Welcome to the VCCS Geospatial Institute

With support from:

NSF DUE-0903270

Hosted by the:

irginiaViewGeospatial Technician Education Through Virginia’s Community Colleges (GTEVCC)

Welcome, we are honored that you are here!

• The selection of VCCS faculty was a highly competitive process. Over 50 highly qualified faculty applied for just 14 workshop slots.

• The 14 selected faculty represent 11 community colleges and 14 campuses from across Virginia. You all are associated with a wide range of exciting fields and disciplines.

• Each HS dual enrollment faculty are associated with one of four Community College Service Regions... You guys were basically hand selected!

Geospatial technologies is a great place to be...

• This industry is still in its infancy...• Strong employment track record over the past

20 years (since I’ve been involved...)• Continued growth: Lots of GREAT

employment opportunities with more to come (and I am not the only person who thinks so...)

Hop aboard...The surf is fine!

• Geotechnologies were identified by the U.S. Department of Labor as one of the three most important emerging and evolving fields, with job opportunities growing and diversifying rapidly, creating substantial workforce growth as these technologies prove their value in ever more areas.

-From COGO Resolution, 2010

Before we get started, let’s take care of some business!

Welcome to Virginia Tech

• Paul Winistorfer, DeanCollege of Natural Resources and Environment

• Janaki Alavalapati, Department HeadForest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Introductions

• We’ve got several groups present:– VCCS faculty– High School dual enrollment faculty– Instructors / Guest speakers– And a couple of other folks!

The Virginia Geospatial Extension Program

• Established in 2003, initially soft money funded

• 100% outreach and Extension oriented• Initially established through a NASA workforce

development grant championed by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and Virginia Cooperative Extension (more on VSGC later!)

• Position picked up by the Univ. in 2006• VSGC & VCE remain extremely supportive

The Virginia Geospatial Extension Program

The Vision: Bridge the gap between potential geospatial needs and real world products and services that support a rational

decision making process…

Objectives:• Define and develop the geospatial market by assessing

needs of potential users

• Promote the research and development necessary to tailor decision support tools to meet those needs

• Develop a workforce skilled in geospatial technology

Space

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The Geospatial Extension Program

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End Users

Local, Regional, State & Fed.

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ExtensionSpecialists

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Geospatial

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Feedback Loops

Geospatial Extension Specialist

Status of the National Program

Geospatial Extension Program States

Puerto Rico

Interested States

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The Agenda

• The agenda is located in the first section of your notebook.

• Question: Are we going to do everything on the agenda?– We are going to try, but we’re not going to kill

ourselves to get through it. We’d rather take extra time and make sure that everybody picks up the information. Getting through the notebook is not compulsory! There’s always next summer!

– We are less flexible with the guest speakers + dinners!

Group Dinners

• Saturday night (tonight!)– Ceritano’s http://www.ceritanos.com– Homemade pasta and brick oven pizza...

• Monday night– Picnic at David Webb’s house!

• Thursday night– Cookout at Shadowchase Farm, an organic farm

located about 20 mins. from here. – http://www.shadowchasefarm.com

Shadowchase Farm

Additional notes:

• Your notebook• Breakout room / coffee / drinks• The Geospatial Textbook “Fair”

We will hold a drawing for the books - giveaways on Thursday!

• Other cool freebies will find their way in here during the week...

Lab Rules

• No food• No drinks• Please take care of your cell phones• Be nice to your computer...

“The Workbook”

• Course notebook– Bring it to the workshop each day, you’ll need it,

and we’ll be adding more goodies to it each day..– We will lock the door at night

you can leave it in the lab so you will not have to lug it all over the place...

Common questions• So where are the bathrooms?

-Down the hall…• Is parking an issue on campus?

-Don’t even get me started…don’t lose your parking pass

• Can I break the software?-Probably not, but a reboot is certainly not out of the question.

• Am I going to be brain-dead at the end of the day? -Hopefully not, but probably!

Common questions

• Can I break the computer?-Not unless you drop it or throw it (which is not out of the question….)

