International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning with GIS in Secondary Schools

This is the first publication to collate a broad international perspective on the pedagogical value of Geographic Information System technology in classrooms. It offers an unparalleled range of expert views on the subject, with contributions from 34 countries.

Is the first book to capture an international perspective on the status of GIS in schools Include in each chapter at least one author who currently lives and works in the country profiled and can thus provide the most appropriate local perspective on the country Demonstrates that GIS is not only a technological tool to be used in the classroom, but it is also an avenue for motivation, encouragement, and cooperation in understanding and solving global problems Provides many different examples, ideas, and methods of using GIS and GPS in secondary schools from around the world. Features inquiry-based learning about current events using real-world data in a problem-solving, technology-driven environment

Inhalt

About the Editors.- List of Contributors.- Acknowledgements.- Foreword.- List of Illustrations.-The World at their Fingertips: A New Age for Spatial Thinking.- Australia: Inquiry Learning with GIS to Simulate Coastal Storm Inundation.- Austria: Links between Research Institutions and Secondary Schools for Geoinformation Research and Practice.- Canada: Teaching Geography and the Social Sciences through Geotechnology across a Decentralized Curriculum Landscape.- Chile: GIS and the Reduction of the Digital Divide in the Pan-American World.- China: Teacher Preparation for GIS in the National Geography Curriculum.- Colombia: Development of a Prototype Web-based GIS Application for Teaching Geography.- Denmark: Early Adoption and Continued Progress of GIS for Education.- Dominican Republic: Prospects for the Incorporation of GIS into the School Curriculum.- Finland: Diffusion of GIS in Schools from Local Innovations to the Implementation of a National Curriculum.- France: Dogmatic Innovations, Innovative Teachers, and Parallel Experimentations.- Germany: Diverse GIS Implementations within a Diverse Educational Landscape.- Ghana: Prospects for Secondary School GIS Education in a Developing Country.- Hungary: GIS in Natural Science Teacher Training .- India: Localized Introduction of GIS in Elite Urban Private Schools and Prospects for Diffusion.- Japan: GIS-enabled Field Research and a Cellular Phone GIS Application in Secondary Schools.- Lebanon: A Personal Journey from Professional Development to GIS Implementation in an English Language Classroom.- Malta: GIS and Geography Teaching in the Context of Educational Reform.- The Netherlands: Introduction and Diffusion of GIS for Geography Education, 1980s to the Present.- New Zealand: Pioneer Teachers and the Implementation of GIS in Schools.- Norway: National Curriculum Mandates and the Promise of Web-based GIS Applications.- Portugal: Experimental Science Learning, WebGIS, and the ConTIG project.- Rwanda : Socioeconomic Transformation to a Knowledge-based Economy through the Integration of GIS in Secondary Schools.- Singapore: The Information Technology Masterplan and the Expansion of GIS for Geography Education.- South Africa: Teaching Geography with GIS across Diverse Technological Contexts.- South Korea: GIS Implementation Profiles among Secondary Geography Teachers.- Spain: Institutional Initiatives for Improving Geography Teaching with GIS.- Switzerland: Introducing Geo-Sensor Technologies and Cartographic Concepts through the Map Your World Project.- Taiwan: The Seed of GIS Falls Onto Good Ground.- Turkey: GIS for Teachers and the Advancement of GIS in Geography Education.- Uganda: Educational Reform, the Rural-Urban Digital Divide, and the Prospects for GIS in Schools.- United Arab Emirates: Building Awareness of GIS in Education through Government and University Outreach.- United Kingdom: Realizing the Potential for GIS in the School Geography Curriculum.- United States of America: Rugged Terrain and Fertile Ground for GIS in Secondary Schools.- Synthesis: The Future Landscape of GIS in Secondary Education.- Bibliography.- Index.