Introducing Teachers to Geospatial Technology While Helping Them to Discover Vegetation Patterns in Owens Valley, California

Autor/inn/en	Sherman-Morris, Kathleen; Morris, John; Thompson, Keith
Titel	Introducing Teachers to Geospatial Technology While Helping Them to Discover Vegetation Patterns in Owens Valley, California
Quelle	In: Journal of Geoscience Education, 57 (2009) 1, S.64-72 (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1089-9995
Schlagwörter	Geology; Geographic Information Systems; Plants (Botany); Questionnaires; Computer Software; National Standards; Science Teachers; Course Descriptions; Masters Programs; Graduate Students; Earth Science; Teacher Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Teaching Methods; California + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Historische Geologie; Pflanze; Fragebogen; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Kursstrukturplan; Magister course; Magisterstudiengang; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Earth sciences; Geowissenschaften; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Kalifornien
Abstract	A field course attended by science teachers in California's Owens Valley incorporated geospatial technology to reinforce the relationship between elevation, aspect, or the direction a mountain slope faces, and vegetation. Teachers were provided GPS units to record locations and plant communities throughout the 9-day field course. At the end of the field course, they completed an exercise utilizing ArcGIS and/or Google Earth. A similar essay question about vegetation and elevation was answered at the beginning of the course and after the GIS/Google Earth exercise. Scores on this pre- and postactivity question as well as responses to a survey questionnaire indicate that GIS and Google Earth both helped the teachers understand how elevation influences vegetation. The role of aspect was not as well demonstrated in the post-test responses as that of elevation. Teachers reported being more likely to use Google Earth in their classrooms than GIS (75% to 58.3%). Combined with GPS, Google Earth provides a free, easy and flexible way to teach a number of earth science concepts and meet several National Geography Standards. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Carleton College W-SERC, One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057. Tel: 540-568-6675; Fax: 540-568-8058; e-mail: jge@jmu.edu; Website: http://nagt-jge.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01