The Status of GIS Technology in Teacher Preparation Programs

The diffusion of geography information systems (GIS) into K-12 geography education has been slow. Most training efforts have been aimed at inservice teachers, but experts have recommended educating both preservice and inservice teachers to accelerate the adoption of GIS. A key component of teacher preparation today is educational technology. It has been suggested that if preservice teachers are taught with and about GIS within the educational technology component of their teacher preparation program they would be more likely to incorporate this technology into their teaching upon entering the classroom. A survey of the membership of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education reveals that only a handful of teacher education programs intentionally expose teachers-in-training to GIS in any meaningful way. The implications for future plans to integrate GIS into K-12 education are discussed.