Description
Join us for an opportunity to learn how to use an inquiry driven lesson framework along with GIS technology (interactive webmaps) to help connect your students to field experiences. We will use our time together to explore some possible uses for story maps, walk through an example of a story map including a brief tutorial on how to create one, and discuss what you will need to get started using story maps with your students. GIS software is free for K-12 schools.
Workshop Leaders
Harris Payne is a social studies consultant. After eight years, he retired from his position as social studies specialist for the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). He provided leadership, content expertise, and technical assistance to school districts, Educational Service Units, and postsecondary institutions on the development and implementation of content standards/frameworks, classroom instruction, and student assessment. In 2013, he had the great fortune to meet and team up with Nathan Watermeier, Past-President of the Nebraska GIS/LIS Association to launch the Nebraska Educational GIS. With technical help and free site licenses from the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), assistance of a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Nebraska became ranked 6th in the nation regarding the number of schools with GIS site licenses. Prior to coming to NDE, Harris was a career educator in Omaha Public Schools. Teaching social studies in middle school, high school and ending his career with the district as the Supervisor of Social Studies. Harris is a Past-President of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies and Past-President-Elect for the Council of State Social Studies Specialists (CS4). He has been an adjunct geography instructor at Midland University, University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dana College. He has been a reader for the Advanced Placement Human Geography exam, a consultant for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and was a teacher consultant for the National Geographic Society. Harris was a founding member of the Geographic Educators of Nebraska (GEON). His current endeavors include creating Nebraska GeoInquiries (interactive GIS lessons), reviewing grants for The Library of Congress and has begun a doctorate program at Doane University. Much like his favorite author/singer, Jimmy Buffett, “he’s not ready to put the book on the shelf.”
Nate Larsen is the assistant principal and activities director at Logan View High School in Hooper, NE. Prior to that he spent 14 years teaching social studies, 4 at the middle school level followed by 10 at the high school level. In those 14 years he taught a variety of courses including U.S. History, World History, Current Issues, Holocaust Studies, Psychology, and History of Film. Nate was a TOP Fellow in 2009 and 2013, a group leader in 2016, the Fellow of the Year in 2017, and a group leader again in 2018. He is also a part of the Network of Trainer Specialists for TOP. In addition to his work with TOP, Nate serves on the board of directors for the Nebraska State Council for Social Studies, the Nebraska Holocaust Educator's Consortium, and the Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrator's Association (NSIAAA). He has presented at multiple conferences for those organizations over the course of the last 10 years and is currently serving as the Vice President, Leadership Training Coordinator, and Certification Coordinator for the NSIAAA.
Kyle Tredinnick is an adjunct instructor for the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the Department of Geography and Geology and a high school social studies teacher for Omaha Public Schools. He holds a degree in Social Studies Secondary Education from Saint Cloud State University and a Masters in Geography from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Kyle traveled to Germany as a TOP Fellow in 2018. As a geographic educator for over 13 years now he has been highly involved with geography education curriculum development for several organizations at the local, state, and national level. Along with his teaching responsibilities Kyle advocates for geographic education as a member of the National Council for Geographic Education, an executive member of Geographic Educators of Nebraska, a 2021 Teach SDGs Ambassador, an educational consultant, and co-owns a company that makes geography educational resources.
