Bio for Joseph Kerski

Greetings and Aloha Everyone! I am a geographer by training, stationed in Colorado, and I believe that spatial analysis with geotechnologies can enrich, enhance, and transform education and society. That's basically it in a nutshell! I serve on the education team at Esri, focusing on curriculum development, professional development for educators, communications and partnerships to promote GIS in teaching and learning, and some research on the effectiveness and implementation of GIS in education. I have worked with Diana on the Waihe'e Preserve; great to see someone else mention this wonderful place already. I traveled to AK when I worked at the USGS (I also worked at the US Census Bureau) and I have taught with Diana several times in HI. As a geographer, I value and treasure places, and as an educator, I respect and value all of you educators and students. I look forward to learning from you all and thank Diana for setting this up!

Bio

Aloha all!
I teach about 145 seventh grade students science at Kalama Intermediate School in upcountry Maui. Kalama Intermediate School serves five Maui communities, receiving 900 students from Paia, Makawao, Kula, Pukalani and Haiku elementary schools. Located in small town Makawao, Kalama is the intermediate level site for the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program and is a TRIBES school, where staff and students strive to provide an orderly and supportive environment essential for students to become academic achievers, contributing citizens, and effective communicators. Our school goals include increasing student achievement in math, especially measurement, data analysis and interpretation, reading, and technology integration. To that end, my students do scientific research on water quality and near shore plankton at Waihe'e Land Preserve. My students collaborate with two Alaskan Schools in a project we call 'One Ocean On Earth.' (www.oneoceanonearth.blogspot.com) Thanks to Maui Economic Development Board, Ke Alahele Grant, and Women in Technology's patience and time, we are taking this student data, mapping it, trying to interprete it using GIS. This is tough work people! I can only do it with a whole boatload of support. I loop with my seventh graders into 8th grade next year, and look forward to continue my learning adventure with them and you!

Welcome

Welcome. I hope this blog will be a useful tool to house our conversations and resources as we develop this collaboration.

Please share ideas freely, but be sure to add as many Labels with each of your posts as possible. Some suggestions for labels, since they aren't already 'set' might be - Bio, GIS, Resource, Resource Person, Pedagogy, Inquiry, Culture, Tip, AK, HI, Map, GPS etc. Whatever we would hope to be able to 'search' for by keyword down the line.

Although we have already introduced ourselves, it would be ideal for us all to share a bio post (and label it Bio).

Mahalo,
Diana