APPLICATION OF FREE GEOTECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Marques, B.; 2Varella, S.; 3Oliveira, N.; 4Richter, M.
1UFRRJ Email: barbaramarquespbi@hotmail.com
2UFRRJ Email: bj.silvia@hotmail.com.br
3UFRRJ Email: nathaliasousa.oliveira0@gmail.com
4UFRRJ Email: mrichter84@hotmail.com
Abstract
Major technological changes that have been imposing on society also have clear consequences for education. This fact has made the current teaching practices rather outdated compared to the level of information that is submitted the student early this century. Moreover, these changes have also driven a lot of effort into finding new teaching strategies more consistent with the current scenario. In a time of rapid change such as we are experiencing, it becomes increasingly important to find ways to involve technological advances to new demands. This challenge provides the teacher of Geography and various other disciplines a constant need to update forward technologies that appear and that lead to student interest in pursuit of novelty and dynamism and disinterest in classes taught in a traditional manner. Thus, the geographic approach more close to the language of today's world, implies the recycling of teachers to master new technologies that present students with a content that will arouse the interest necessary to improve learning in the classroom. The geographical facts have a didactic approach with possible use of free software and available data on the Internet that can also be produced directly by students, as well as the use of the computer turn the school environment conducive to new experiences during geography lessons. Several authors as Sausen & Coelho (2004), Melo et al. (2006), Santos (2002), Di Maio (2004) among others, discuss the importance of the use of geotechnology in Geography lessons. Official bodies such as the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) through initiatives as Educate SeRe Project share this idea and are important partners in the development of knowledge and utilization of Digital Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing applied in various disciplines of basic education. Given the above, the present study sought to examine the application of free technology for teaching Geography in the classroom, in order to encourage students in the use of geotechnology from the handling of free software, such as Google Earth order to bring dynamic and updated topics providing increased student interest in learning. For both it was realized a workshop focused on students of different grades of basic education in Nova Iguaçu / RJ. The activities included: identifying the path taken from the student's home to school; measure the distance between these two points (home / school); view the topographic profile of the chosen path, analyzing the differences; recognition of landmarks to its location; analysis of the changes of the surroundings through the tool "historical imagery"; among others. We conclude that dynamic classes are more attractive to students and the approach of teaching through their own experiences, have a broader and critical reading of the concepts and problems involving their everyday life. DI MAIO, A. (2004) Geotecnologias Digitais no Ensino Médio: Avaliação Prática de Seu Potencial. Tese de Doutorado, UNESP, Rio Claro. 188p MELO, A.A.; MENEZES, P.M.L.; SAMPAIO, A.C.F. (2006). O uso do SIG na pesquisa geográfica voltada para o ensino e a aprendizagem. In.:Revista Caminhos da Geografia/UFU 10 (17) 97-116, fev. SANTOS, V.M.N. dos. (2002). Escola, cidadania e novas tecnologias: o sensoriamento remoto no ensino. São Paulo: Paulinas, 159 p. SAUSEN, T.M.; COELHO, O.G.W. (2004). Projeto EDUCA SeRe – Ensino de Geografia no ensino fundamental e médio usando sensoriamento remoto. In.: Anais da 4ª Jornada de Educação em Sensoriamento Remoto no Âmbito do Mercosul. São Leopoldo/RS.
Keywords
Education; Google Earth; Geography