-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: GIS Literacy vs. Geospatial Literacy
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:41:02 -0500
From: John Hunter <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
References:
<[log in to unmask]>
This really does give pause about the lack of foundation-based
knowledge content within this discipline. I also remember where learning
state capitals, majorn rivers, major continents, etc. were emphasized in
general geography courses. If one does not know the ingredients, how can
we expect the best cake on which we can put the icing? My little take.
John Hunter
__________________________________________________________________________
Angie Cope wrote:
> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> From: "Virginia R. Hetrick, Ph.D." <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 12:28:15 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
> Subject: RE: [MAPS-L] GIS Literacy vs. Geospatial Literacy
>
>
> Hi, folks -
>
> Please excuse the rant, but I just have to say what I'm about to say.
> It's been bugging me since June of 1974, the details of which you will
> learn momentarily. The HTML tags are so that you'll understand that I'm
> not pointing the finger at any of you because I suspect everybody on
> this list has had a similiar thought or two.
>
> <rant status="ON">
>
> It seems to me that before we start worrying about achieving the
> objectives for GIS and geospatial literacy that it would be a really
> good idea for students to understand what geography and cartography are
> about/accomplish in a citizen's life/teach us about the world and such
> things. I continue to be stunned that I (on my way to my Ph.D.
> dissertation defense) and a 12-year-old sixth grader were the only
> passengers on an airplane carrying 173 passengers who could identify all
> the state capitals beginning with the letter "A" and that was 36 years
> ago. It hasn't gotten any better!
>
> As a geography major, we joked about the need to know the capitals, the
> longest rivers, the highest mountains, all the countries in the world
> (and in the late 1950s/early 1960s, those were multiplying weekly!).
> But we also understood, and still do, that SOMEBODY needed and still
> needs to be keepers of geographic knowledge and pass that knowledge on.
>
> In at least two school districts where I have visited high schools in
> the last three years, teachers are including geography as part of the
> social science curriculum in the public schools without maps, without
> texts (even Internet based), and without reference to areas beyond their
> county. State history courses which used to have a significant
> geographic component no longer do in some school districts.
>
> Kids may know the process for running a GPS unit, but don't know, beyond
> following the aural directions, how such a unit can be used.
>
> Sigh!
>
> </rant status="OFF">
>
> JMHO.
>
> v
>
> --
> \ / Virginia R. Hetrick, here in sunny California
> 0 Email: [log in to unmask]
> Oo "There is always hope."
> My fave: http://www.washington.edu/cambots/camera1_l.gif
> There's no place like: 34N 8' 25.40", 117W 58'5.36"
> if you can't be at: 48N 6' 59.9" 122W 59' 54.2"
>
>
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