Teaching Science and Investigating Environmental Issues with Geospatial Technology : Designing Effective Professional Development for Teachers

The emerging field of using geospatial technology to teach science and environmental education presents an excellent opportunity to discover the ways in which educators use research-grounded pedagogical commitments in combination with their practical experiences to design and implement effective teacher professional development projects. Often missing from the literature are in-depth, explicit discussions of why and how educators choose to provide certain experiences and resources for the teachers with whom they work, and the resulting outcomes.

The first half of this book will enable science and environmental educators to share the nature and structure of large scale professional development projects while discussing the theoretical commitments that undergird their work. Many chapters will include temporal aspects that present the ways in which projects change over time in response to evaluative research and practical experience.

In the second half of the book, faculty and others whose focus is on national and international scales will share the ways in which they are working to meet the growing needs of teachers across the globe to incorporate geospatial technology into their science teaching. These efforts reflect the ongoing conversations in science education, geography, and the geospatial industry in ways that embody the opportunities and challenges inherent to this field.

This edited book will serve to define the field of teacher professional development for teaching science using geospatial technology. As such, it will identify short term and long term objectives for science, environmental, and geography educators involved in these efforts. As a result, this book will provide a framework for future projects and research in this exciting and growing field.

This book provides research-grounded and practically-minded insights into teacher professional development in support of integrating GIS and other geospatial technologies into K-12 science teaching. In this volume 50 designers, educators and researchers share their experiences, knowledge, and lessons learned from a wide variety of projects. Readers will find a myriad of ideas and perspectives that they can apply to their own teacher professional development projects, as they work to provide students with engaging opportunities for learning science.

Geospatial technologies enable teachers to teach in fundamentally new ways, building student interest and skill through active engagement in critical thinking and project or inquiry-based learning. Students are naturally drawn to looking at landscapes and interpreting features through analysis of both shape and form. Given the chance to manipulate spatial data, students revel in deciphering mysteries, exploring scientific explanations, and linking causes with consequences.

The passion and interest demonstrated by students using geospatial tools has motivated an increasing number of K-12 teachers to embrace the use of these technologies for teaching and learning science. Given the nature and complexity of these tools, high quality professional development is essential for providing teachers with the support and guidance they need to use geospatial technologies effectively.

This book will be of special interest to scientists, geographers, and science educators who are designing or delivering teacher professional development in support of teaching with technology. The case studies make it possible for readers to identify specific paths forward regarding both research and practice.

GIS and other geospatial technologies offer teachers an effective way to engage students in the analysis of authentic data in ways called for by the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Geography Standards. With the improvements in the usability of the tools, the time is right to bring GIS and other geospatial technologies into all K-12 classrooms. The chapters in this book will enable teachers and teacher educators to make that happen.

Daniel C. Edelson, Ph.D., Vice President for Education, National Geographic Society

While increasing numbers of people use basic geospatial technologies, their power to enliven science has not yet been explored by most educators. This robust and thoughtful compilation focuses on how to support teachers as they introduce and implement these technologies in their classes. It examines curricular, philosophical, pedagogical, and professional development considerations through an array of real-world projects. Of particular interest are explanations of how programs were tailored to meet the varied needs of participating teachers and their students. I encourage educators who work with pre-service or in-service science, environmental science, social studies, or geography teachers to build their efforts based on the insights accumulated in this collection.

Christine M. Cunningham, Ph.D., Vice President, Museum of Science, Boston

This is the finest collection of professional development wisdom from thought leaders across 20 years of GIS and science education. It's a must read for educators, researchers, and curriculum developers interested in emerging educational technologies.

Tom Baker, ESRI