fixing geography in education

from a practicing geographer & cartographer

FOSS4G-NA 2012

hi.@colemanm

Bachelor of Science Geography

What did I learn?

so...

I spent 4 years in a geography program.

“GIS”

Mapping tech is more than just ArcGIS.

Don't need:More ArcMap and desktop GIS users.

Need:People that also know software, databases, design.

ArcGIS is fine.

But a student’s toolbox shouldn’t end there.

Geographers

Developers ???

DBAs

Designers

What’s needed in the workforce is a much

wider range of skill sets.

STUFF PEOPLE SHOULDUSE / LEARN / KNOW ABOUT

open source things exist

Inspires making new things.

Expose students to open source.

http://flic.kr/p/okaQ

The web is now the destination for your work.

Static files and PDFs are history.

Web maps

OpenStreetMap

An enormous open dataset.

Should be a go-to resource for educational institutions.

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

School teaches us lots about geographic science and theory.

But not enough about mapping technology.http://flic.kr/p/5fKy45

Branch out!

Thanks!@colemanm

FOSS4G-NA 2012

@spatialnetworks

Coleman McCormick