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