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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecognize City and Diane cooksey for MSU President's Award for Excellence in Service Learning Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Jon Henderson, GIS Manager Nate Bashkirew, Firefighter Craig Woolard, Public Works Director SUBJECT: Recognizing the City of Bozeman and faculty partner Diana Cooksey in receiving the MSU President’s Award for Excellence in Service Learning. MEETING DATE: Monday, April 14, 2014 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Special Presentation BACKGROUND: On January 7, 2014 the City of Bozeman GIS and Fire Departments along with faculty partner Diana Cooksey of the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences were presented with the “MSU President’s Award for Excellence in Service Learning”. The City of Bozeman has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Ms. Cooksey & MSU. Since 2003, 128 students have mapped 2,837 high density structures, creating detailed drawings for multi-unit developments. These maps are used by the Fire Department to minimize response time in the event of an emergency resulting in the highest level of service possible within the community. This partnership is an excellent example of tackling a real-world problem while providing valuable experience for students to carry forward in their careers. A short article describing the project in more detail can be found at the following link: http://montanastatenews.org/2014/02/22/student-maps-crucial-for-first-responders/ Attachments: MSU Stadium Map Detailed Map Book Page Example MSU Service Learning Award Application Report compiled on: March 19, 2014 73 74 331 403 hanleyravallifallon 209 215 223 241 289 265 317 365 343 387 393 409 417413 423 427 491 475 433 451 204 212 236 254 272 298 308 322 354 376 375 369 341 323 307 303 277 251 205 223 284 292 312 316 332 354 386 398 438 446 462 480resort f palisade stillwater creekslough creekCottonwood Condos 0 70 140 210 28035 Feet 11/30/2009 Samuel Jenson, Patrick Loury, and Kelsy Payne Data From GPS and NRIS Fire Hydrant Entrance Gas Shutoff Power Shutoff Dead End Features Huffine Fallon FergusonBabcock CottonwoodResort75 THE MSU PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE LEARNING This award, open to an MSU faculty member (tenured, tenure track, assistant, associate or adjunct) and their community partner, will recognize the partnering pair who has together engaged students in quality service learning. Through service learning, students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address the genuine needs of a community organization. This provides students with a deeper understanding of their studies and fosters a stronger sense of civic responsibility. The assessment of nominees will involve consideration of the quality of the partnership, and will be heavily weighted around how well the service learning course meets the best practices of service learning listed below: evaluation and/or assessment of student learning Faculty members and their community partners are asked to complete this form together and the final nomination document with attachments must be delivered to the MSU Office of Activities and Engagement no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 24th, 2013. A committee will review nomination materials received by the deadline and will make a selection. The faculty member selected for recognition this year will be asked to attend the MSU Spring Convocation to receive this recognition on January 7th, 2014. Each award winner will be presented with an award at the banquet as well as a monetary award in recognition of the extra, uncompensated time and effort a service learning course can demand. Please contact Kathy Tanner in the MSU Office of Activities and Engagement at 994-6902 with any questions about the nomination process. Individual Nomination Form I. Nominee Information Name of Faculty Member: Diana Cooksey Title: GPS Lab Manager/Spatial Sciences Instructor Department: Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Campus Address: 245 Leon Johnson Hall Phone: 406.994.5684 E-mail: dcooksey@montana.edu Name of Community Partner: Jon Henderson / Nate Bashkirew Title: City of Bozeman GIS Department / Bozeman Fire Department Organization: GIS Manager / Firefighter Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1230, Bozeman, MT 59771 (Both Jon and Nate) Phone: 406.582.2250 (Jon) 406.582.2369 (Nate) E-mail: jhenderson@bozeman.net (Jon) nbashkirew@bozeman.net (Nate) Please type your answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Please limit the total length of your response to the following questions to no more than 5 pages. 