Engaging Youth In Communities Through Technology: Cyfar 2007

ENGAGING YOUTH in COMMUNITIES through TECHNOLOGY

CYFAR 2007 Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Chicago, Illinois May 2, 2007

PRESENTERS LISA BOUILLION, Ph.D. Extension Specialist — Science, Engineering & Technology

STEVE WAGONER, M.S. Extension Educator — Youth Development University of Illinois Extension

Session Goals 

Introduce uses of GPS and GIS within youth development efforts

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Share findings from research conducted within related programs

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Highlight how these technologies position youth as resources within their communities

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Provide tangible strategies, ideas, and resources for starting similar efforts

Three Visions for Technology in Education 

Learning FROM technology

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Learning ABOUT technology

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Learning WITH technology (Jonassen, 2000)

Youth Development Goals Learning WITH Technolog y

 Lifelong learners  Active problem solvers and agents of change

 Engaged citizens  Productive workers

Engaging Youth in Communities Technology Youth Interests

Community Issues Partnerships

What is GPS and GIS?

Global Positioning System (GPS)  Satellite-based navigation system  Determines an exact location in latitude, longitude, and

altitude within 100 meters

 Determines its location by comparing the

signals of four of the 24 GPS satellites orbiting (From GPS Land Navigation by Michael earth Ferguson)

Geographic Information System (GIS) GIS combines layers of information about a place to improve understanding.

GPS and GIS APPLICATIONS

COMMERCE and GOVERNMENT  Agriculture  Military  Maritime  Automotive  Surveying  Aviation  Forestry  Environmental  Public safety

RECREATIONAL         

Hiking Hunting Nature study Fishing Boating Biking Skiing Snowmobiling Geocaching

FORESTRY Foresters use GPS and GIS to check forest health — locating diseased trees and monitoring insects.

PUBLIC SAFETY Location and status information provided to public safety systems through GPS and GIS improves emergency response from police, fire, and rescue crews.

LOCAL PROJECTS in PROGRESS Monroe County Restaurant Guide  Three middle schoolers  Mapped 18 kid-friendly restaurants in Waterloo and Columbia, Illinois

 Determined criteria for the map (Collected data on hours of operation, drivethru, dine-in, menu items under $, kids’ meal choices, featured toys or prizes, and overall rating)

MONROE COUNTY RESTAURANT GUIDE

Columbia, Illinois Sites

Community Mapping Process STEP 1: IDENTIFY... STEP 2: COLLECT... STEP 3: MAP... STEP 4: SHARE... STEP 5: ACT...

Examples of Potential Community Mapping Projects     

   

Public access to computers and the Internet After-school programs Condition of city sidewalks, streetlights, etc. Bike paths and related danger zones Places difficult to access for senior citizens and the physically disabled Patterns of illegal trash dumping Fire hydrants and emergency water sources Cell towers and signal strength Access to fresh fruits and vegetables

Potential Map Audiences and Project Partners    

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School District Parents City Council Department of Housing or Social Services Chamber of Commerce Libraries Police Department Local Businesses

Potential Mapping Mentors       

Local schools City government Community colleges Local businesses Utility companies Transportation Natural resource agencies

ESRI Local User Groups: http://gis2.esri.com/usersupport/usergroups/usergr

Community Mapping Process STEP 1: IDENTIFY...

STEP 2: COLLECT... STEP 3: MAP... STEP 4: SHARE... STEP 5: ACT...

Range of Data Collection Tools   

 

GPS Road maps Online databases (e.g. census bureau) Datasheets Community surveys

* Important to think about how to map different kinds of data!

Community Mapping Process STEP 1: IDENTIFY... STEP 2: COLLECT...

STEP 3: MAP... STEP 4: SHARE... STEP 5: ACT...

Elements of Mapping   

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Input data Create a legend Make decisions about which layers to show on different maps Consider how to incorporate supporting documentation

Community Mapping Process STEP 1: IDENTIFY... STEP 2: COLLECT... STEP 3: MAP...

STEP 4: SHARE... STEP 5: ACT...

Community Mapping Process STEP 1: IDENTIFY... STEP 2: COLLECT... STEP 3: MAP... STEP 4: SHARE...

STEP 5: ACT...

Getting Started… Small group brainstorming and online exploration   

http://www.hopeworks.org/ http://www.census.gov/ http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/

Questions??