ATE Impacts 2020-2021

A GeoTech Center 111 fo National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY "The GeoTech Center has been a focused, respected, and innovative force that has positively impacted educators, researchers, and administrators not only in community colleges, but throughout higher education as well as in informal and K-12 education by promoting, supporting, and advancing the application of geospatial technologies." Joseph Kerski, Education Manager Esri Broomfield, CO http://geotechcenter.org Center's Test of Geospatial Educator Credential Underway Educators who teach geospatial technology are increasingly being asked to provide evidence of their competence, qualifications, and expertise, by principals and superintendents. In response, the GeoTech Center hosted a forum where subject-matter experts explored the feasibility of developing a geospatial technology educator certification program. A pilot project is now delineating a pathway for geospatial educator certification. Twenty educators will complete the pilot study and provide feedback after each step in the pathway. A post-pilot forum will be convened to determine if a geospatial technology educator certification is needed and, if it is, to finalize the steps of the certification pathway. Palomar College students practice flying a four-rotator unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a camera.