Latest Contributions by TomBaker

We're pleased to announce that we have released a new type of GeoInquiry, the Level 2 activity!     Level 2 GeoInquiries do analysis with ArcGIS Online, typically using the same great maps and activities from standard GeoInquiries. Level 2 activities are a little tougher than standard GeoInquiries, requiring an ArcGIS Online organization subscription and at least one account/login with publisher-level permissions to run the analysis tools.  Since Level 2 activities are a little more complicated, they generally take a little longer but each activity can still be completed within a class period.     At this time of this writing, Level 2 activities are available in Earth Science, US History, and the new Government/Civics collection.  We expect L3v3l 2 activities for human geography to be available very soon.   To find Level 2 activities, go to your favorite GeoInquiry collection and browse it.  Try one out and let us know what you think!   As an example, the Industrial Revolution was a critical period in American history, ushering in an energy, production, and automation expansion like rarely before seen. In the standard GeoInquiry, students explore the growth of steel in the United States, using Pittsburgh as a case study. The use of the Identify tool and Bookmarks are the principle GIS skills.  In the Level 2 GeoInquiry, Coal Power, students explore the growth of steel in the United States, using Pittsburgh as a case study.  The level 2 activity uses the Aggregate Points analysis tool (in Summarize Data) to quantitatively and spatially describe smelter access to coal.   ... View more

See the new GeoInquiries landing page at www.esri.com/geoinquiries   The new page includes all nine collections plus the new level II content! ... View more

http://esriurl.com/STEMGIS  These new geographical tools benefit not only STEM researchers but also educators, who can offer their students a spatially oriented approach to learning that will enhance both learning and recruitment. Building on this argument, Tsou and Yanow (2010) have made an even stronger case for general-education courses in geographic information science and technology (GIS&T) at both the university and community college levels. They argue: With a solid foundation in spatial literacy, students will be better prepared to consider the crucial scientific and social questions of the 21st century. We believe that the dramatic progress of Web-based GIS and mobile GIS, along with the easy access to global geospatial datasets and virtual desktop access, will help GIS educators create more GE-level GIS&T courses in the coming years. (Tsou and Yanow 2010, 46) This advances upon a major 2006 National Research Council (NRC) study, entitled Learning to Think Spatially: GIS as a Support System in the K–12 Curriculum, which drew the following conclusions: • The committee sees GIS as exemplifying both the theoretical power of a high-tech system for supporting spatial thinking and the practical design and implementation problems that must be faced in the K–12 context: • The power of GIS lies in its ability to support the scientific research process and to provide policy-related answers to significant real-world problems arising in a range of disciplinary contexts. • The appeal of GIS lies in its direct connection to significant workforce opportunities in the information technology (IT) sector. • The potential of GIS lies in its ability to accommodate the full range of learners and to be adapted to a range of educational settings. (NRC 2006) To help realize the benefits of a stronger linkage between GIS and STEM education, Esri has committed to providing free ArcGIS Online software to the more than 100,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in the United States. This project is part of the White House ConnectED Initiative “to facilitate digital learning anytime, anywhere, high-quality software that provides multiple learning opportunities for students, and relevant teacher training to support this effort” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/connected). Read more at: http://esriurl.com/STEMGIS  ... View more

The Government and Civics GeoInquiry collection from Esri is now available for public testing and review.  Visit http://esriurl.com/govGeoInquiries to learn more.  Activities cover topics including elections, Federal Reserve, the judiciary, federalism, rights, and comparative governments.  ... View more

Learn how one science teacher "steps up" his instruction with GIS throughout the school year.  Explore the April winner from Minnesota! Visit the Teacher Video Challenge project. ... View more

Possibly of interests to researchers: Critical Race Spatial Analysis: Mapping to Understand and Address Educational Inequity by Deb Morrison (Editor),‎ Subini Ancy Annamma (Editor),‎ Darrell D. Jackson (Editor) https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Race-Spatial-Analysis-Educational-ebook/dp/B071CQ76NH/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me= ... View more

In January, Esri partner PASCO released a new wireless weather sensor.  It collects temperature, humidity, UV, wind, and more.  The sensor also has a GPS!  The  folks at PASCO then embedded ArcGIS Online into their SparkVUE software that manages the sensors and allows for data analysis and visualization.  Of course, you can always export your weather data to CSV, GPX, or KML and load into into a map at ArcGIS.com. Explore the sensor at: Wireless Weather Sensor with GPS - PS-3209: PASCO   - Esri Schools Program ... View more

We are seeking educators who are willing to let their students take an online spatial “Habits of Mind” survey.    To be considered eligible for the survey, teachers must have: delivered one or more Esri GeoInquiries using direct instruction to a class of students during 2017-2018 taught in middle or high school   We will need to know how many times you taught with GeoInquiries (or GIS) using a direct instruction model.  It doesn’t matter if the map was on a projector or on students’ devices.   Students can take the survey online any time before June 15.  No personally identifiable information is asked of students in this 28-item multiple choice survey.  This survey was developed at a U.S. university and has been used with other high school students learning with GIS.   If you are willing and able to allow your students to participate: Email [email protected] indicating your interest. Indicate in the email: The number of times you taught with GeoInquiries this school year (list per class period)   The number of times you used GIS in class The number of students that will likely complete the survey   Upon receiving your email, we will: Add your state and the first few letters of your last name (eg “KS_Ba”) to the “teacher last name” question. When your students take the survey, they will select your designator. Send to you the URL to the survey.   Thank you for considering this request.  These kinds of surveys help us understand how to improve our offerings to the K12 community.     The Esri Schools Program [email protected] ... View more

A new collection of GeoInquiries for social studies classrooms is under development and is expected to release for public beta testing during May.  Follow this page for updates.  If you would like to sign-up as a beta tester with your students, email [email protected]  ... View more

The Role of Place, Geography, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Educational Research Special Topic Editors: Andrew Saultz and Bryan Mann This publication opportunity may be of interest: AREA_GIS_CallForPapers.pdf ... View more