is – such as the Titanic with spatial distribution and graphs showing quantitative data.  Create story maps for campuses, events, or convention centers where you will be presenting.  The message is, if you create a story map in the day or hour before the event, so can your audience!  They are easy to create and yet powerful. 10. Incorporate Spatial Analysis.  Show, in ArcGIS Online, simple but powerful examples of spatial analysis, including the use of the Esri spatial analysis poster:  My live examples in ArcGIS Online usually include mapping earthquakes or some other natural hazard, some current event, John Snow’s cholera points, wells, and city streets, or mapping a specific business in a metro area, and creating a hot spot analysis, route, spatial interpolation, or heat map from it. 11.  Show current, real world events using multimedia and ArcGIS Online, making a Geo-News out of it and encouraging your audience to do the same. 12.  Use Simple but effective web maps to demonstrate and discuss:  600 world cities, plate tectonics with earthquakes, tornadoes, watersheds (drop pin and trace downstream), Starbucks locations, compare locations of two different types of businesses in your community; population change, median age, diversity, and tapestry segmentation. All of these activities are searchable in this blog. 13.  Show web mapping applications, including:  Landsat Change Viewer, and the Urban Observatory and invite conversation on the patterns and issues that you are showing. 14.  Core Messages:  Use Dr Charles Gritzner’s “What’s Where, Why There, and Why Care?” document as a memorable “core message."  Also consider using my own Working Definition of Spatial Thinking. 15.  Presentations versus Live Demos and Stories.  Limit the number of slides you show; it is much better usually to give live demos of GIS in action and tell stories about what you do with GIS, how you entered the field, and what interested you growing up and in school.   Ask questions during your presentation and foster inquiry! 16.  Paper map and satellite image or aerial photo activity:  Create a map from an aerial photograph activity, discuss map elements such as TODALSIGS.  Print aerial or satellite image, put in plastic sleeve, use markers to make thematic map on top of aerial. 17.  Landforms and land use quiz using satellite imagery:  Land use:  schools, hospitals, churches, shopping centers, golf courses, malls, apartments vs houses, railroads vs light rail, streets vs freeways, etc.  Landforms:  Karst, lava, grasslands, sand dunes, barrier islands, glacial terrain, ice fields, mesas and buttes, oxbow lakes, alluvial fans, deltas, wetlands, sinkholes.   Weird Earth Quiz:  Odd natural and human-built things on the landscape using satellite imagery.  Provide multiple choice questions.    Along these lines:  Other Quizzes:  Use Street View images to determine what city or country the image was taken; provide multiple choice questions. 18.  Think outside the Box:  Tap into community events and make a geo-something out of them.  I did this at History Colorado Museum’s “date night” and created an interactive Colorado geography quiz on the large terrazzo map on the floor, dubbing it “G-Harmony.” 19.  Don’t be afraid to use some paper maps and aerials/satellite imagery, and thematic maps to foster inquiry and a roll-up-your sleeves conversation around a table.  Obtain USGS and other large thematic sheets from www.omnimaps.com, ODT Maps, or other map dealers. 20.  Involve the audience in a crowdsourced map that you set up yourself, in answering a quiz, or something else map-related with their cell phones. Additional Resources include this GIS education blog, GIS Day, and this set of 2,700 videos. What are your ideas to reach out to the general public? ... View more

The Cherry Creek School District in Colorado has been using GIS in the curriculum and in administration for many years now.  When the STEM coordinators of the district told me recently that their students were launching weather balloons and recording atmospheric data from them, I jumped at the opportunity to show them how easy and powerful it is to map the data in ArcGIS Online.  The data from just one of the many balloons they had launched was stored in a standard spreadsheet and contained latitude and longitude coordinates, and therefore was a snap to map in ArcGIS Online.  This particular balloon, launched on 1 May 2015, flew over 56 miles (100 km) in 3 hours and 6 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 30.7 km, recording a minimum temperature of -59.3 C and achieving a maximum speed of 114 km/hour. I mapped the balloon based on its height on a satellite image base, which you can examine in ArcGIS Online by clicking on the map below. 2D map of weather balloon mapped by speed in ArcGIS Online. Since balloons fly in 3D space, a natural next step was to map the data as a 3D scene.  I used ArcGIS Pro to extrude selected attributes, such as height, and published the scene to ArcGIS Online, shown in two views and symbologies, below: 3D scene of weather balloon at its launch point mapped in ArcGIS Online. The track of this particular balloon followed the typical west-to-east prevailing winds, but as it neared the tropopause, it encountered stronger winds from the southeast, that not only blew it in the opposite direction, but also blew it higher in the atmosphere. 3D scene of weather balloon mapped by height in ArcGIS Online, looking southeast. What excites me not only is the ability of these tools to map the data that the students are collecting, but the power that they offer in terms of helping students understand the relationships among all of these variables.  The variables in this case included altitude, speed, heading, and temperature, but other data that the students have collected include atmospheric quality characteristics.  GIS provides a fundamental component of the district's STEM goals, perspectives, content knowledge, and skills.  Another thing about this project that excites me is that -- Grade 5 students are the ones engaged in this project--yes, 11 years olds, collecting and analyzing data! Think about the kinds of data that you and your students work with.  It may not be weather balloon data, but it occurs over space and time.  How could you use ArcGIS Online and the 3D scene viewer to map and understand your data? ... View more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfol-V_55GI I hope this is useful to many. Joseph Kerski ... View more