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fixing geography
in education
from a practicing geographer & cartographer
FOSS4G-NA 2012
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hi.
@colemanm
Bachelor of Science
Geography
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What did I learn?
so...
I spent 4 years in a geography
program.
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“GIS”
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No content
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Mapping tech is more
than just ArcGIS.
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Don't need:
More ArcMap and desktop
GIS users.
Need:
People that also know
software, databases, design.
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ArcGIS is fine.
But a student’s toolbox
shouldn’t end there.
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Geographers
Developers ???
DBAs
Designers
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What’s needed in the
workforce is a much
wider range of skill sets.
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STUFF PEOPLE SHOULD
USE / LEARN / KNOW ABOUT
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open
source
things
exist
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Inspires making new things.
Expose students to open source.
http://flic.kr/p/okaQ
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The web is now the
destination for your work.
Static files and PDFs are history.
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Web maps
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OpenStreetMap
An enormous open dataset.
Should be a go-to resource for
educational institutions.
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“Had I known about
OpenStreetMap in
high school or college,
it would’ve absorbed all
my time.” –me
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School teaches us lots about
geographic science and theory.
But not enough about mapping technology.
http://flic.kr/p/5fKy45
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Branch out!
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Thanks!
@colemanm
FOSS4G-NA 2012
@spatialnetworks
Coleman McCormick