Thinking Spatially

Spatial Thinking and GIS: A Vital Combination

Thinking Spatially View and purchase report online

The report from the National Research Council (NRC; released 2006), Learning to Think Spatially: GIS as a Support System in the K-12 Curriculum, points to the importance of instilling spatial thinking skills across subjects and into the lives of learners of all ages. GIS, as the report presents, can be significant in cultivating those skills.

GIS Tools

The Learning to Think Spatially report calls for GIS tools to be applicable to a range of learners and educational settings. "Teachers and students should not be expected to adapt to a 'one-size-fits-all' GIS…" (page 234). ESRI agrees and sees a continuum of tool capacities and interfaces as a vital part of educational user success, including

• Introductory Web experiences such as ArcWeb Explorer, the Geography Network, or the National Atlas
• Tailored desktop applications like ArcExplorer—Java Edition for Education (Windows and MacOSX)
• High–end applications including ArcGIS and its extensions

Curricular and Instructional Support

The report emphasizes that success with GIS in education also is tied to support systems including curriculum and teacher training. The former focuses on the critical need for customized teaching materials. The latter points to the value of workshops, training institutes, and peer-to-peer interaction in helping teachers learning to use technology in the classroom.

Learn More

The resources below can help you get started with GIS and spatial thinking. Explore the links to the left for additional information about ESRI’s Education Programs.

• Literature—introductory materials focused on GIS for K–12 education
• Lessons—bring GIS into the classroom with lessons for a variety of disciplines including social studies, physical and earth sciences, and GIS software skills
• Training for Educators—explore opportunities to build your GIS knowledge base
• Get connected—interact with other education professionals interested in GIS
• GIS Careers—explore reach and application of GIS and related technologies
• Visit online mapping site—see how GIS is used in a variety of applications
• View related case studies