Introduction
Hello, my name is Sam Frary. I’m a senior taking this class in my last semester before graduation. I’m a general zoology major that found out about this class from friends. It sounded interesting, as I’ve never quite interacted with anything like it. I have a lot to learn because I have not taken the first module. On campus, you may see me playing women’s lacrosse or working at the Testing Center!
Beginning Tasks
For this first week, I completed the required activities. This included viewing the syllabus and familiarizing myself with the website for this course. This was followed by the syllabus/course quiz. Continuing to follow the directions, the next step was to schedule some future meetings with Prof. Krygier. From my understanding, these meetings can be in person or on zoom- but I will have to confirm that with Krygier.
Getting Familiar with ArcGIS
Before spring break, I made sure both WordPress and ArcGIS accounts were set up and ready to go for the remaining part of the semester. Now it came time to put the accounts to use. Logging into ArcGIS, I made sure my profile was correct and proceeded to explore the site and its different tabs. I was completely unfamiliar with Esri- or really anything involving geographic information systems. I learned that they are the global market leader in GIS software and mapping. On the “Community and Forums” tab, which displayed a combination of posts, questions, and ideas from the GIS community.
Get Started: What Is ArcGIS Online
It seems like you can do a whole lot with ArcGIS Online, including making maps, web apps, and even notebooks. The introduction tabs split up the learning into working with maps, scenes, apps, notebooks, and data.
ESRI Free Course: ArcGIS Online Basics & More
This was a lot of information to take in, but it also wasn’t super complicated to complete because of the step-by-step instructions. I’m excited to continue using this software to make more maps/explore.
If I were to complete more courses in the training section, “Telling Stories with GIS Maps” seems interesting and up my alley!
GIS Application
Eagles and Wind Turbines: Using Maps to Protect Animals and Increase Renewable Energy Use. This uses GIS application in a way that supports conservation of both living things and energy consumption. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19338341.2022.2117725
Using GIS and Web GIS to Visualize the Canadian Arctic Food System. This article uses Web GIS to show food systems/information of the Canadian Arctic, such as seafood exportation pathways (shown below). https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2323/SKI-Canada-2019-7-1-2.pdf
