443
How Is Geospatial Technology Used in K–12 Educational Efforts?
How Is Geospatial Technology Used in K–12
Educational Efforts?
Groups such as NCGE, OhioView, and AmericaView are dedicated to promoting education in this ever-growing field of geospatial technology, but especially
in K–12 classrooms. With geospatial technologies becoming increasingly
utilized in today’s society, introducing concepts early in the grammar-school
classroom and using them for illustrating topics such as geography, spatial
thinking, or earth science is becoming increasingly common. These efforts are
aided by the prevalence of free software programs (such as those used in this
book) and plenty of freely available geospatial data. For instance, remotely
sensed images from the EOS can help in explaining environmental or climatic
conditions such as changing global temperatures, while Landsat imagery can
be used to evaluate the health of vegetation or loss of forested lands (and the
subsequent effects). NASA and Google have released teacher kits and supplemental lesson plans to accompany their products, and many other examples
of geospatial technology being integrated into K–12 curricula can be found on
the Internet (see Hands-on Application 15.3: Educational Resources and Lesson
Plans on page 444 for several examples).
Beyond using Google Earth (and other software) for interactive classroom investigations, many other programs exist that are aimed at promoting
geospatial technology at the K–12 level. The National Council for Geographic
Education (NCGE) is at the forefront of geographic education, supporting
teachers and furthering geographic concepts at the K–12 level. Another organization dedicated to promoting geographic education is the Geographic
Alliance Network, a national organization of geography educators at the
K–12 and higher-education levels. Geographic Alliances are set up in each
state as a way of hosting workshops, professional development, meetings,
events, involvement with Geography Bees, lesson plans, and more at the
statewide level.
To see if your state is part of the AmericaView
consortium (and to also see the current version of
the program’s membership), open your Web browser to the interactive map located at http://www.
america view.org/membership-map. What is the
status of your home state as a StateView program?
If it is a full member, click on the state to bring up the
contact info and check out the specific StateView’s
Website (that is, MichiganView’s Website or VirginiaView’s Website) to see who that state’s members
are and what type of data and services they provide. If your state’s not (yet) a full member, examine
some of your nearby states and see what they offer
as a StateView program.
Hands-on Application 15.2
AmericaView and the StateView Programs
Geographic Alliance
Network a National
Geographic-sponsored
organization set up in
each state to promote
geographic education.
How Is Geospatial Technology Used in K–12 Educational Efforts?
How Is Geospatial Technology Used in K–12
Educational Efforts?
Groups such as NCGE, OhioView, and AmericaView are dedicated to promoting education in this ever-growing field of geospatial technology, but especially
in K–12 classrooms. With geospatial technologies becoming increasingly
utilized in today’s society, introducing concepts early in the grammar-school
classroom and using them for illustrating topics such as geography, spatial
thinking, or earth science is becoming increasingly common. These efforts are
aided by the prevalence of free software programs (such as those used in this
book) and plenty of freely available geospatial data. For instance, remotely
sensed images from the EOS can help in explaining environmental or climatic
conditions such as changing global temperatures, while Landsat imagery can
be used to evaluate the health of vegetation or loss of forested lands (and the
subsequent effects). NASA and Google have released teacher kits and supplemental lesson plans to accompany their products, and many other examples
of geospatial technology being integrated into K–12 curricula can be found on
the Internet (see Hands-on Application 15.3: Educational Resources and Lesson
Plans on page 444 for several examples).
Beyond using Google Earth (and other software) for interactive classroom investigations, many other programs exist that are aimed at promoting
geospatial technology at the K–12 level. The National Council for Geographic
Education (NCGE) is at the forefront of geographic education, supporting
teachers and furthering geographic concepts at the K–12 level. Another organization dedicated to promoting geographic education is the Geographic
Alliance Network, a national organization of geography educators at the
K–12 and higher-education levels. Geographic Alliances are set up in each
state as a way of hosting workshops, professional development, meetings,
events, involvement with Geography Bees, lesson plans, and more at the
statewide level.
To see if your state is part of the AmericaView
consortium (and to also see the current version of
the program’s membership), open your Web browser to the interactive map located at http://www.
america view.org/membership-map. What is the
status of your home state as a StateView program?
If it is a full member, click on the state to bring up the
contact info and check out the specific StateView’s
Website (that is, MichiganView’s Website or VirginiaView’s Website) to see who that state’s members
are and what type of data and services they provide. If your state’s not (yet) a full member, examine
some of your nearby states and see what they offer
as a StateView program.
Hands-on Application 15.2
AmericaView and the StateView Programs
Geographic Alliance
Network a National
Geographic-sponsored
organization set up in
each state to promote
geographic education.