76 II. Learning Objectives/Outcomes Describe the service learning course on which the nominated pair partnered. What were the course learning objectives? (Please attach a copy of the syllabus from the service learning course.) Please see Appendix A: GPHY 358 Syllabus. GPHY 358 (GPS Mapping Service Learning) is offered in conjunction with GPHY 357 (GPS Fundamentals and Applications in Mapping). GPHY 357 is a 3-credit course that teaches students the fundamentals of mapping using professional grade Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. The lecture portion of the course focuses on discussion and interactive activities, and is held in a Teaching Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) classroom. The lab portion includes hands-on work with GPS equipment and software. After completing this course, students will have a solid understanding of GPS theory as it applies to mapping, and will be able to successfully design and implement a high quality GPS mapping project. For the past 10 years, almost 200 students have actively participated in the two major service learning projects offered each fall in GPHY 357. Each student completes a term project for the class and students are given the opportunity to participate in one of two service learning projects: 1.) 128 students have participated in the E-911 Mapping Project using GPS and GIS to map high-density housing developments in the City of Bozeman to aid in emergency response, and 2.) 47 students have participated in the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI) Canal Mapping Project helping to inventory water resources in the Gallatin Valley. In Fall of 2012, student participation in these projects was formalized with the creation of an additional 1-credit service learning class (as a special topics in Fall 2012, and now as GPHY 358) to provide dedicated class time for project planning, meeting with cooperators, field trips, and structured reflection activities. In Spring of 2013 the course was approved for service learning (SL) designation. This Fall, 18 of the 41 students in GPHY 357 are enrolled in GPHY 358. Until the service learning class was established, students in GPHY 357 voluntarily participated in the service learning projects, for no extra credit. This award application focuses on the first service learning partnership formed in 2003 (the AGAI partnership was formed in 2008). Learning objectives/outcomes for GPHY 357: Students will be able to - Explain GPS theory as it applies to mapping - Design and implement a GPS/GIS mapping project using mapping grade receivers and professional software - Identify and solve mapping issues that could impact the accuracy of spatial data - Assess the quality of GPS-collected data - Create accurate and complete metadata for GPS-mapped features - Use knowledge and skills gained in this class in entry level GPS mapping jobs - Until 2013, Service Learning now in 358 was a component of the 357 syllabus Learning objectives/outcomes for GPHY 358: Students will be able to - Plan and implement a real-world GPS mapping project - Apply GPS mapping knowledge and skills in a service-learning context - Evaluate learning through structured reflection activities 77 III. Service Learning Activities ~ Community Need Describe the kinds of service students provided in the nominated pairs’ service learning course. What was the community need the service addressed? How was the need identified and by whom? Please provide an example of the nature of students’ actual service activities. Describe the way the course was structured and the way the service activities were integrated with the academic content of the course. Describe the impact the service learning course had on the students, the community organization, and the faculty member/community partner pair. How was impact measured? Growth in the City of Bozeman is outpacing the Fire Department’s ability to learn the layout of new developments. This is especially a problem in high density housing (condominium and apartment) complexes with many structures at the same physical address. When responding to a medical or fire emergency, it is difficult for Fire Department personnel to locate a specific dwelling when they are unfamiliar with the complex. The difficulty is accentuated by the fact that, in these high-density housing developments, building numbers are often arranged in an illogical manner. For example, some buildings in a particular complex have apartments numbered in order from top to bottom, whereas other buildings in the same complex have apartments numbered from bottom to top. Additionally, the buildings themselves are often arranged in a seemingly haphazard order, making them difficult to find, especially at 3 o’clock in the morning. Detailed maps of these developments are needed to assist firefighters in quickly locating emergency sites, thereby decreasing emergency response time and increasing the chance of saving lives and property. However, hundreds of new complexes in the City of Bozeman remain unmapped because the Fire Department budget does not allow for equipment and software purchases, and training of personnel in map development. Diana Cooksey, GPHY 357 instructor, became aware of this need through discussions with Gary Clutter, Bozeman Fire Department training officer, and Jon Henderson, City of Bozeman GIS manager. Gary had seen a map created by a GPHY 357 student in Spring semester of 2003. The student’s map was developed to help delivery personnel find dwellings in the Covered Wagon mobile home park. This