In American schools, teaching is increasingly gauged, in part, through student learning.* For better or worse, student learning is commonly evaluated with standardized tests, using state or national curricular standards to define the content. * It should come as no surprise that many educators would be keenly interested in activities and content that directly support the evaluated learning in a classroom.
Over the past two decades, GIS instructional materials for schools have largely focused on either 1.) teaching the learner to use a GIS in the context of a curriculum or 2.) promoting field-based or open-cycle inquiry models of teaching with GIS (such as localized, custom project based learning models). It’s arguable, based on historic adoption patterns, that these two approaches serve Everett Rogers’ Innovators – a small class of highly motivated and well-positioned technology adopters (see Diffusion of Innovation). The great news is that GeoInquiries can engage all teachers and learners and through that engagement, may drive interest in learning more about GIS, field work, and project based learning.
As a part of the Esri commitment to the White House ConnectED Initiative, the education team sought to develop instructional materials that would strengthen Esri’s offer of ArcGIS Online to every school in the U.S.* This commitment requires approaching the mainstream through a different lens of learning design. This required challenging long held assumptions, beliefs, and expectations.
GeoInquiries are short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based concepts in many different subject areas – all in the most commonly used disciplinary textbooks. Using either a 5-E based inquiry instructional model or the geographic inquiry cycle, GeoInquiries use ArcGIS Online technology to support subject matter content teaching. Lessons include learning objectives, technical “how-to’s”, textbook references, and formative whole-class assessment items – all packed into one page.
These activities are computer or device agnostic and can be delivered in a classroom with as little as a iPad and a projector. Any teacher can use a GeoInquiry, regardless of their prior experience with digital mapping tools.
Today, geoinquiry collections are available for:
Later in 2016, we anticipate releasing two new collections. In the meantime, share a geoinquiry with an educator or take a read through one of the latest publications related to geoinquiries:
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Over the past two decades, GIS instructional materials for schools have largely focused on either 1.) teaching the learner to use a GIS in the context of a curriculum or 2.) promoting field-based or open-cycle inquiry models of teaching with GIS (such as localized, custom project based learning models). It’s arguable, based on historic adoption patterns, that these two approaches serve Everett Rogers’ Innovators – a small class of highly motivated and well-positioned technology adopters (see Diffusion of Innovation). The great news is that GeoInquiries can engage all teachers and learners and through that engagement, may drive interest in learning more about GIS, field work, and project based learning.
As a part of the Esri commitment to the White House ConnectED Initiative, the education team sought to develop instructional materials that would strengthen Esri’s offer of ArcGIS Online to every school in the U.S.* This commitment requires approaching the mainstream through a different lens of learning design. This required challenging long held assumptions, beliefs, and expectations.
GeoInquiries are short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based concepts in many different subject areas – all in the most commonly used disciplinary textbooks. Using either a 5-E based inquiry instructional model or the geographic inquiry cycle, GeoInquiries use ArcGIS Online technology to support subject matter content teaching. Lessons include learning objectives, technical “how-to’s”, textbook references, and formative whole-class assessment items – all packed into one page.
These activities are computer or device agnostic and can be delivered in a classroom with as little as a iPad and a projector. Any teacher can use a GeoInquiry, regardless of their prior experience with digital mapping tools.
Today, geoinquiry collections are available for:
Later in 2016, we anticipate releasing two new collections. In the meantime, share a geoinquiry with an educator or take a read through one of the latest publications related to geoinquiries:
- GeoInquiries: Maps and data for everyone. The Geography Teacher (National Council for Geographic Education)
- GeoInquiries: Free, fun interactive lessons.* TechEdge (TCEA)
- GeoInquiries for US History: Five Questions and Answers. History Matters! (National Council for History Education)
- Tip of the Week: History GeoInquiries and Other Cool Mapping Goodies. History tech
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