YOU SNEEZE AND IT’ S A GIS

The clock made in China that wakes you up, is a GIS.

The sneeze you greet the world with, is resultant from bacteria from the Island of Zwakara and it’s spreading through Europe as we speak – a GIS!

You rush to the bathroom and the water is supplied through a GIS.
The pipes transporting the waste water, is mapped in a GIS.
The kettle you switched on is a GIS – Oh, ESKOM!
The car you pulled out, is a GIS.
The bicycle you going to use today, is a GIS.
The road you’re attempting is a GIS.
The robots you encounter, is a GIS.
The school you visit is a GIS.

Be brave now and share with us how your life is divorced from a GIS! OR attached to a GIS.

Don’t sneeze you might spread zwakaria to Africa1

Small beginnings for GIS

The objectives of the Geographic Information Systems Blog should be kept simple and allowed to grow a natural growth:

· A forum of information sharing
· A park of learning, assistance and study
· A platform for debate and discussion

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS


“Good science starts with clear definitions. In the case of geographic information systems, however, definitions have sometimes been as clear as mud. As a result, different definitions have evolved over the years as they were needed.” Clarke, 2003, p2-3).

A GIS can be seen as a toolbox consisting of the elements you need to analyze spatial data. The elements in this toolbox refer to computer tools. A GIS can then be seen as a software package containing the elements we need for working with spatial data.

The following definitions of GIS is worth exploring:

“a powerful set of tools for storing and retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world for a particular set of purposes” (Burrough, 1986, p.6).

“an information system that is designed to work with data referenced by spatial or geographic coordinates. In other words, a GIS is both a database system with specific capabilities for spatially-referenced data, as well as a set of operations for working with the data” (Star and Estes, 1990, p.2).

“a special case of information systems where the database consists of observations on spatially distributed features, activities or events, which are definable in space as points, lines, or areas. A geographic information system manipulates data about these points, lines, and to retrieve data for ad hoc queries and analyses” (Dueker, 1979, p.106).

http://www.softwarepatch.com/internet/shockwave.html

Visit the above and install to OPEN shock wafe (swf) files


The introduction and instruction or teaching of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in schools in South Africa generally and in the Western Cape specifically is triggered by the following mandates:

Ø The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996)
Ø National Curriculum Statement Grades 10 – 12 (General)
Ø National Curriculum Statement GEOGRAPHY – GIS GRADES 10-12)
Ø The Western Cape Education Department’s aim to have all schools as e- schools by 2012 http://curriculum.pgwc.gov.za/
Ø Khanya’s vision to be a world leader in sustainable curriculum through technology
http://www.khanya.co.za
Ø Khanya Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Geography Curriculum Plan

GOAL OF THE KHANYA GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM PLAN

To ensure that effective Geography curriculum delivery through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) takes place in all Geography schools under the jurisdiction of Khanya. Special emphasis needs to be placed on the delivery of the new GIS component of the curriculum and the introduction of this material during 2006 to the Grade 10 learners, 2007 to Grade 11 and 2008 to Grade 12.

SOME THOUGHTS

GIS is not the type of tool that a teacher can implement into the curriculum as soon as it is obtained, nor can it be easily expanded in the curriculum.
GIS is an exploratory tool, one that appears upon loading as a series of blank windows on a computer screen. The software requires the user to make the choices about the type, the geographic extent, the scale, and the amount of data to analyze. Blank screens are daunting to the first-time user.
Teachers state that they require "user-friendly" GIS software, and training is cited as an ongoing need. Many teachers remarked that the training they received was too general; not tailored for the specific needs of the educational community. Finding and funding hardware robust enough to manipulate digital geospatial data is another limit to implementation. A critical component is the involvement of the computer laboratory manager or LAN Administrator. The manager’s (LAN’S) involvement in troubleshooting hardware and software problems allows time for the content teacher to design lessons.

BACKGROUND:

After technology installation at a school, a Khanya Curriculum Facilitator is assigned to assist educators with the integration of ICT into teaching and learning. Although significant progress has been made in this regard, we are faced with the following challenges:

Ø There is still very little or no integration between the classroom Geography and the GIS based lessons in the lab at many schools with Geography
Ø Usage of GIS in teaching, happens irregularly or not in many schools with Geography
Ø Work completed in the traditional classroom is often not followed through in the lab
Ø Good, comprehensive educational software packages are still under evaluation and the lack of a chosen package complicate the action of training educators properly
Ø Every GIS based lesson is aimed at some difference and to bring excitement to the subject
Ø Due to the rapid expansion of the Khanya Project, it is not always possible to provide a Geography school with a facilitator who is a specialist in the identified Geography Curriculum field
Ø Lab originally earmarked for mathematics and Science

WILLING TEACHERS IN THE GIS PARK

If GIS cannot be quickly mastered and used in the curriculum, why are teachers still willing to invest their time and money in making GIS implementation a success? Teachers are enthusiastic about the technology. Six (6) out of ten (10) teachers say they plan to increase their use of GIS in this year. Teachers are spending their own time learning the software: More than half say they spend at least one hour per week outside of class time with GIS. This is startling, especially given the fact that most of these teachers have been teaching at least 20 years.
Teachers most often mention enhanced student motivation, integration between subjects (as many learned friends said: “The mother of all subjects”), and enhanced learning as benefits of implementing GIS. It is not really to teach learning outcomes or assessments standards.
GIS is being used in the curriculum in changing ways that involve the student in open-ended projects that involve real-world data, often about their own communities. More than a set of computer tools, GIS entails a specific method for analyzing the world. These methods, more than the tools, make it attractive to teachers and administrators. GIS-based instruction is best done with groups and projects, and therefore lends itself to inquiry-based, project-based learning.

Since students using GIS gather and analyze real-world data, it seems to encourage relevant learning, based on the teacher's responses. GIS is not only a technological tool, but a method of instruction in the application of spatial data to solve problems.

Schools are grouped into clusters and teachers should take ownership of these clusters to get real GIS training off the ground or accelerated. Different skill levels have to be assessed and support rendered to those entering the field just now. Clusters should strive to be as independent as soon as possible, ensure that training is taking place from external partners and from themselves. The National Skills Development Fund should be involved to obtain accredited qualifications without burdening teachers financially more. http://www.nsif.org.za/


Teachers with experience in GIS applications but without formal training in GIS, is not likely to be allowed in post-graduate studies at resident universities and other Higher Education Institutions. It is still a field short of a lot of equities. If teachers need to start with junior courses, just do it!

Educators are invited to use this GIS BLOG to cross the digital divide that exist in the field of GIS and Geography in the Western Cape, South Africa, Africa and the world out there.