detailed map was exactly what was needed to fill in the missing pages in the Fire Department map book. A partnership between the City of Bozeman and GPHY 357 was formed to give students mapping experience and fulfill a community need at the same time. The E-911 system links an address and a set of GPS coordinates to every telephone number, so that, when a person calls 911, the dispatch center automatically receives this information. In turn, the dispatch center pages emergency responders. Along with the address of the emergency, the dispatch center includes the type of emergency and a specific page to reference in the Fire Department map book. These maps are carried in the fire engines and are loaded onto the engines’ mobile data terminals. They help guide firefighters to the emergency location, thereby saving time and eliminating confusion. Since Fall semester 2003, 128 students have mapped 74 high-priority developments identified by the Fire and GIS Departments. This Fall, eight students are working together to map the MSU Stadium for emergency response and other purposes. The students’ final products include locations of buildings, fire hydrants, gas and electric shutoff valves, access roads, obstructions and parking lots. The students’ maps help firefighters find specific buildings within a complex and determine the quickest route to the dwelling with the emergency. Please visit http://www.montana.edu/gps/gallery.html#E-911 to see samples of the students’ maps. The maps are getting better every year and the Fall 2012 maps (the first year the 1-credit service learning course was offered) are the best yet (scroll down slightly to see them). 78 The use of these maps has decreased response time and literally can mean the difference between life and death for an emergency victim. In 2005, the project was awarded the International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Service Award for Excellence. Students participating in this project are offered tours of the 911 dispatch center and ride-alongs with the Fire Department shifts. These tours and ride-alongs give students the opportunity to learn more about the systems they are serving by experiencing first-hand the unique challenges faced by emergency responders. During the student presentations at the end of the semester, firefighters describe actual scenarios where student maps (or the lack thereof) proved to be important. In one instance, firefighters responded to a high density housing area without an accurate map the day before a student-generated map of the site was included in the map book. Had the detailed map been available on that day, firefighters could have shaved several minutes off their response time, making the difference of saving a home from fire. In another case, firefighters used a student-generated map which facilitated a more rapid intervention and allowed them to provide advanced life support to a man thought to be suffering from a heart attack. GPHY 358 is taken concurrently with GPHY 357. In addition to the GPHY 357 coursework, GPHY 358 students meet once per week (E-911 on Mondays and AGAI on Wednesdays). The meetings are used for project planning with cooperators, working as a group on data processing and creating map products, receiving and incorporating feedback from cooperators, structured reflection activities, and preparing the end-of-semester project presentation. Students perform the actual mapping on their own time, outside of class. Impact of the service learning experience on students was measured through structured reflection activities including a reflection journal kept throughout the semester, and group reflection with cooperators at meetings throughout the semester (please see student comments from reflection journals in section IV). Impact on the City GIS and Fire Departments is measured by the number of maps produced and the value of those maps (please see notes on community partner reflection in section IV). The faculty, students and community partners all recognize that combining hands- on learning with fulfilling a community need provides benefits for everyone involved. All partners are appreciative of this unique experience and proud of their accomplishments. IV. Assessment of Student Learning ~ Reflection Describe how you assessed student learning. What types of reflection activities were used in this course and with what frequency? Student learning was assessed by the instructor using self-reporting from students in their reflection journals, in-person structured reflection with students and cooperators at group meetings, and an evaluation of the quality of the end products. Students kept a journal during the semester that was turned in three times: once near the beginning of the project, once in the middle, and the completed journal at the end of the semester. The journal assignments start with an introduction to structured reflection, including justification for its use, and targeted questions to help students reflect upon their service experience (please see reflection assignments at the end of Appendix A, GPHY 358 Syllabus). During meetings, targeted questions were provided for reflection by everyone present. These discussions proved to be invaluable in defining issues to be addressed, eliciting conversations about important aspects of the project, and allowing participants to express their thoughts and feelings about the project. The quality of the students’ work last fall was impressive, with some of the best maps in the GPHY 357 class coming out of this project. Their data was well organized and complete, and on the whole of the highest quality. 