Pre-Conference #1

The Terrible 2.0's?? Web 2.0 and Its Impact on Agriculture and Information Professionals

Presenter: Jerold R. Thomas, Ph.D., Ohio State University Extension

Everything is labeled 2.0 these days. Web 2.0 has been around just a few years, but has become a common term to technology users. Just what is Web 2.0? Is there really even a Web 2.0? Has the new folk wisdom motto changed from "everything I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten" to "everything I need to know I can learn by watching a kindergartner play video games"?

The world really has changed and so have the skill sets we need to be relevant. This pre-conference workshop will focus on Web 2.0 tools, their impacts, and their uses. Specifically, we will cover:

• Major trends that are driving changes in technology and the way we work
• Just what Web 2.0 is and what it means to you
• Hands on time exploring different tools like blogs, podcasts, collaborative platforms and other tools with a focus on the tools as a means to an end
• The "so what" questions. What does all this mean for our clientele and our profession?

Please plan on enjoying yourself and, if possible, bringing a laptop, although a laptop is not required. We will break up the four hour session by:

• Holding interactive dialogue that lets you learn from and about your peers
• Using hands-on computer experiences
• Creating an interactive site that will let participants share messages, files and other information about Web 2.0 for months following the conference
• Providing a detailed session narrative handout with links, research citations and all of the information shared during the session

Note: participants that plan on attending should email any blogs, podcasts, wikis or other Web 2.0 media they've created and would like to share with the other participants to Jerry Thomas at thomas.69@osu.edu. Please send the information by April 9, 2008.

Pre-Conference #2

Mapping Data 'Till the Cows Come Home! :
Geographic Information Systems Applications in Agriculture

Presenter: Jaime Stoltenberg, Map and GIS Librarian
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Geography

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have dramatically changed the way agricultural data is collected, analyzed, and displayed. These technologies are now used in new applied methods of data collection as well as visualizing and modeling agricultural variables that have never before been analyzed "spatially". Even government agencies like the USDA have created geospatial versions of the nation's soil surveys to facilitate the use of GIS.

From the field to the lab, agricultural GIS data is being created in abundance and is now widely distributed via the Internet. But how do you find it? Who are the major data producers? What are the common data formats? In this pre-conference workshop we will discuss the fundamentals of GIS. We will also locate sources of geospatial data and see practical examples of how GIS is being used in the field, the classroom, and the workplace.

What we will cover:

• The basic concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the fundamentals of working with geographically referenced data
• How GIS is being used in agricultural science
• An overview of GIS software and free tools available for visualizing and analyzing data: ESRI's ArcGIS and ArcExplorer; Google Earth; and Web Mapping Services
• Geospatial data: the importance of metadata; common formats; how to use; and online sources

During the 4-hour session we will have hands-on experience with:

• Searching for and downloading geospatial data from the Web
• Bringing data into ArcGIS and creating simple maps
• Locating Web Mapping Services and streaming layers into GIS software and other applications

The workshop setting will be an open forum where questions related to GIS will be addressed and individual scenarios can be discussed openly in an effort to share experiences. The ultimate goal is to provide the workshop participants with a better understanding of GIS technology while focusing on agricultural applications.