"Reflect on the day, your professional development, and the theme "Thinking Spatially through Technology". What has changed in your learning, thinking, skills, and understanding?"
Today was full of learning and consisted of six pages of notes that I recorded in my notebook. A mixture of resources was given to us, including video and spatial mapping through ESRI's GIS Explorer and Map Viewer. Being mostly self-paced, it was convenient to accomplish the task at hand and enrich our experiences with extra time that existed.
I have obtained by GIS certificate from Shippensburg University (oh my--- 8 years ago!) and so a refresher in GIS and the software that has changed was very necessary. Thinking spatially is something that comes naturally to me, and many of my high-school students. For others, it's a challenge! And giving new tools, such as the Map Viewer that doesn't require any fees or downloaded programs, is a convenient way to integrate technology into the classroom. I could see myself using the various levels in my curriculum, especially levels 1-3 that provide a question to explore and differentiated levels of teacher involvement depending on the ability of the student.
Though technology is ever-changing, it is a useful tool to utilize in the classroom. Students become engaged with the interactive approach to learning, and ESRI's programs seem to minimize the troubles that sometimes accompany the use of technology. Displaying layers of map data in endless possibilities in a spatial way on a customizable map is truly invavluable for any class (not just geography). I plan to use the Map Viewer feature in my history classes from providing a location for a current event that is being studied, to viewing the terrain of a battle in ancient history.
I came to Alabama with a solid background of geography, but thus far have been truly enriched by the advancement of my skill set. I am refreshed in GIS from the old ArcView 4.0 that I used in my college days; but more importantly, I am able to share these experiences with my students in hopes of broadening their skill set in geography.
Highlights of the day:
- Completing the "Teaching with GIS: Introduction to Using GIS in the Classroom"
- Talking with other group members and sharing our teaching experiences
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