79 Reading the students’ journals throughout the semester, and especially at the end of the semester, was an amazing experience. The depth of thought they provided was beyond expectations, the dedication with which they approached this project was remarkable, and the personal benefits they realized through the service experience were substantial. The students who participated in these service learning projects, without exception, report that the service work they performed helped them to learn the course content, and they took the work much more seriously because of the real-world nature of the project. They all strove to do their absolute best to provide quality end products to the City of Bozeman. Students reported that because the project benefits the community and has an impact locally, it was much more meaningful than any project they could have developed themselves. And they all highly recommended continued work with the City of Bozeman Fire and GIS Departments. Community partners also reflected on the experience, including an end-of-semester debriefing meeting each fall, and their feedback was equally positive. They are immensely appreciative of the work that MSU students are doing and are happy to provide the opportunity because it benefits all parties involved. Please see Appendix B: E-911 Mapping Project Wrap-Up Session to see the questions discussed at the debriefing meeting. It is also notable that the students found reflecting on their experience very valuable. It helped them understand more clearly what worked and what didn’t work, and how they might be able to avoid or solve problems in the future. It made them think about the project more deeply and critically. Many students mentioned that the process of reflecting will help them remember lessons learned and to be more prepared the next time they approach a big project. By looking back, they realized how far they had progressed, and how they could apply their newly learned skills in a professional setting. Reflection also helped solidify ideas and helped them understand what they could do to further their learning. One student mentioned that reflecting on the project was almost as valuable as doing the project itself. Following are some student comments from their reflection journals (Fall 2013): This project is very important and I thought it gave us students a great opportunity to gain some hands on experience and create work that will be viewed and used by professionals rather than just being graded and tossed in a pile. In short it is the most worthwhile school project I have ever done and I am glad I did it. (This project) was almost like a job and (Jon and Nate) were a great resource for information and help along the way. At first I asked myself the question, “how can students in an introductory level class be expected to produce something that could actually be used by real firefighters, in helping to save lives?” It turns out that we were to learn so much, and be taught so well, that it was not unreasonable to expect us to pull off this task. I learned so much by working on this project. The fact that my final product will be used in real life is a complete game changer. Especially in this case where people lives could be affected by what I do. These things were enough to really motivate me, to go above and beyond my normal standard of, get it done, get the grade and move on. 80 I like that we met as a smaller group outside of class. I think it produced good ideas and a sense of camaraderie amongst us. I do feel that this project helped me better understand the GPHY357 course material since it provides you with an extra hour a week in which you are situated with the professor and a smaller group of people that makes it easier to discuss the material, and this discussion is one way that helps me understand the many things I have learned. I think that service learning was a helpful thing for me as it pushed me to make a better product than I had ever before. It was also fun thinking hard about who would be using this map and how I could make it the best I could for their uses. Made me think about users as the customers and think about how I could meet their needs the best. I would say this “customer” oriented approach will help me in future projects and classes. The project work has been an invaluable experience of my college career and really helped me to understand the dynamics of a project and of the actual work that a person in the field of Geospatial Technology would take part in. This is by far the most significant thing I've done thus far in college. The extent of anything else is just the far corners of my personal hard