Elementary Course in Using GIS in Geography Curriculum Session 4 ( 3 hours ) Presentation of Homework Assignment

 Demonstration by instructor using sample Lesson Plan  Discussion among participant teachers  Presentation of Homework Assignment – designing a geography lesson using GIS for learning and teaching  Feedback by instructor  Q. & A. on query when implementing GIS  Summary and Conclusion

Demonstration of using GIS in teaching Sahel of Africa >>> ( see handout: Sample Lesson Plan )

A non-GIS lesson on causes of famine in the Sahel 1. Identify location of the Sahel ( map reference ) 2. Examine physical and biotic environment of Africa (Sahel) ( maps / diagrams / photos ) 3. Study agricultural patterns in Sahel 4. Discuss drought problem ( natural & human causes and spread ) 5. Spatial analysis of famine in Sahel ( interpret information from maps, photographs, charts and graphs, etc. ) 6. Case study: Ethiopia

Group discussion (handout pp. 1, 3-4) Share your view on the topic you have selected a. review your traditional approach of teaching and learning b. discuss problems that may have happened c. explain GIS functions you have used in the lesson to solve problems in ( b ) d. discuss how such GIS-based approach meets the goal of teaching and learning the geographical topic you have selected.

Complete Lesson Plan template from iClassroom download Upload Homework to iClassroom

Presentation ( group or individual )

FEEDBACK by instructor >>> Q. & A. >>> Summary & Conclusion Evaluation

Practical problems when implementing GIS in geography lessons 1. Teachers feel obliged to use GIS, “jump on the bandwagon of technology”. 2. Teachers may still rely on traditional, structured lessons with his/her customary style. 3. Chief challenges to implementing GIS: a. teachers lack of GIS-specific training

b. GIS implementation confined to in-service training c. lack of time to develop lessons incorporating GIS d. complexity of GIS software e. lack of useful or usable data

Effectiveness of using GIS in teaching and learning Geography 1. Implementing GIS alters manner of teaching and learning in classrooms 2. Lessons with GIS pose real-world questions to students in a problem- solving, inquiry-oriented, open-ended environment 3. Students immersed in GIS-based lessons have better understanding of geographic phenomena and complex spatial relationships for spatial analysis

4. Students pay more attention to images on a computer screen than images on a paper map in an atlas or textbook ( enhances motivation and interests) 5. GIS-based lessons provide exploratory tool for data analysis “Tell me, I forget Show me, I remember Involve me, I understand” Chinese proverb

GIS fits in goals of using IT, higher-order thinking skills, and subject-matter synthesis across geography curriculum.

Findings: US studies of high school students’ performance on GIS-based lessons vs. traditional lessons “average and below-average students improve more with GIS than above average students and …. students [ taught with GIS ] demonstrated a better ability to synthesize, identify, and describe reasons for human and physical patterns.”

Q. & A. ( Purchasing software?? Use of common database?? Technical support after launching GIS in school?? ) Summary and Conclusion Session 4 Evaluation

G I SG I S CHANGE We Need

G I YES WE CAN

Thank you for your participation Certificate of Attendance ✔