For Teachers

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FOR TEACHERS

1. What's it all about?
2. Does it fit into my Curriculum?
3. Will students get good jobs out of it?
4. How can I get started with spatial tech?

What's it all about?

Spatial science helps everyone make decisions and a spatial science professional can work in just about any industry that exists. Spatial sciences involve the collection, measurement, mapping, analysis and presentation of physical and manmade features.

Imagine a combination of geography, mapping, town planning, cartography, technical drawing and surveying with a strong IT flavour.

Now with mobile technology, satellites and loads of easy-to-move data you can not only find out what it is but where it is.

Just think about how you and your students use your smartphone!

Spatial technologies can help us solve problems across our society.

They can help find the quickest route from A to B, help natural resource managers monitor biodiversity as well as the impacts of climate change, help local councils manage assets or help the public better understand newsworthy items.

Whether you are experiencing spatial technologies through the news, the resource and mining boom or through environmental concerns, spatial science, like IT, is a technology that is helping professionals and the public understand what is going on in the world.

Spatial science helps everyone make decisions.

Does it fit into my Curriculum?

The Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA), who oversee the development of the new Australian Curriculum, have identified spatial technologies as one of their two “big ticket items” in Geography along with fieldwork. Many opportunities now exist to integrate spatial technologies into your day-to-day teaching.

In the current Australian Curriculum: Geography document, spatial technologies are mandated in all Geography year levels from year three to senior and mentioned in no less than 23 content descriptors.

ACARA have recognised that spatial technologies underpin modern geography and actively sought to help teachers to engage their students with spatial technologies.

Click the graphic to download the document

Draft timeline for the development of the Australian Curriculum: Geography
Curriculum development	Broad outline; scope and sequence Content descriptions (and elaborations) and achievement standards	February - September 2011
Consultation	National consultation (draft curriculum) Curriculum revision National consultation and final revisions	October 2011 - February 2012 March - June 2012 July - September 2012
Publication	Digital publication	Proposed October 2012

Along with the endorsement of spatial technologies through the Australian Curriculum, most state syllabi documents mention or recommend spatial technologies. The fact that spatial technologies are so widely used in our society means that teachers have plenty of hooks to pique your students’ interest in the classroom.

Will my students get good jobs out of it?

There has been a massive boom in the spatial industry in recent years — remember when you first saw an in-car GPS? The rapid expansion in the spatial industry coupled with the developing pathways between school and the workforce mean there are plenty of great jobs in the spatial industry all across the world.

Spatial science has come of age and is now recognised as being one of the fastest growing disciplines worldwide. In 2011, US Department of Labor predicted the need for an additional 330,000 spatial professionals in US in the coming decade. Australia is no different.

	Your students could — Work out where to locate a wind farm in Western Victoria to minimise impacts on locals but maximise power generation Develop sustainable suburbs and housing estates anywhere in the world Decide where to allocate police and emergency services resources based on analysing demographic spatial datasets Manage water supply in the Middle East Control the construction of tall buildings like the Burj al Arab in Dubai – tallest building in the world and controlled by an Australian surveyor Monitor species movement using GPS and proximity to available ground water mapping technology as part of a natural resource management program Monitor the extraction and stockpiling of coal and other minerals from some of the world's largest mines Assist with critical research on the effects of human actions on our environment in Antarctica Control massive infrastructure construction projects

Your students could —

Work out where to locate a wind farm in Western Victoria to minimise impacts on locals but maximise power generation
Develop sustainable suburbs and housing estates anywhere in the world
Decide where to allocate police and emergency services resources based on analysing demographic spatial datasets
Manage water supply in the Middle East
Control the construction of tall buildings like the Burj al Arab in Dubai – tallest building in the world and controlled by an Australian surveyor
Monitor species movement using GPS and proximity to available ground water mapping technology as part of a natural resource management program
Monitor the extraction and stockpiling of coal and other minerals from some of the world's largest mines
Assist with critical research on the effects of human actions on our environment in Antarctica
Control massive infrastructure construction projects

Australia’s spatial technology industry is a world leader in innovation and export of product and services, contributing between $6-12 Billion annually (depending on how this contribution is measured) to the Australian economy and our industry will need skilled, enthusiastic professionals in large numbers.

But right now there are simply not enough graduates each year to meet demand now and in the foreseeable future. There is a critical shortage of skilled workers.

The Australian Federal Government has recognised this critical skills shortage in surveying and has awarded significant funding to encourage Certificate III and Certificate IV study by non-professionals to become trained as para-professionals — a new trend and a level of expertise not previously widespread in the industry. There is also a nationally developed Cert II in Surveying and Spatial Information Services available. Degree courses in Spatial Science and Surveying are also available and graduates in demand.

For more information on courses available, check the "Study Options" tab.

How can I get started with spatial tech?

There are many simple, accessible ways to get started with spatial technologies in the classroom. Here are three steps we think you can take to get going —

Find out what spatial technologies are all about by visiting our 'Getting Spatial into your Classroom' article. Think about how spatial technologies may be used in your local area; does this give you a clue as to where you might go for assistance? Try your local council, catchment association or surveyor as a starting point for guidance, advice and even data! They should be more than helpful to share their wares!

Start small and don't expect to go out in your first year of teaching with spatial technologies and expect to have your students collecting complex data sets and undertaking sophisticated analysis in the local area to solve issues. That doesn't just happen.

As a teacher, you would naturally build students' skills over time. Treat yourself the same. Start with the simple GIS applications that are available for free online and get comfortable with those tools in your first year before moving on to the industry-standard GIS packages.

You will be spending a lot of time at home sometimes feeling as if you haven't achieved much. This feeling will pass the moment a student asks you how to fix a problem that you have experience with. Having already extricated yourself from the same situation you should be able to help! Remember, there are lots of resources available to the educator, both online and locally and we can help you locate what you need!

Your students need to enjoy thinking creatively, problem solving and taking on a challenge and we often find those who enjoy geography, ICT, graphics and multimedia, maths and science have a natural affinity with the various branches of spatial science. Many of our professionals come from a wide range of subject majors and backgrounds.

Geography

Multimedia

Graphic Design

Mathematics

Science

Spatial Sciences

Once you have a grasp of the basic concepts involved in spatial technologies and you have tasted success in the classroom it is time to look at extending yourself. Make online connections. Social media is a great way to access a wide range of current information about a topic area quickly. Instructional videos, professional development opportunities, classroom resources and unit/lesson plans for spatial technologies can all be found online as well as a raft of ideas for using these tools in the classroom. Many of these resources are available to you through this website.

Checkout our links and see what is already happening around the world.

SIBA web site	Spatial Business Resources web site	SSSI web site
SIBA LinkedIn Group	SSSI LinkedIn Group	SIBA Facebook page
SSSI Facebook page	SIBA YouTube Channel	SIBA Twitter feed
SSSI Twitter feed

Also, look at what other teachers are doing and adapt it. Teaching is a profession based on collegiality and most teachers would be more than happy for a colleague to adapt their work if it helps educate. Make yourself available to present at teacher and industry conferences and write for teacher or other journals; you may think you have nothing much to offer but there are many teachers out there who would simply love to hear your experience in establishing a spatial technologies program or the latest classroom activity you are doing.

Don't be afraid to start small. You could even view satellite imagery in different parts of the world or over difference ecosystems to compare and contrast these areas very quickly and in a way that gets your classroom's interest!

Embrace spatial technology, your students will love it and so will you!

Links to online resources for teachers