Welcome to my website

Teaching with Geotechnologies (Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Virtual Globes, and Remote Sensing not only can engage the learner in inquiry-driven, problem-based, project-based investigations of real-world issues, but it is essential for 21st Century sustainability of the planet and the health of its people. If we do not foster spatial thinking about issues such as water quality and availability, energy, sustainable agriculture, land use, urban sprawl, biodiversity loss, human health, natural hazards, and soil erosion, population and migration, at scales from local to global, who will?

“Now more than ever, we need people who think broadly and who understand systems, connections, patterns, and root causes … how to think in whole systems, how to find connections, how to ask big questions, and how to separate the trivial from the important.” –David Orr, Earth In Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect, 1994.

Latest Posts

Surveying: Measuring the Earth

This episode focuses on surveying, and how measuring the Earth was important through ancient times to our modern times, with an emphasis on the geographic implications.  

My workshops at Texas Tech University

My workshops and resources to support spatial thinking and GIS at Texas Tech University: Workshop 1:  Collecting, mapping, analyzing, and communicating the results of field data with GIS: https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/new-workshop-and-lesson-on-connecting-surveys-maps/ba-p/1419582 Workshop […]

GIS presentations and workshops at 2 universities

University of Northern Colorado Web Mapping Class:  Work with and discuss data quality concerns with tornadoes data in ArcGIS Online:  https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=e75412d18bdc469dbf89bf7e929475cc Discuss ethics in GIS, why it matters, and how […]

GIS for Good, Climate, GeoAI, Relationships, and Cartography

GIS for Good: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2602be1a63134460879d767472c86806 Using WebGIS to teach climate resilience: https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/using-webgis-to-teach-climate-resilience/ba-p/1266780 A hands-on GeoAI workshop: https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/a-hands-on-geo-ai-workshop/ba-p/1487417 Examining relationships between variables: https://community.esri.com/t5/education-blog/examining-relationships-between-variables-charts/ba-p/1245143 16 fundamentals of GIS:  Workshop:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/b9292c1494224ff8bf8ebd31424ff917      –Joseph […]

Careers in Geosciences and Innovations Spotlight Presentations

Careers in Geosciences and Innovations Spotlight Presentations for the Geological Society of America community and beyond:  1.  Teaching and Research in Geosciences using GIS – https://storymaps.arcgis.com/briefings/4d2e5dba18f04cc098b7cbe56de1e603  for the INNOVATIONS SPOTLIGHT. […]

My workshops and meetings at the 2024 Esri Education Summit

The gallery where all content is shared: https://educ.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/filtergallery/index.html?appid=5a56cd0bc6d04c02b5ef975c9b5d8b2d The SDCC and Marriott Map:  https://webapps-cdn.esri.com/CDN/uc-event-maps/web.html?RoomID=1700693438585001k7yO 1  Solving Spatial Problems: Analysis in ArcGIS Online  SAT 13 JUL 1:00-2:00 PM Grand Ballroom 13 […]

Topophilia: Affinity to Place

This podcast defines and explains the concept of topophilia–that we as humans are fundamentally attached to place, and why it matters. 

A Housing GIS Workshop

Housing structure types (single-family detached vs. apartments vs. mobile/manufactured homes, etc) & the decade the homes were built Heating fuel used Basic Occupancy/vacancy rates, basic homeownership rate, median home values, […]

Magellan: Launching Global Exploration

This podcast focuses on Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) and the impact his 1519-1521 voyage had on geography, cartography, exploration, and much more, during its time and down to our present age.

