Introducing GIS to Ag Students: Developing Relevant Lessons

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Introducing GIS to Ag StudentsDeveloping
Relevant Lessons
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Where and how with GIS?

• GIS technician
• Well versed in software
• Builds, converts disseminates data
• Recommends and builds targeted applications
• Verifies accuracy and stability of systems

GIS User Needs answers to specific
problems Concentrates on results of analysis not
building the analysis Uses tool sets of larger
GIS
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Strengths of Agriculture EducationCareer
Technical Education

• Increase student engagement, retention and
  persistence
• Directs them to postsecondary education
  lifelong learning
• Motivates students to get involved in learning
  with problem-solving activities
• Provides hands-on activities and application of
  knowledge
• Brings parents, teachers, and community together
  for collaborative learning

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Strengths of GIS Education

•         Fosters critical thinking
•         Fosters problem solving skills
•         21 century workforce skills
•         Citizenship
•         Community Participation
• source ESRI.COM (http//esri.com/industries/k-12
  /index.html )

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Tool or Discipline ?The role of GIS

• Teaching GIS as a Discipline
• Concentrated curriculum
• Software, theory, development heavy
• Survey courses attempt to expose students to a
  wide variety of applications

• Using GIS as a Tool
• GIS is an adjunct to the curriculum
• Tools and specific applications covered
• Application is focused on a defined subject area

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Skill training continuum.
K..1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13.
Computer Applications
GIS Tech Training
GIS Applications
GIS in classroom
Introduce computers
Geography
Database
Maps and Spatial Skills
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EMBEDDED GIS

• GIS as a management tool
• GIS as an integral part of lesson
• Tools specified and targeted at task
• Data sets sorted and prepared
• Emphasis on analysis over technique

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GIS as an Agriculture Tool

• Parcel management
• Asset mapping soils
• Topography
• Management
• Water
• Pests
• Yield Mapping

GIS is a decision making tool. As the art and
science matures more user friendly applications
and the development of services that prepare and
deliver data shift the emphasis from building GIS
to using GIS
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GIS as a tool in the Ag Classroom

• Results oriented
• Problem solving
• Linkage
• Incorporated as a part of other lessons

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What is a relevant lesson?

• Matches curriculum/standards
• Teaches Agricultural Skills and Principles
• High Content/Targeted Technology
• Hands on
• Connected to students day
• Repeatable

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Limitations to Agriculture GIS lessons

• There is frequently to much data!
• Large data sets can confuse the learner
• Yield data may be thousands of records
• SSURGO data has many tables
• Handling the data may obscure the analytical
  skills

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Tools for GIS.

• Light weight applications
• Take them home?
• Task oriented data
• Specific to farms/enterprise
• Date relevant, scale accurate, updateable

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Tools Data

• Tools
• ArcExplorer
• ArcVoyager
• ArcGIS
• AutoDesk Map
• GeoMedia
• Freeware/Shareware
• Agriculture Specific GIS

• Data
• Aerial photos
• State
• Terraserver
• Local
• Tiger data
• SSURGO data
• Locally collected
• User GPS
• Yield data
• Remotely sensed data

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Working with an embedded GIS

• Tool used in the lesson
• Emphasis is on content of lesson, not GIS
• GIS skills and competencies are secondary

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Example LessonBased on AgriTerrorism seminar -
AgroKnowledge
Using the Agro-Terrorism / Agro-Security
Exercise.   Objectives Upon completing this
exercise the student should 1.      Identify the
threat of Hoof Mouth disease. 2.      Discuss
ways of increasing security in livestock
operations on farms. a.       Identify at least 4
approved practices b.      Identify at least 4
things that increase the risk 3.      Use a
prepared GIS project ArcExploere to identify and
locate points using a buffer. 4.      Identify a
location of a point (farm) using a Geographic
Coordinate System X,Y values.  
Equipment/Software 1.      Digital projector (to
computer) to project PowerPoint Real
Player 2.      Teacher workstation with
Notepad, ArcExplorer, Real Player,
PowerPoint 3.      Vials of blood for farm
samples.
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Suggested Lesson Steps 1.      Set Customs
Notice at room entrance or just inside. 2.     
Pose problem What could cause us to have to
kill most of our livestock? 3.      Present and
discuss power-point An Agriculture
Crisis 4.      Video Hoof Mouth Disease (need
Real Player Projector) How would we respond to
a threat of Hoof Mouth Disease? 5.      Recruit
volunteer Owner / Operators - explain role
later. 6.      Hand-out Agro-Terrorism/Argo-Secur
ity Exercise 7.      Read and discuss the
scenario 8.      Divide class to create
teams 9.      Have teams fill out Development
worksheets. 10.  While teams are developing,
explain role to Owner/Operators a.       Give
them farm information sheets to study and develop
character 11.  Entire class uses GIS to develop
farm lists. 12.  Prepare teams for farm
visits a.       Hand-out information
sheets b.      Teams do Team Worksheet c.      
Owner/Operators move to their stations 13.  Make
Farm Visits. 14.  Return teams and
owner/operators to class. 15.  Fill out
appropriate forms for evaluation. 16. 
Discussion.
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Developing the lessons.
Why doesn't it happen more often.

• Teachers lack time and skills to develop a GIS
• Data is difficult to find and prepare
• Data conversion and preparation takes time
• Teaching GIS is not the objective of the class

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Overcoming the problemsa suggestion
Develop a GIS Department
Grades 11
GIS technicians
Application Specific GIS technicians
Embedded GIS users
Grades 9-10 GIS embedded in classes Gis skills
as part of geography
Grades 3-8 Introduce and use GIS
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Advanced Students prepare data
Applications guidelines
GIS technicians
Instructor Designs Lessons and Requests Data
Embedded Lessons
Application Specific GIS technicians
Datasets Templates
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Who? What? Where?

• Dan Harms
• Instructor CAD/GIS at Jo Daviess Carroll AVC
• University of Illinois, Ag. Education/Natural
  Resource Management
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy-GIS Design and
  Implementation
• SUNY-Albany-GIS/GPS Remote Sensing (NASA)
• University of Montana-Graduate Certificate GIS
• Global Positioning Systems and Geographic
  Information Systems
• Using applied technology in education
• Classroom applications for geospatial resources
• GPS
• GIS
• Applications at Global, National, Regional,
  State, and Local levels.
• Dharms_at_avc.jodavs.k12.il.us