[OSGeo-Discuss] Next 5 years for OSGeo

[Charlie Schweik]

Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) wrote:
> I'm proposing the education group help match up existing FOSS teaching
> material with a recognised curriculum.  e.g. the curriculum might say that a
> student needs to learn about geographic coordinate systems - so we match up
> a module that provides sample data and shows how to witness the effects of
> transformations, projections, etc. using Proj.4 commands, then visualising
> it in a desktop app, etc. that they may choose.  
>   
I'm in agreement with this, vision Tyler -- we just have a collective 
action problem... how to get this done...  or move it forward, in a 
virtual environment.
> p.s. In many universities I think we have been witnessing a move toward
> 'training' for careers as opposed to foundational concepts for critical
> thinking.  
This may be true, but in my circumstance, I don't see where both can't 
happen at the same time. One of the best things about my job
is teaching a young undergrad about these concepts, and then providing 
them with the tools to do things like "go out and inventory and map the 
salamanders
in the river near your house and analyze the patterns you find" (or lots 
of other self-defined ideas) and get them excited and engaged. Having 
access to and knowledge about how
to use open tools that they can continue to use is a great way to get 
these kids excited and motivated! That's the perspective I'm coming from.

Charlie



-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: cschweik.vcf
Type: text/x-vcard
Size: 403 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/discuss/attachments/20091002/721104d2/attachment.vcf>