drive. V. Partnership Describe how this partnership evolved? Explain the roles and responsibilities of each partner in this service learning course endeavor. How did partners maintain communication? Why was this partnership a success? The idea that students could gain real-world mapping experience and fulfill a community need at the same time was the impetus for this MSU–City of Bozeman partnership. The Fire and GIS Departments identify high priority developments that need to be mapped, and they meet with students each semester to plan and implement the projects. Also, at the beginning of each semester, the Fire and GIS Departments give a presentation to the class to explain the project and recruit student participants. Jon Henderson, City of Bozeman GIS Manager, is the main City contact and the person who incorporates the students’ data at the end of each semester into the City GIS database and the Fire Department map books. Nate Bashkirew and Dave Hartman provide Bozeman Fire Department logistical support. Diana Cooksey, the GPHY 357/358 instructor, guides students throughout the semester to complete the projects as part of the coursework. All parties correspond via E-mail and in-person during regular group meetings. The cooperators have been excellent about providing support to the students from the beginning to the end of the project. We believe this partnership is a success because of the benefits to all parties involved, and because of the importance of this service. Working with the City Fire and GIS Departments benefits the students by providing them a real-world project in which to learn GPS mapping technology and interact with professionals. It also helps them learn to communicate and work effectively as a team. The Bozeman Fire and GIS Departments benefit by interacting with young, enthusiastic students, and by receiving badly needed, detailed, up-to-date maps. Students and firefighters are proud of their work and their successful collaboration, and everyone involved is excited about continued collaboration on this project. Please see the attached letters of support 81 from Jon Henderson, City of Bozeman GIS and Nate Bashkirew, Bozeman Fire Department (Appendix C). VI. Nominator Name/Title Tracy Sterling – Professor & Department Head, Land Resources & Environmental Sciences Address 334 Leon Johnson Hall – MSU____________ City/Zip Bozeman, MT 59715_______ Telephone number (work): 406.994.4605____ Email: tracy.sterling@montana.edu__________ Signature: Date: ____October 20, 2013 It is an absolute pleasure to nominate Ms. Cooksey and her service-learning team members Jon Henderson and Nate Bashkirew for this award. For over a decade, Diana has been a strong and valued instructor for the LRES department, providing essential research and teaching contributions in the spatial sciences to our undergraduate and graduate students. She consistently receives excellent student evaluations and incorporates inspiring service learning projects into her courses which have involved almost 200 students, and has now formalized GPHY 358, expanding the service learning components of GPHY357 which has allowed a deeper experience for students. Her instructional expertise is recognized by her invites to present at Faculty Excellence workshops about TEAL classroom pedagogy. Additionally, she has successfully garnered funding to update the GPS equipment which is so necessary for the ‘hands-on’ learning that her courses offer. She also manages the GPS laboratory and related facilities and equipment through serving as Trimble Certified Trainer representative and other activities. The commitment she, Jon and Nate provide to MSU students while facilitating service learning through the E-911 project is impressive. Please give this application your utmost attention and reward this most deserving educators with this recognition. Tracy Sterling Note: You may provide additional attachments, but please limit these to no more than THREE additional documents. Send or hand deliver the completed nomination form, syllabus and other attachments to: The MSU President’s Award for Excellence in Service Learning The MSU Office of Activities and Engagement 222 SUB ~ P.O. Box 170545 ~ Bozeman, MT 59717-0545 Nominations are due no later than five o’clock, Thursday, October 24th, 2013. 82 Appendix A: GPHY 358 Syllabus and Reflection Assignments GPHY 358: GPS Mapping Service Learning Component Fall 2013, 1 credit Instructor: Diana Cooksey: Office hours – by appointment, dcooksey@montana.edu, 994- 5684, 245 Leon Johnson Hall Section 1: Mon 4:10-5:00 PM (E-911 Mapping Group) Section 2: Wed 4:10-5:00 PM (AGAI Mapping Group) Co-requisite: GPHY 357 Learning outcomes: Students will be able to - Plan and implement a real-world GPS mapping project - Apply GPS mapping knowledge and skills in a service-learning context - Evaluate learning through structured reflection activities Service Learning: Service learning at MSU is defined as a teaching method that utilizes student involvement in community service to meet instructional objectives of a course. Students apply information from a class in authentic settings while addressing real needs