About socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Michael Carson, GIS Manager (retired) for the City of Burbank and President of Southern California Government GIS User Group. Currently teaching GIS at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita.

SCAG 2022 Student Showcase

Posted on January 28, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Submit Your Idea for an ArcGIS StoryMap!

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is excited to announce a major opportunity for college and university students in the region. The 2022 Student Showcase is a storymapping competition that challenges students to think innovatively and compete for cash prizes in two award categories: Best in Show and Audience Awards.

Student participants are invited to conceptualize, create and submit ArcGIS StoryMaps using SCAG’s open data. This is a meaningful way to tell a story or provide insight, showcase plans and projects, engage supporters and stakeholders, illustrate the possibilities of data, and highlight the usefulness of open data at the regional level.

Students are instructed to submit abstracts of their projects by Feb. 22, and if selected, SCAG will request an ArcGIS StoryMap to be submitted. In all, there will be a total of $6,000 awarded (one $2,000 first-place prize and one runner-up $1,000 prize each per category).

For more information on the 2022 Student Showcase, including the program guidelines, visit scag.ca.gov/student-showcase.

California Friday: Museum of Jurassic Technology

Posted on January 21, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

I thought it was time to start back up with the California Friday posts, about underrated or unusual places to visit in California, mostly in SoCal. So up to bat … Museum of Jurassic Technology!

Located at 9341 Venice Blvd in Culver City, this museum will probably have you leaving with a head full of questions and little answers! What did that all mean? Was any of it real? Was that display supposed to be broken? What was it anyway?

At the Museum of Jurassic Technology, exhibits have featured Soviet space dogs, sculptures smaller than a head of a pin, and letters written by people who may not have existed! As one travel book put it, “Searching for a unifying theme or logical narrative to explain the mystifying exhibits is an exercise in madness! As is trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not.”

You have to visit this place and enjoy the journey! You can find their web page here. They were closed for some time, but now you can visit by making advanced reservations.

Top 10 Educational Benefits for Students Who Use GIS

Posted on January 18, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Learning GIS is an important skill set, but the goal is to understand an issue or problem in a deeper, more holistic way, and then take action about the issue or communicate that issue to others.

Besides spatial and critical thinking, check out these top 10 educational benefits for students who use GIS.

Community Colleges Are Changing the Landscape of Geography Education

Posted on January 13, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

If you are involved in teaching Geography/GIS at the community college level, you should check out this article.

… much of the growth of geography at the community college level is driven by the demand for GIS certifications and technical skill sets that can be acquired at two-year colleges.

CA GIS Council Education Workgroup Survey

Posted on January 12, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

The Education Workgroup of the California GIS Council is interested in gaining an understanding of how we can benefit the larger GIS Council and provide a bridge between the professional GIS community and the education community. Specifically, we are looking to 1) obtain input from current GIS professionals to inform specific aspects of curriculum development in the geospatial science fields, and 2) develop better connections between professional opportunities and students, faculty, and researchers.

Please consider participating in this short SURVEY (5-10 minutes). Your responses will not be visible to council members outside of the Education Workgroup, but we will compile them and share anonymous summaries at a later date. Your responses will be saved automatically, so you can return later to edit them.

Survey closing date is February 28, 2022

Questions? Please email: CAGISCouncil.EdWorkgroup@gmail.com

We thank you in advance for participating. We really appreciate your time and input!

California GIS Council Education Workgroup

GIS Under The Dome Q4 2021

Posted on January 10, 2022 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

Get caught up on the latest legislation and policy news compiled by the GIS Council Policy Advisory Workgroup. Click here for more info.

GeoGuessr

Posted on December 30, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

You might want to try this one out at your New Year’s Eve party! Put your knowledge of the world to the test with GeoGuessr, the game that drops you somewhere in the world using Google’s Street View feature and leaves it up to you to guess the location. In the game, you must navigate the map and take in as much information as possible, utilizing your knowledge of geography, history, botany, languages, architecture, and culture to make your best guess. You can play the Classic mode solo, play with friends, or compete in Career mode. You can opt to drop anywhere in the world at random or choose from GeoGuessr’s map categories, including famous places, specific countries, popular maps, and more.

GeoGuessr requires an account to play, but signing up is free. With a free account, you can play one five-round game for free each day, while the subscription model allows more frequent playing and access to additional features. GeoGuessr is available in 10 languages and can be played in a browser or as an app available from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Check it out!

Merry Christmas 2021

Posted on December 23, 2021 by socalgovgis - Michael Carson

While Santa tries to figure out where we all live … using a paper map … just in case, here are a few map books you might consider if they don’t arrive soon!