Blogs Maps Presentations

Communicating with Blogs and Online Maps Peter Linehan Associate Professor of Forestry Penn State Mont Alto Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium University Park, PA March 29,2008

What is Forest Technology?

A.S. degree program

Stresses practical applications and field work in forestry

Student outcomes

About half the students get employment in forestry and natural resources, private and public sectors

About half complete a B.S. degree, usually in forestry at Penn State School of Forest Resources

Uses of maps in forestry

Forest inventory plots

Trail layout

Timber harvest planning

Forest stand mapping

Wildlife management

Outdoor recreation

Topographic Maps and Compass

Trends in Mapping in Forestry

Previously map-based using compasses

Transition to digital methods: GPS, digital data recorders, GIS

In education need to maintain the fundamental skills and introduce the new technologies

Job market driving the change

Need to communicate geographically oriented data in many ways

Online Mapping

Large number of providers: Yahoo!, Local Live (Microsoft), Google, etc.

Increased resources: maps, data, tools

New tools to create personal maps that can be used in multiple areas

Increased linkage between Google maps and Google Earth

Google Mapping Resources

Google Earth

Excellent coverage for PA

Editing tools (points, lines, areas, labels, photos, hook other data)

Available in Penn State computer labs

Kml format for data exchange

Google Maps

Reads kml files

My Maps option

Editing tools similar to Google Earth

Share, link, or embed maps

Map, terrain, or imagery options

Why use Blogs with students?

Easier than creating stand-alone web pages

Very flexible, easy to update

Can range from basic text to very technically sophisticated

Fun in their own right!

Choice of

outside hosts such as Blogger, Word Press, etc.

Penn State Movable Type blogs linked to PASS account

Forest Technology Courses Using Blogs and Maps

FORT 120 – Forestry computer applications: introduction to IT. Concentrates on Windows, Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and some forestry-specific tools.

FORT 130 – Forest mapping systems: Use of topographic maps, compass, GPS, and computerized mapping

Will be carried into other courses such as Forest Management Practices and Aerial Photo Interpretation

Getting data from the field to Google Earth and Google maps

GPS receiver in the field (Garmin models): waypoints, routes, and tracks

Minnesota DNR Garmin (free data conversion utility) creates kml files

Google Earth and/or

Google maps

Using GPS

Data Window of DNR Garmin

Trail Waypoints in Google Earth

Trail Waypoints in Google Maps

Sample Assignments

Map a State Park -- Identify a favorite park near your home -- Mark the park with a point -- Create embeddable map -- Transfer to blog and write description

Landforms Field Trip -- Field trip to compare contour lines with actual landscape in a hilly part of the Michaux State Forest near campus -- Collect GPS waypoints during field trip -- Convert waypoints to Google Earth -- Import to Google Maps -- Make embeddable map -- Embed in blog and write trip report

Mapping the Waynesboro Reservoir Trail -- Hike around Waynesboro Reservoir to map recreational trail -- Collect GPS waypoints during field trip -- Convert waypoints to Google Earth -- Import to Google Maps -- Make embeddable map -- Embed in blog and write trip report

Mapping Part of the Appalachian Trail -- Get coordinates from Iron Springs topographic map -- Enter points and trail in Google Earth -- Import to Google Maps -- Make embeddable map -- Embed in blog and write description

To Blog and Map or Not