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Luna’s Matthew Garcia to participate in Geospatial Educator’s Certification Program
Luna Community College’s Matthew Garcia, an Administrative Assistant II, in the STEM and Humanities Department, has been chosen by the National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence to participate in a Geospatial Educator’s Certification Program.
The Geo Educator’s Certification Program is designed for educators (middle school through college/university) who are seeking to increase their pedagogical skill-set and/or acquire a document certifying that they have the requisite technical skills, competencies, and knowledge to teach geospatial technologies (GST). The program is intended for educators with intermediate or above levels of GST experience who teach or are planning to teach GST.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s a good certification to have,” says Garcia. “I have taken geospatial classes before at Highlands University through their geology program. With this credential, it could open up opportunities for Luna students.”
The benefits of the Geospatial Educator’s Certification Program go beyond simply showing proof of expertise; the hands-on program provides educators with:
• Evidence of expertise to teach (or continue/begin to teach) workforce-aligned GST curriculum. Instruction regarding advances/changes in GST
• A community of practice (CoP) in order to network, collaborate, and/or share content
• Pedagogical techniques to effectively teach GST
• Additional skills to create GTCM-based (Geospatial Technology Competency Model) curriculum for real world, work-related GST applications
• Information to share with students regarding career opportunities in the GST industry
• Notification to their respective administrators of the achievement
“Eventually, I would like to work full-time as a geologist,” says Garcia who is a part time Geologist right now. “I am happy to be doing this and I hope it can benefit Luna and Luna students in the future.”
The eight week, Geospatial Educator’s Certification virtual program starts on Sept. 25 and culminates on Nov. 19, 2023. The curriculum consists of weekly learning modules, culminating with a weekly geospatial technology mini project. In addition, it includes a weekly mini “capstone” project where participants will design their own learning module.
“I’m very proud of Matthew,” says Luna STEM/Humanities Director Francisco Apodaca. “It’s exciting to see him take this type of initiative. I have been looking for someone with the credentials to teach in this area.”