of the community that have been identified by the community. Service learning is not adding on “volunteer” activities to a course. It is integrating service in such a way that students apply the knowledge and skills they are learning in class to meet community needs. The service activity is incorporated as part of the “out-of-class” work expected of each student registered in the course. The students’ learning experience is graded and is measured through prearranged reflection activities. Reflection is an essential element of a service learning course. It is a structured time for students to recount their experiences and the learning acquired in the community setting. It can be accomplished in a number of different ways, depending upon the instructor’s preference. Some common forms of reflection include writing in journals, answering specific questions posed through a class listserv, or classroom / small group discussions. (http://www.montana.edu/engagement/academic-service- learning/designation.php) Service Learning Projects: For nearly 10 years, service learning projects have been incorporated into GPHY 357: GPS Fundamentals and Applications in Mapping. Students participating in the E-911 mapping project cooperate with the City of Bozeman GIS Dept. and use GPS and GIS to map high density housing developments to aid in emergency response. Students participating in the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI) canal mapping project cooperate with the Gallatin County GIS Dept. and local irrigators to inventory water resources in the Gallatin Valley. Past student participants report enhanced learning and engagement in their project work. Working on a real-world project that actually benefits the community motivates students to do their best. The knowledge that their work will actually be used by someone makes it more meaningful. The opportunity to work with local professionals is an added bonus. And, students can include service learning projects in their resumes and portfolios. 83 How the course works: The E-911 and AGAI mapping groups will meet separately. Class time will be used for project planning, meeting with cooperators, field trips, and other activities in support of the projects. The class will incorporate group and personal structured reflection activities, in which students and cooperators reflect on their experiences and learning in an academic setting. There will be no textbook for this course – all required materials will be posted on D2L. Course Desire2Learn site: This course will have an online component using Desire2Learn (D2L). Your Desire2Learn username and password are the same as your My Portal Username and Password. Detailed information about course content and grades can be found in the Content area of the class D2L site. Assignments are available in the Dropbox and important news items will be posted on the main page. The D2L calendar will be used extensively (see information below). Consider the D2L site your guide to succeeding in this course and visit at least once each day! Graded Assignments (provided at the end of this document):  Reflection Journal, 75%  Class Participation, 25%  Total, 100% Student Conduct: Montana State University expects all students to conduct themselves as honest, responsible and law-abiding members of the academic community and to respect the rights of other students, members of the faculty and staff and the public to use, enjoy and participate in the University programs and facilities. For additional information reference see MSU's Student Conduct Code at: http://www2.montana.edu/policy/student_conduct/cg600.html Collaboration University policy states that, unless otherwise specified, students may not collaborate on graded material. Any exceptions to this policy will be stated explicitly for individual assignments. If you have any questions about the limits of collaboration, you are expected to ask for clarification. Plagiarism Paraphrasing or quoting another’s work without citing the source is a form of academic misconduct. Even inadvertent or unintentional misuse or appropriation of another's work (such as relying heavily on source material that is not expressly acknowledged) is considered plagiarism. If you have any questions about using and citing sources, you are expected to ask for clarification. Academic Misconduct Section 420 of the Student Conduct Code describes academic misconduct as including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, multiple submissions, or facilitating others’ misconduct. Possible sanctions for academic misconduct range from an oral reprimand to expulsion from the university. 