Friday, February 10, 2012

Gulf of Mexico Maps and Data

Recently the New Orleans office of the National Weather Service hosted an Open House event.  We got to see a weather balloon launched (video), meet a famous female astronaut and see the new emergency trailer.  Always a teacher and always on the hunt for curriculum ideas, I was excited when the staff shared their new interactive web portal.  They've converted all the old maps and made room for new data.  According to them, they'll have lots of data in multiple formats for us map nerds to enjoy.


Check out the interactive mapper here: http://gulfatlas.noaa.gov/


You might enjoy some other data sources associated with weather, NOAA and NWS.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Q & A: How do I add *.gpx files from my gps unit to an online map?

Charlie Fitzpatrick presented an excellent webinar last night!  One of the things that he demonstrated was adding GPS (*.gpx) files to an online map. An attendee asked me for some detailed instructions, so here you go.  It's REALLY easy to do!



In Esri's Map Viewer:
Drag and Drop
  1. Go to arcgis.com. Click Map at the top.
  2. Open your File explorer in windows. 
  3. Drag the *.gpx file from your Windows file explorer to the middle of the map.
  4. Poof!  It will add it to the map and zoom to that location.
Add the File
  1. Go to arcgis.com. Click Map at the top.
  2. Click the add button.  Select Add layers from File.
  3. Click choose file.  Navigate to your gpx file. Click ok.
  4. Click import.
  5. It adds the file and zooms to it.
In Esri 's ArcGIS Explorer Online:
  1. Go to arcgis.com.
  2. Below the featured map images, select Start ArcGIS Explorer Online.
Drag and drop works the same.
  1. Drag the file from your  Windows  explorer window onto the map.  
  2. A box comes up that asks about importing the file.  Choose what's correct for your data.  
  3. Click okay and it zooms to the file.
Adding with the Add button
  1. Click the Add Content button.
  2. Click the Import tab.
  3. Choose the type of file.
  4. Navigate and select that file. Select it and click ok.
  5. The same import box comes up that did when you do the drag and drop.  Select what's correct for your data.
  6. Click ok and it adds and zooms.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Mapping Black History Month

It's February and many educators will be exploring Black History in celebration of Black History Month, http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/.

Perhaps you'd like an alternative to videos and worksheets...have you thought of using maps and stories to get students beyond the text?

I created a lesson plan for mapping students through The Watsons Go to Birmingham.  It contains experiences in math, science, social studies and English language arts.  On my maps portal you can check out map experiences for Plessy v. Ferguson, Their Eyes Were Watching God and more.  Perhaps you're studying Mark Twain and want to look into slavery in that era.

As you celebrate history...use a map!



Monday, February 06, 2012

An English Teacher's Guide to Mapping: the videos


From GISetc...

*NEW* Video Series

We are excited to provide more free resources to help your students succeed.  Our resident English teacher,Barbaree Duke, will be featured this month on our YouTube channel.  She created a series of 4 videos called "An English Teacher's Guide to Mapping" that outlines several ways to implement geospatial technology into traditional classroom content.  In addition, the videos showcase rich content that is perfect for Black History Month, such as The Watsons Go to Birmingham, Langston Hughes, Twain and Slavery, and more.  Starting Monday, February 7th and every Monday in February, look for her informative videos on our channel.  We're sure you'll get some great ideas to use in your classroom setting!

Friday, February 03, 2012

GIS: An Essential Tool for Any Classroom

This week I had the honor of presenting in the 1 Tool at a Time Series sponsored by the ISTE SIGms and SIGilt.  In the short 30 minute session I shared what GIS looks like for the classroom and demonstrated how you can access maps and curriculum quickly.  You no longer need lots of time and expertise to infuse your classroom with geospatial technologies.


If you'd like to check out the recording, go the GIS in Education page at the 1 Tool at a Time Series wiki. http://1toolatatime.wikispaces.com/GIS+in+Education  While you're there, you'll find a handout of the links shared.


Also, Katie Christo, the SIGilt chair, put together the links along with some of her own on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katiechristo/gis-mapping-in-education/.


And that's not all!  If you're still interested in learning more about how to get started with GIS in Education, join the folks at NCGE for a free webinar this coming Wednesday!  Charlie Fitzpatrick, Esri Education Manager, will be sharing his perspective on where to begin with GIS in Education.


Happy Mapping!