After reading my article on GIS technology, I became very intrigued. I had previously taken a physical geography lab here at the University of Florida and had to do a lesson using GIS technology. At first I was very overwhelmed with the program, because there were many different buttons and options to do many different things. Soon enough though I became more comfortable with it, and realized how much I could actually do with the program. GIS technology is now being implemented in many schools to teach students about mapping and many other things. GIS technology is being used by more than just people in the environmental field now, it is being used by government agencies and companies. It is possible to find out how many "15-24 year-olds live in a certain radius" to decide whether or not they should build a mall, or how many burglaries took place in a certain area to decide how many cops should be stationed there. GIS technology is becoming standard in decisions in many fields.
I decided to choose the article "Finding their way with GIS" that Nichole summarized. I thought it was interesting how the students used the maps the teacher provided to follow them and learn how to decipher them. I also thought it was great how students created maps using the GIS technology. It was an interactive way to create an inquiry based learning experience.
When I received my practicum placement, I found out that I was in a world geography class. I began thinking how I would go about teaching geography, and how I could make it interesting to a class. I think it would be very interesting for students in a geography class to utilize GIS technology. I would have the students use the program to create a community guide. I would have the students break into groups of about 5. I would have each group have a different section, one for schools, attractions, historical sites, parks and recreation, and a restaurant and shopping guide. I would have the groups use the GIS technology to find different points of interest for each section and create a "guide." The guide would describe where the points of interest are located, and give a little summary of what they will find there. They will have to use the internet and their knowledge of the city to come up with this, further implementing technology into the classroom. Then I would compile the groups into one big "community guide" pamphlet.
I feel like the students would be interested in this assignment because they are using the technology to map out different areas in their community. They would feel like they accomplished a big project. I then would pose questions to them like, "why would companies use this technology to determine where to build businesses", or "in what other ways could cities benefit from using this technology?" I would follow up with having them write a response to some critical thinking questions.
While I agree that GIS technologies can open many doors to useful ways to integrate technology in the classroom, and that it is very beneficial for many companies to use it, at what point does this technology borderline creepy and too much? i.e. geocaching....
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The aspect of the GIS technology I found truly interesting was the fact it could supply certain demographics. (i.e., 15-24 year old people in a certain proximity) Demographics are a huge aspect of all walks of life, from social to economic and even historical. Demographics is a vastly important and relevant aspect of society. It has a huge day to day relevance, and this GIS technology could help students gain some real world awareness.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a line where technology like GIS can become creepy. I think that when it is used irresponsibly and for nefarious reasons, the technological tools no longer are helpful, but potentially harmful for students. It is a teacher's responsibility, I believe, to educate student on the proper uses of a certain technology when introducing it to the class. This will limit the "creepy" factor of most technologies.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's a pretty cool idea. On the topic of creepy technology, many things in technology are creepy. I can go on Google Earth and look at someone's house if I know their address. I can go on Facebook and look at people's pictures even if I don't know them. It just matters how it's used. If we're going to worry too much about creepiness in technology in schools, we might as well not even go online or anything since there are so many weird sites out there. But yeah, that sounds like a good lesson!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a really neat lesson. It is a little creepy that you can plug in demographics and things, but if they're already there to be used, I think it's fine to let students take advantage of it. It also could turn into another lesson on privacy... is it fine for online maps to capture images of people in their own homes?
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely the teacher's job to draw the line at using "creepy" technology. I do not think knowing demographics is creepy because it is a crucial aspect in history and geography; the demographics of places are crucial. The demographic forces essentially shape history. For example, if the demographic of the antebellum south had been different, there might not have been a Civil War! Knowing demographics also forces students to use their critical thinking skills because, after all, they wouldn't want to build a retirement home in a place where there are practically no people over the age of 65!
ReplyDeleteGeocaching seems kind of fun!! I think students would find it fun because who doesn't like a scavenger hunt?!
I think demographics are a very useful/cool tool in eduation. I'm actually jealous you've used the GIS technology, when I read that article I thought it sounded like a really neat idea for students. Technology can be very creepy! I know I've looked up my house on Google earth, and it was decorated for Christmas...if I can look it up, anyone can and that weirds me a bit out...not gonna lie! I think (like most of the other comments) if a teacher is attentive and teachers their students how to use the internet/GIS and such responsibility, creepy will not be an issue.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what others have said with technology being very close to cross the thin line of being creepy! However it is our job as the teacher to make sure it does not cross that line and we still allow the students to benefit from the technology out there. We need to make sure that our students are using it properly and then we will not have a creepy issue and we will not be taking anything away from our students education.
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