Application Of GIS In Cultivating Geographic Key Competencies In High School Geography Class

Based on the characteristics and nature of geography teaching,China’s Ministry of Education has put forward the core literacy of geography teaching as the concept of human-environment coordination,comprehensive thinking,regional cognition,and geographic practice.The core competencies of geography occupies a core position in geography teaching,which requires teachers to select corresponding teaching methods,teaching goals,and teaching activities.GIS technology combines geography with computers so as to process a large amount of geographic data and visualize geographic information,which undoubtedly assists geography teaching.How to use GIS technology to assist geography teaching and promote the cultivation of students’ core geography competencies is a topic of concern.Geography teachers work on the front line of teaching,and are the key implementers of applying GIS technology to geography teaching.This article mainly studies the application of GIS technology in high school geography teaching by questionnaires and classroom observation,and then proposes strategies to promote the use of GIS technology in high school geography classrooms.By comparing learning process and development of core competencies of students in traditional geography teaching classroom and GIS-assisted geography teaching classroom,this article summarizes the strategies for teachers using GIS technology to cultivate students’ core geography competencies.Finally,according to the purpose of cultivating high school students ’geographic core competencies with GIS technology,a case is designed to provide new ideas for geography teachers to innovate teaching methods and promote the formation of high school students’ geographic core competencies.This article consists of six parts:The first chapter is the introduction.By reading a lot of references at home and abroad,it analyzes the development of the core geographical competencies at home,the definition of the concept of the core geographical competencies literacy and its cultivation methods,as well as the cases of applying GIS technology to the geographical teaching.The second chapter is the concept and theoretical basis.It analyzes the connotation and cultivation strategy of the core geographical competencies,the concept and characteristics of GIS technology and the theoretical basis of the application of GIS technology in high school geography teachingThe third chapter presents the following problems after analyzing the questionnaires issued to teachers.First,the school does not pay much attention to the application of GIS technology.Second,the overall professional quality of teachers needs to be strengthened.Although only few teachers using GIS technology to assist their geography teaching,they hold positive attitude toward the idea that the GIS technology can promote the cultivation of students’ core competencies of geography,and support the application of GIS technology in high school geography classroom.Through classroom observation,it is found that students have higher learning interest,better learning efficiency,and their regional cognition and comprehensive thinking are significantly improved in GIS assisted geography classroom.The practice of using GIS technology to assist geography teaching to cultivate students’ core competencies of geography is rare,and there is a lack of scientific and systematic strategic system.The fourth chapter puts forward solutions to the problems found from the questionnaire and classroom observation.The first strategy is improving school equipment and increasing the training meeting on GIS technology to enhance the school’s attention to GIS technology.Secondly,it suggests teachers to learn more about GIS technology and the connotation and training methods of core geographical competencies and to recognize the role of GIS technology in assisting geographical teaching to improve teachers’ own professional accomplishment.The third suggestion is that teachers should select appropriate teaching methods based on clear teaching purposes and students’ physical and mental development characteristics,such as using GIS technology to display the real topography map to cultivate students’ spatial thinking ability,using GIS technology to make thematic map to promote students’ understanding and analysis of geographical knowledge so as to assist geographical teaching.All the strategies put forward are concerning about the cultivation of students’ core geographic competencies.The fifth chapter is the case design,taking "shaping earth’s surface" as an example.The main purpose is to help cultivate the students’ core geographical competencies with the assistance of GIS technology.Taking "the impact of changes in transportation modes and layouts" as an example,it helps to cultivate students’ four core geographical competencies.The sixth chapter is the conclusion,summarizing the conclusions of this research,and putting forward the shortcomings,and finally making the prospect.