Curriculum Issues in GIS in K - 12

There is increasing interest among K-12 educators to introduce GIS technology into the classroom as part of the growing use of IT in the classroom. There are distinct benefits to the use of GIS technology: GIS can fundamentally improve the quality of learning in the classroom, widen the scope of teaching and help transition children into the information rich society in which they will live. In K-12 education, GIS presents a new way of exploring the geosciences and coupled with global communications (such as the internet) it provides a unique way of linking children with researchers, (state and educational) and processing geographical data of disparate scale and theme.

But the utilization of GIS technology is not as simple as placing a purchase order. A number of impediment exist to its successful utilization: teacher training, curriculum integration (among a variety of disciplines in addition to the geosciences), equipment purchase, and provision of curriculum material. There exists a need to better integrate GIS and visually oriented education within the K-12 curriculum. It is important to keep the child's interests as the focus of attention and identify areas in which technology can support and offer new opportunities in the educational process. This paper seeks to highlight the problem and potentials of GIS technology in the classroom.