A talk from FOSS4G-NA 2012 with thoughts and ideas on how to improve how we teach geography at the higher education level.

1. fixing geography
in education
from a practicing geographer & cartographer
FOSS4G-NA 2012

2. hi.
@colemanm
Bachelor of Science
Geography

3. What did I learn?
so...
I spent 4 years in a geography
program.

4. “GIS”

6. Mapping tech is more
than just ArcGIS.

7. Don't need:
More ArcMap and desktop
GIS users.
Need:
People that also know
software, databases, design.

8. ArcGIS is fine.
But a student’s toolbox
shouldn’t end there.

9. Geographers
Developers ???
DBAs
Designers

10. What’s needed in the
workforce is a much
wider range of skill sets.

11. STUFF PEOPLE SHOULD
USE / LEARN / KNOW ABOUT

12. open
source
things
exist

13. Inspires making new things.
Expose students to open source.
http://flic.kr/p/okaQ

14. The web is now the
destination for your work.
Static files and PDFs are history.

15. Web maps

16. OpenStreetMap
An enormous open dataset.
Should be a go-to resource for
educational institutions.

17. “Had I known about
OpenStreetMap in
high school or college,
it would’ve absorbed all
my time.” –me

18. School teaches us lots about
geographic science and theory.
But not enough about mapping technology.http://flic.kr/p/5fKy45

19. Branch out!

20. Thanks!
@colemanm
FOSS4G-NA 2012
@spatialnetworks
Coleman McCormick