February 2012
6 posts
GeoTech Workshops at NSTA
The National Conference on Science Education (NSTA) is fast approaching in Indianapolis, IN. If you’re one of the roughly 15000 science teachers attending, plan to attend a short workshop to learn how to use GIS and geotechnology to extend your students’ science learning.
Thursday, March 29 9:30–11:00 AM OR Friday, March 30 8:00–9:30 AM
Title: Mapping and Analyzing...
“There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the soul; we search for its...”
– Josephine Hart
“If geography is prose, maps are iconography.”
– Lennart Meri
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GIS, STEM, and CTE
Last week I presented in Wichita, KS at the Kansas Winter Career and Technical Education (CTE) Conference. My task was to present GIS and how it linked to the Kansas STEM Career Cluster. Kansas is unique in that current CTE standards explicitly call for the extended use of GIS in the Cluster Map for Geospatial Technology (basically a scope and sequence for studying STEM through a Kansas CTE...
January 2012
26 posts
NGA Releases Guide to Building a STEM Education...
“NGA has released a guide, Building A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Agenda (PDF), focused on strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Economic growth in the 21st century will be driven by our nation’s ability to both generate ideas and translate them into innovative products and services. Governors have been working to increase...
Map Stories (Webmap series) →
Stories come alive through maps: Cellular Explosion, Election Year Primary Calendar, New Madrid, Roots & Shoots, American Jobs Act, House Prices, and more.
“I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I’m gonna put pins into...”
– Mitch Hedberg
“Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it.”
– Terry Pratchett, in The Last Continent
ArcGIS Explorer Online (Webmap series) →
“In addition to basic mapping, users can conduct queries of feature data. Users can create map notes with special symbology and content, then save “map frames” with title text, and strung together as a presentation of dynamic maps.”
Sketch-A-Map (Webmap series) →
“Sketch-A-Map allows you to draw shapes or annotate on top of a map. Pick from several base maps and any geographic extent and begin drawing points, lines, polygons and more. You can then save the map to an image file (JPG) or print it!”
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MotionX - GPS (Mobile series) →
A great app for iOS or Android to record your location as a track and export to a GIS or other mapping application. The app is cheap but powerful so if your students have smartphones usable in BYOD classrooms, it’s a great GPS solution.
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Zipcode Lookup (Webmap Series) →
“This app shows US demographic data summarized by ZIP Code boundaries, atop maps of other scale, with expandable charts showing data in additional ways. This app shows a lot of info in separate boxes.”
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Landsat Viewers (Webmap series) →
“Explore change around the world 1975-2005 using data from Landsat. There are two web apps for working directly with the data; apps are based on Javascript so work on all browsers. ”
“A map is the greatest of all epic poems. Its lines and colors show the...”
– Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Editor of National Geographic (1903- 1954)
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“Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than...”
– Tobler’s First Law of Geography
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American Migration (Webmap Series) →
“Close to 40 million Americans move from one home to another every year. Click anywhere on the map below: blue counties send more migrants to the selected county than they take; red counties take more than they send.”
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Elevation Profile Map Tool (Webmap series) →
“This application uses ArcGIS Online elevation data and allows users to create a profile by drawing a line, across the world, even in the oceans. After drawing the profile, move the mouse along the profile to see where the specific point is on the map.”
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Latitude-Longitude Finder (Webmap series) →
“This geocoder allows you to find a latitude-longitude by dragging the map to a selected location, entering an address, or a place name.”
National STEM Video Game Challenge →
“Inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video...
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Webinar PD for Geog Teachers from NCGE
The National Council for Geographic Education has published the remainder of its 2011-2012 school year webinar PD calendar. Topics include cultural geo, APHG, physical geo, geocaching, GIS, geotagging, and several other great topics. Most webinars are $20 and held on Wednesday evenings.
Hint: If you like more than one of these webianrs, considering joining NCGE for free access to all webinars.
...
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ArcGIS.com Map Viewer (Webmap series) →
“This app is the intro map-making site for ArcGIS Online. Maps from world level down to neighborhood can be saved and shared via ArcGIS Online, or opened in ArcGIS Explorer Online or ArcGIS Desktop for more capacity, or embedded in websites.”
An embedded sample showing US Median Household Income:
View Larger Map
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US Federal Agency STEM Portfolio Released
Bottom line: Feds want to strategically target the $3.4 billion allocated through 250+ federal STEM education initiatives to better reflect “national priorities”. Download PDF.
Feds plan to release a STEM education strategic plan in 2012.
1940 Census Report Goes Digital, Arrives in April →
Following a 72-year wait period, The National Archives and Records will release the 1940 U.S. Census in April and make the search for photos and information about ancestors easier than ever with free online access from any computer. Genealogists will have digital access to the 1940 Census when…
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Nation Master (Webmap Series) →
“ a massive central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD. Using the form above, you can generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease.”
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WorldMapper (Webmap Series) →
One of my favorite geoweb sites for education!
“Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest.
There are now nearly 700 maps. Maps 1-366 are also available as PDF posters. Use the menu above to find a map of interest.”