Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology

Realities in the current teaching of Forest Technology:
Maps are of central importance.
Students need to be proficient with the “old” way of maps (paper based) and the “new” way (online, GPS).
Jobs are actually changing in terms of which types of maps are relied on.

Example: Students using GPS on field trips.
Speaker Observation: Using GPS in the woods reduces immediate concentration on one’s environment and has lead to tripping over roots and other forms of nature.
Blogger Observation: Ironic.

Purpose: Combine blogging with online mapping. Students are going to different locations using topographic maps and then associating their blog about the location with that point on the electronic map. Can tell a story (with text and images) as you go along to different points in the electronic map.

To Blog and Map or Not:
Advantages:

• combines multiple data sources
• rewards creativity
• product visible to everyone
• easily track a class with RSS reader
• introduction to more complex GIS tools

Concerns:

• time and patience, must be willing to deal with student problems
• students resent the extra work
• not a ‘traditional’ report
• technology will change each year, be ready to adapt

http://earth.google.com/
http://maps.google.com/
http://www.pasda.psu.edu/

Audience Questions

• How are you teaching students the technology? (Currently, faculty member learning it first and then teaching the students. Considering having them learn from tutorials.)
• Are students reading each others' blogs? (To a degree, but considering using RSS feeds in the future to encourage them to read more.)

Blogger Observation
Very useful, practical session. Good example of current technologies (google maps, GPS, blogs) and the ways that they are being used to increase learning and prepare forestry students for their future jobs.