Maine Geospatial Institute Offers October Workshop, Faculty Stipends
The Maine Geospatial Institute, in collaboration with University of Maine at Farmington and University of Maine/University of Maine at Machias Teaching and Learning Centers, hosted a faculty workshop at noon on October 17, 2022. UMS faculty of any discipline who would like to learn how to integrate a cutting-edge technology into courses participated. No prior experience required!
New! Geospatial Resources for Faculty Available Now (link) – Check back frequently for a growing library of resources
So what exactly are geospatial technologies/geographic information systems (GIS)? It’s all about connecting. GIS connects different kinds of data to a map, providing a foundation for analysis that is used in just about every discipline. GIS helps people discover patterns and relationships in a geographic context.
The Geospatial Learning Across Disciplines workshop will also provide a pathway for faculty to tap into competitive stipends of up to $1,500 to include discipline-appropriate activities for students in UMS courses for geospatial and climate-related teaching and learning.
Will this work for your courses? Yes! Right now, faculty are asking their students to explore socio-cultural issues in health care, environmental topics in basic biology, applications in digital humanities, and much more.
What comes after this workshop? For those who wish to continue participating after the introductory workshop and pursue ideas to add geospatial technologies to your coursework, there are four paths of opportunity:
- Path 1: Engage with an instructional designer on your campus to explore ways of integrating GIS into your course.
- Path 2: Apply for $250* in competitive compensation, for a training course about how mapping activities can take your course to the next level through climate-related teaching and learning.
- Path 3: Apply for $1500* in competitive compensation for working with instructional designers and GIS experts to integrate state-of-the-art climate-related teaching and learning into your course!
The workshop is made possible by a University of Maine System Research Reinvestment Fund (RRF) grant to foster research and development activities across multiple campuses. Register now.
For more information, please contact eileen.moran@maine.edu.
*Not all participants will be eligible for stipends. Details to follow.
Workshop Presenters
Stephen Grandchamp, Assistant Professor for Literature and Digital Humanities, UMF Digital Humanities Lab, University of Maine at Farmington
Tora Johnson, Director of the GIS Laboratory and Service Center/Chair of the Environmental and Biological Sciences Division, University of Maine at Machias
Lucas Kellett, Associate Professor of Archaeology, University of Maine at Farmington
Anne Knowles, McBride Professor of History and Graduate Coordinator, University of Maine
Matt McCourt, Associate Professor Geography and Environmental Planning, University of Maine at Farmington
Julia McGuire, Lecturer and Introductory Biology Lab Supervisor in the Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine
Nicholas Micinski, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Maine
Karen Miller, Faculty Associate in the Department of Anthropology, University of Maine