A Time-Sensitive Framework for Including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Professional Development Activities for Classroom Teachers

ABSTRACT

This work shares a time-sensitive framework for teaching GIS to educators of all levels and disciplines. Existing relationships with teachers enabled the addition of GIS content in professional development activities. The amount of time devoted to GIS-related content varied depending on time made available for interaction with the audience. Content audiences included geography, history, social studies, science, agriculture, religion, and math teachers. The framework was developed, tested, and refined over a period of six years, during thirty-six trainings, and with 580 educators. Use of this framework emphasizes that not one size fits all in GIS education and that GIS can work for any teacher, their content, their classroom, and their time availability.

Key Words:

• GIS education
• geography education
• teacher professional development
• preservice
• in-service

Notes

1. The Teachers Teaching Teachers GIS (T3G) Institute was a professional development event for educators to help them learn why and how to use GIS. Through activities such as modeling, practice, and discussion, the T3G Institute helps participants engage more deeply in the use of GIS within education (Esri T3G 2016). Through 2016, the workshop was held at Esri headquarters in Redlands, California, and participants were selected through a competitive application process.

2. Feedback on the use of this time-sensitive framework would be appreciated and we are willing to share our materials with anyone who would like to use them. Please contact us at [email protected].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Tabor Millsaps

Lisa Tabor Millsaps is an assistant professor in geography at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA. She completed her graduate work at Kansas State University and was an active member of the Kansas Geographic Alliance during that time. Her research interests include geography and GIS education, climate change education, research methods, the interdisciplinary advantage of social science and STEM education, and Latin American studies.

John A. Harrington

John A. Harrington Jr. is a professor and former department head in geography at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA, and the coordinator for the Kansas Geographic Alliance. His research and teaching interests include climatology, human dimensions of global change, GIScience, applied geography, geographic thought, and geography education.