WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Implementing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in K-12 Schools

Abstract

THE FIRST International Conference on GIS in Education, held in July 2000, underscored the current renaissance in geography education and a more far-reaching reality about American education as well. The commitment to produce geographically-competent students has been the constant driving force in geography education. Yet, as its proponents enjoy the rebirth of K-12 geography education, they must also acknowledge that--while the subject matter of geography education may have remained similar over time--the modes by which geographic concepts are learned and taught in the classroom have changed, often significantly. Indeed, while geography education has returned to the school classroom, it has come back in the context of a society that expects learning to be accomplished in concert with modern learning technologies, chiefly the computer. But obstacles are posed by wide differences in the variety of computer technology available in American classrooms. Among the most exciting developments in geography education today is the geographic information system (GIS), a tool that enables students to examine layers of geography in ways that can reveal fascinating and unique patterns and processes. Yet, the world a GIS can illustrate is being obscured by numerous barriers to its implementation. Successful use of GIS in classrooms depends not only on the requisite hardware and software infrastructures, but also on a host of institutional and personal information networks. This article draws on survey research to identify the most significant infrastructures needed for successful GIS implementation in K-12 education. GIS in Context: Technology and K-12 Education Each year, our society becomes more entrenched in high technology. While the school classroom may not be the primary testing ground for most modern innovations, it has not escaped the attention of a country that wants its schools to produce graduates who are well prepared to function and flourish in an increasingly high-tech world.(1) For many decades, researchers have grappled with the question of whether computers and other elements of high technology make a positive and appreciable difference in learning.(2) The debate continues. However, acknowledging the strong demand for the use of new technologies in almost all facets of society, most researchers have chosen to reframe the debate rather than to insist on resolving it.(3) The question Does high technology improve leaning outcomes? is thus transformed into How can the capabilities of high technology be used to positively effect learning? Educators at all levels must Choose among an increasingly complex and diverse army of technology solutions for the classroom. Audio, video, and text are now packaged in ways hardly imagined just one decade ago. Supporters of these teaching materials cite their ability to accommodate diverse learning styles and speeds, to support a constructivist learning environment, and to simply make learning more fun.(4) However, the capabilities of these technologies and the desire to incorporate them into the learning environment do not guarantee their implementation. Many researchers have pointed to formidable barriers in implementing computer technologies in K-12 classrooms.(5) Success in doing so will depend largely on the following factors: * Adequate funding for creating and maintaining computer infrastructures * Pre- and in-service training opportunities for teachers and administrators * Teacher acceptance of new computer technologies * Technology education networks that provide support and information Geographic Information Systems Geographic information systems (GIS) evolved out of the need to process, store, manipulate, and display burgeoning amounts of spatial information. In fact, any piece of geographical data--from the location of street lamps to block-level voter registration--can be better examined with a GIS than with almost any other tool. …

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