While the development of GIS over the past 40 years has made it obvious that GIS is not confined to the realm of professional geographers, there is still a geographic connection underlying business, health, planning, wildlife biology, defense, energy, and every other application of GIS. There is, after all, that “G” part of GIS. Why should GIS professionals care about geography education?
In my opinion, most of the work that the GIS professional community is doing is, at its core, applied geography. Taken as a whole, the GIS products, data, services, and research results represent the largest body of applied geography in the world today. As I recently wrote, I believe a serious disconnect exists between the skills in demand by those hiring GIS professionals and what is currently being supplied by geography education in the United States.
We can continue to ignore this disconnection. What we will reap at best is to continue to scratch our heads when you read about a celebrity or political figure who thinks that the world just needs more maps, that Costa Rica is an island, or that most students have no idea where Afghanistan is. But at worst, we will reap spending millions of private investment and public tax dollars training newly hired GIS workers who do not have the basics of spatial thinking, fieldwork, data analysis, or GIS, because they were not exposed to these skills and experiences until they reached the community college or university level.
What can you do about it? Get involved with the geography education initiatives of the National Council for Geographic Education, AAG, and National Geographic. These include influencing educational policy such as the Teaching Geography Is Fundamental (TGIF) bill to collaborations with Career and Technology Education associations to professional development for educators such as Esri’s Teachers Teaching Teachers GIS institute and the Esri Education User Conference. Start a geotech club at your local school. Become a geomentor to a local teacher or 4-H club. Participate in the Esri Education Community. Talk with your local school board or state department of education about the importance of geography education.
Who can you talk with about the value of geography education?
- Joseph Kerski, Esri Education Manager