• Will I “get stuck” this week?-Most likely, but there will be people to help you get “unstuck”

• Will the instructors get stuck today?-Most definitely!!! Just sit back and enjoy…

A note about “getting stuck”

• I don’t mean to harp on this, but…– Getting stuck can be painful, but it is “good”– It is (almost) an essential part of the learning

process. • The key is: Don’t get stuck for too long

– Don’t panic!– Ask for help - there lots of experts here

ready to assist (and we’ve all been sitting on your side of the table before!)

– Have good references at your fingertips.

Common questions

• Will I be a GIS “expert” at the end of this?– Nope.

• Do expect me to remember everything in this workshop?– No. – The information provided is being offered

“cafeteria style”. – Not everyone will need to use everything.– We want to make you aware of the possibilities.– We want to provide you with the resources to

make GIS integration at your community college / high school as easy as possible

Common questions

• Is this going to be fun?-Yep. But there is a learning curve involved.

The Learning Curve

Experience w/ software (time spent using it…)

Efficie

ncy

leve

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The $10,000 question:How much time is this?

Workshop Goals

• This is not a GIS software workshop, it is a Geospatial Workshop!– GIS, GPS, and remote sensing

• Become familiar with GIS software, data, applications, career / employment opportunities

• Become familiar with GPS• Gain an appreciation and understanding of remote sensing • You will be exposed to the resources to support your continued

efforts to integrate geospatial in the classroom when you leave here

• Classroom implementation (and we’ll get around to why this is important in a minute...)

High School Dual Enrollment Faculty: Expectations

VCCS Faculty Expectations

• Expectations were outlined in the acceptance letter

• But that letter was sent out in November 2009 --so let’s review them again!

VCCS Faculty Expectations(continued)

Stipends will be fully paid after minimum expectations have been met. These expectations include:

• Completion of a short online “GIS Overview” learning module prior to the Summer 2010 workshop;

• Full attendance at both the summer 2010 and summer 2011 workshops;

VCCS Faculty Expectations(continued)

• As a participant at the institute, you are expected to integrate geospatial technologies into your classroom instruction during the academic year following the first workshop (summer 2010).

• Proof of integration in the classroom (exercises, development of learning modules, evaluations, student project work/impacts, course descriptions/syllabi) will be required before full workshop stipend payments can be allocated.

VCCS Faculty Expectations(continued)

• Workshop participants will be required to integrate GST into the classroom for a minimum of 4 weeks.

• Increasing the integration of geospatial technologies into the classroom, or the development of a new geospatial technology course after the second year (summer 2011) workshop.

Workshop Format(we’re trying to mix things up!)

• Presentations, followed by hands-on exercises• Guest speakers and local / national experts!• “Field work” and outside activities• Networking opportunities• Geospatial resources for the classroom (we’ll

be giving these away at the end, and we will point you to resources for desk copies)

Meals and Accommodations

• Accommodations: – The Donaldson Brown Graduate Life Center

• Meals– Breakfast: On your own!– Lunches: Dietrich Dining Hall (they don’t take

money, but we have “special cards”)– Dinners: We’ve got a few evening socials planned

(our first one is tonight!). Otherwise, please feel free to dine in small (or large) groups!

Expense reimbursement info.

• We have to follow state regulations• For those of you staying overnight, we are

covering all of your meals while you are in Blacksburg. If you purchase a meal, you do not need to keep a receipt.

• Lodging: Your rooms are covered• Your respective community colleges / high

schools are covering travel expenses• A note to the daily commuters...

Expense reimbursement(continued)

• Breakfast: $ 7.00 / day• Lunch: $ 0 (we are providing lunches each day)• Dinner: $ 23.00 /day

(note: if we have made arrangements for a dinner, then you can not be reimbursed for “dinner on your own”)

• Daily Incidental Expenses: $ 5.00• There’s a reimbursement form in your workbook...

Turn the form in on Thursday afternoon for a quick turnaround!

Meals (continued)

• I hope that the workshop does not drive you (or me!) to drink, but...– Keep in mind that project funds can not be used to

pay for any alcoholic beverages;– So please “pay as you go” during group meals...

Any questions so far?