When I’m working with students on project specific GIS skills, I try to draw them into a “let’s build something together” dynamic. That means we downplay the memorizing of rules and keystrokes and focus on the fact that GIS software is a tool for building a tangible product that serves a very specific purpose. An example would be the geographic information system we’re building to track vegetation management activities on UW-Green Bay’s natural areas. We promote the “building something” idea by referring to the components of a typical geographic information system as its building blocks.
The Language of
Where Stuff Is
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Feature Data
Factoids and Methods
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Raster/Image Data
Factoids and Methods
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Data Collection
Methods
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Web Maps and
Web Mapping Apps
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Desktop GIS
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Project
Management
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Completed
Projects