Presentations in New York for GIS Day

Monroe Community College microcredential innovation: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcuser/microcredential-program-ensures-workplace-success/ Teaching Equity with GIS: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6b575e79dc0c427585d5512e96a82b3f Strategies for finding geospatial data: https://spatialreserves.wordpress.com/2020/09/21/strategies-for-finding-geospatial-data/ Modern strategies for finding geospatial data Teaching and Learning Ethics with spatial thinking and […]

The French Geodesic Mission: 1 degree of Latitude

This episode of the Thinking Spatially podcast examines the French Geodesic Mission of 1730 and its impact on our understanding of the Earth, including elements of geotechnologies, political geography, and […]

Teaching GeoEthics

This episode of the Thinking Spatially podcast series describes why ethics is central to work in geography and mapping, and discusses strategies on how and why to teach geo-ethics.

Antarctica: To the End of Earth

Antarctica: To the End of Earth:  This podcast describes the exploration of Antarctica and its impact on science and on geographic thinking.

Harrison ClockHarrison: Solving the Longitude Problem

Harrison: Solving the Longitude Problem:  Think spatially as we examine how the hard work, tenacity, and innovations of John Harrison’s longitude clock transformed the world and our understanding of it. 

Example GIS map that can be used in education.Why GIS in Education Matters

Why does Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in education bring value to teaching, learning, research, and administration?  Join Geographer Joseph Kerski as we explore some of the reasons why educators from […]

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Fieldwork in the Mojave Desert.The Importance of Outdoor Education

Why is outdoor education so neglected and yet so important in 21st Century teaching and learning?  Outdoor education fosters community connection, teamwork, environmental sensitivity, sense of place, and problem-based learning.  […]

MAKE EVERY DAY GIS DAYMake Every Day GIS Day

The 2018 GIS (geographic information systems) Day is Wednesday 14 November 2018.  GIS Day has been celebrated every year since 1999 as a way for organizations to showcase the things […]

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What are the 100 most revolutionary discoveries in Geography?

I submit that the 100 Most Revolutionary Discoveries in Geography are this set:  https://sway.com/jpFfkuBMVghB0f7T  Your reactions?  What would you have included? For more, see my book Interpreting Our World, https://www.amazon.com/Interpreting-Our-World-Discoveries-Revolutionized/dp/161069919X  here:  

Isn’t That Spatial? Teaching about the Environment, Examining Field Data, and Telling Your Environmental Story with Web Mapping Technology

I gave a presentation and workshop for the North American Association for Environmental Education (www.naaee.org) entitled “Isn’t That Spatial? Teaching about the Environment, Examining Field Data, and Telling Your Environmental Story […]

Workshop: Creating and Teaching with Esri Story Maps

Instructional materials for the workshops I teach on Creating and Teaching with Esri Story Maps. Creating and Teaching with Story Maps Hands-on Workshop http://bit.ly/2aBBj9Z  = pre workshop survey. http://bit.ly/2ayEbH2 = post workshop […]

Keynote Address at the AP Human Geography Reading

I gave the keynote at the AP Human Geography reading, entield The Age of Geotechnologies:  Five Converging Forces, available here: http://denverro.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=69646d1c86d349d6ba708a7946175ad5 The keynote was given as an Esri storymap!  It was a great […]

Resources for Earth Day and Beyond: Enviro-Geo-Tech Education

A few key resources for Earth Day and in the future: (1)  Mapping the Environment:  10 resources: http://blogs.esri.com/esri/gisedcom/2013/10/18/mapping-the-environment/ (2)  Spatial Environmental Education – article with ideas on curricular implementation of […]

Video: Geography Matters

In this 3 minute video, I make the case that Geography Matters–to education and to society. What part of sustainable development, energy, water, natural hazards, population, climate, or biodiversity is […]

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The Handbook of Geographic Information Science

Chapter entitled “Geographic Information in Education” August 2007 ISBN: 978-1-4051-0796-9 John Wilson and A. Stewart Fotheringham, Editors This Handbookis an essential reference and a guide to the rapidly expanding field […]

The Essentials of the Environment

Publication Date: February 16, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0340816325 | ISBN-13: 978-0340816325 Environmental issues such as possible climate change, pollution, nuclear waste, water resources, food and famine have a high public […]