84 Academic Expectations Section 310.00 in the MSU Conduct Guidelines states that students must: A. be prompt and regular in attending classes; B. be well prepared for classes; C. submit required assignments in a timely manner; D. take exams when scheduled; E. act in a respectful manner toward other students and the instructor and in a way that does not detract from the learning experience; and F. make and keep appointments when necessary to meet with the instructor. Students with Disabilities If you have a documented disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation(s), you are encouraged to contact your instructor and Disabled Student Services as soon as possible. Email Policy I expect that you will check your university email at least once every day. Student Educational Records All records related to this course are confidential and will not be shared with anyone, including parents, without a signed, written release. If you wish to have information from your records shared with others, you must provide written request/authorization to the office/department. Before giving such authorization, you should understand the purpose of the release and to whom and for how long the information is authorized for release. Assignment: Reflection Journal Part 1 Instructions This assignment is Part 1 of the Project Reflection Journal. It will not be graded on punctuation, grammar and spelling, but rather on content and depth of thought. Don’t worry about the structure and organization of your writing – use what is sometimes called “stream of consciousness writing” (Google it). Read the introduction to reflection in service-learning in the document entitled Understanding Reflection. Answer the first three questions (additional questions will be included in future assignments). You will turn in this assignment in two weeks, and then again each time additional questions are added. You can add to your copy at any time, even if the questions were from a previous assignment. Whenever you think about something else to include, just type it in. You will turn in the final product at the end of the semester. This will serve as a journal of experiences and learning through participation in this project. 1. How did you feel about this project at the beginning? You might address such items as what you anticipated, how you felt about your ability to do the work, what you thought you would learn or experience, thoughts from the initial presentation about the project, or anything else that comes to mind. 2. How do you feel about the project now that you are mid-way through it? Address the same ideas you presented in question 1 and note how your thoughts, feelings and perceptions have changed (or not changed). Add anything else you think is important to note. 3. Explain any problems or challenges you have encountered and how you solved or dealt with them. These could be minor or major challenges – try to include everything that has come up, regardless of how insignificant it might seem. 85 Assignment: Reflection Journal Part 2 Instructions This assignment is Part 2 of the Project Reflection Journal. It will not be graded on punctuation, grammar and spelling, but rather on content and depth of thought. Don’t worry about the structure and organization of your writing – use what is sometimes called “stream of consciousness writing” (Google it). At this point, it might be helpful to quickly review the document entitled “Understanding Reflection.” Please start with your Reflection Journal Part 1 file and add to it. You can copy and paste the new questions at the end, then type in your answers (using a colored font). Feel free to add to your answers for the Part 1 questions also, if you think of something important. If you do, please change the font color for your additions so I will notice there is something new there. Answer the following questions and submit your entire file to D2L (including your answers from Part 1). 4. Now that we are in the home stretch, what are your thoughts about the project work in terms of your learning, working with a group, and working with our cooperators? 5. What challenges are you encountering as the project work is wrapping up? These could be minor or major challenges – try to include everything that has come up, regardless of how insignificant it might seem. Are you able to solve the issues that have arisen? If so, how? If not, why not? 6. Does reflecting on the project work impact your learning? If so, how? If not, please explain. Assignment: Reflection Journal Part 3 Instructions This assignment is Part 3 of the Project Reflection Journal. It will not be graded on punctuation, grammar and spelling, but rather on content and depth of thought. Don’t worry about the structure and organization of your writing – use what is sometimes called “stream of consciousness writing” (Google it). At this point, it might be helpful to quickly review the document entitled “Understanding Reflection.” Please start with your Reflection Journal Part 2 file and add to it. You can copy and paste the new questions at the end, then type in your answers (using a colored font). Feel free to add to your answers for the Part 1 and 2 questions also, if you think of something important. If you do, please change the font color for your additions so I will notice there is something new there. Also, please be sure that the questions are included in your file, with the respective answers directly following each question – there are 10 questions total. And please delete the instructions from the beginning of the file. Thanks! 7. How do you feel about your presentation and the final products submitted to the cooperators? 