TwiST Workshop
One Track
The TwiST workshop provides an opportunity for individuals with a range of backgrounds
to get started with GIS, GPS and remote sensing or to further advance their skills by having participants work on a different community project every year. Participants to
learn how to use thes technologies to teach with while supporting individuals to explore their own ideas for using GIS, GPS and remote sensing-based activities in the classroom.
Across the country and the world more educators are using GIS, GPS and remote sensing
to enhance their teaching. At TwiST we feel that it is important that attendees have a support network once they return to their schools. We encourage participants
to apply with others from their school or district, but realize that this isn't
always possible. At TwiST educators will be able to connect with other participants
from different schools who are in attendance as well as past participants. Participants
are also exposed to the large and constantly-growing GIS Education Community that
contains novices to experts from across the world.
New to Geospatial Technology
While many participants at TwiST are from New York State, each year we have participants from other states. We invite educators from across the country to attend. This track provides an introduction to GIS, GPS and remote sensing. Participants learn how to use the technologies through hands-on activities that involve a number of geospatial applications such as ESRI ArcMap, Google Earth, and different web-based geospatial resources. One of the components of this track exposes participants to how these technologies can be used in the classroom as part of experiential and service learning activities by completing a community based mapping project at TwiST. This mini project involves participants going out into the field to collect data that they will then bring back to examine in the lab in a similar way that would work for a student activity. In addition to learning the technologies, educators will be exposed and have the opportunity to work through geospatial lessons that have already been used in classroom settings.
Want a little more advanced training
At TwiST, we offer a few breakout sessions that allow for participants who have some experience with GIS, GPS and remote sensing technologies to expand upon their existing knowledge by learning more advanced applications of the geospatial technologies that meets their needs.