-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Geography literacy lacking in US schools
Date:   Wed, 8 Jun 2011 07:36:22 -0600
From:   Julie Lancelle <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]>



http://www.geospatialworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22377%3Ageography-literacy-in-us-schools-is-lacking&catid=77%3Amiscellaneous-education&Itemid=1

<http://www.geospatialworld.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22377%3Ageography-literacy-in-us-schools-is-lacking&catid=77%3Amiscellaneous-education&Itemid=1>

So let me get this straight – since the students weren’t doing well on
Geography tests, it is decided to drop Geography courses. Maybe they
should be replaced with courses in Logic!


   ‘Geography literacy lacking in US schools’


*Publish Date: *08 June 2011

http://www.geospatialworld.net/images/newsimages/NationalGeographic.jpgUS:
National Geographic-Roper 9 country survey on geographic literacy in the
US found young adults, ages 18-24, are severely lacking in their ability
to identify key areas on a world map.

Brennan Kraxberger, an assistant professor in the Department of
Government at Christopher Newport University, said, "Students don't get
much formal geographic instruction in American schools. Under the No
Child Left Behind law, math and reading have been privileged to the
detriment of social studies, science, the arts and foreign languages.
The US is the only country that has so de-emphasised these other
subjects to focus on basic academic skills."

According to Kraxberger, while No Child Left Behind has posed problems
for teaching geography in schools, it isn't the only culprit to blame in
the lack of geographic instruction found today across the country. "Some
Virginia school divisions have dropped secondary level geography
courses, especially world geography, after seeing students weren't
performing well enough on the Standards of Learning tests in that area,"
Kraxberger added.

"The Virginia Department of Education allows school divisions to
substitute another social studies subject for geography. This is a real
tragedy, since a geographical perspective cannot simply be replaced with
an historical or a sociological perspective."

"The subject is taught in an encyclopedic fashion," said Kraxberger.
While some rote memorization is essential, he said, students have too
often been turned off because of the emphasis on memorizing place
locations and facts.

Meanwhile, a good news is a bill introduced in March by US Sen. Thad
Cochran, R-Miss. The bill aims to fund a four-year, USD 60 million
programme to enhance the teaching of geography in public schools around
the country. The bill is currently in committee.

The growing emphasis on a global economy, as well as the Labor
Department's findings that geotechnology is one of the three fastest
growing employment fields heightens the importance of geography in
schools. The geospatial technology industry — which employs surveyors,
cartographers and surveying technicians — is expected to open up more
than 70,000 new jobs every year, according to the Labor Department.

Source: Daily Press
<http://articles.dailypress.com/2011-05-31/news/dp-nws-geography-evg-20110527_1_national-geographic-roper-geography-literacy-geographical-perspective>

*Julie Lancelle*

Production Training Specialist

(NASDAQ: GEOY)

314.587.8132

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