8. What do you think about the significance/importance of the work you completed? 9. What are your final thoughts about this service learning experience and the 1-credit class? Has this project changed you in any way? Did this project help you learn the GPHY 357 course material? Did the fact that this is a service learning project impact your learning? Do you have comments on working with a partner and as part of a larger group? 10. What advice, recommendations and “words of wisdom” do you have for future students working on this project? 86 Appendix B: E-911 Mapping Project Wrap-up Session Purpose of meeting: Debriefing, reflect on achievements and lessons learned, consolidate learning, consider limitations and future extensions Questions for Students 1. Were your roles and expectations clearly defined at the onset of the project? 2. Did you have enough direction/support throughout the project? 3. Did you have enough communication/contact with the cooperators? 4. How did the service-learning aspect of the project impact your learning? 5. Comments on wrapping up the final products 6. What was the greatest impact on you in terms of lessons learned, skills gained, relationships, etc? 7. What were your greatest challenges in the project work? Questions for Cooperators 1. Were your roles and expectations clearly defined at the onset of the project? 2. Comments on the quality of work done 3. Did you have enough communication/contact with the students? 4. How is the project this semester different from previous semesters? 5. Should we continue with this model? Questions for Everyone 1. Was the number of meetings adequate or were there too many meetings? 2. Did the project meet your expectations? 3. Did we meet our objectives? 4. Suggestions for improvement? 5. Advice for instructor, future students and cooperators 6. Additional comments/concerns? 87 Appendix C: Letters of support from City of Bozeman GIS and Bozeman Fire Dept. 88 THE CITY OF BOZEMAN 20 E. OLIVE ~ P.O. BOX 1230 BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59771-1230 GIS DEPARTMENT PHONE: (406) 582-2250 ~ FAX: (406) 582-2263 E-MAIL: jhenderson@bozeman.net October 21st, 2013 Tracy Sterling Department Head Land Resources & Environmental Sciences 334 Leon Johnson Hall - MSU Bozeman, MT 59715 The City of Bozeman enjoys a long-standing relationship with the Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences. Since 2003, we have worked with Diana Cooksey to develop a collaborative project that benefits both students as well as the community. The combination of population growth with limited internal resources has resulted in difficulty providing detailed maps for multi-unit developments. Each semester, several areas of concern are identified and mapped according to a well developed framework allowing stakeholders (especially the students) the ability to improve on the existing program. These maps are then used by all emergency responders in a variety of situations to minimize response time. The City of Bozeman and Montana State University have successfully demonstrated the benefits of engaging students in real-world scenarios. We are confident that the citizens of Bozeman directly benefit from this efficient and effective use of value-added information. The Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences (Diana Cooksey, in particular), should be recognized for their commitment to helping make Bozeman “The Most Livable Place”. We look forward to many more years of participation and support – thank you! Regards, Jon Henderson GIS Manager City of Bozeman, MT 89 October 22nd, 2013 Tracy Sterling Department Head Land Resources & Environmental Sciences 334 Leon Johnson Hall - MSU Bozeman, MT 59715 When I have occasion to explain Bozeman Fire Department’s relationship with Diana Cooksey and her students, I usually open by saying that it is a partnership where everyone is a winner. The fire department gets maps of areas in the city that are difficult for us to navigate. This is information we need but have neither the time nor the skills to gather and process. The students get to move beyond an academic exercise. Their newly learned skills are put to use creating maps that will be used FOR REAL in the community where they live and attend college. These maps are in all Bozeman Fire Department’s front-line apparatus. The information gets used on an almost daily basis to shave seconds or more off our emergency responses to these difficult areas. It is this real-life positive impact that I think makes the projects appealing to students and why the program has not only stayed relevant but continued to improve for over ten years. Diana’s initiative has been the foundation of this program. Her ability to bring the co- operators together and to steadily guide the program by balancing education while providing a service to the community is a truly remarkable accomplishment. The fire department views this partnership as a shining success and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future!! In Highest Regard, Nathaniel Bashkirew Bozeman Firefighter 1st Class Bozeman Fire Mapping Coordinator 90