Geographical Information System Software

[CaterinaAnna]

Quick question: What GIS software do you use? (KS2-5)

Supplementary: What the advantages/limitations of your package?

 

I've not taught geography for a long time, so my experience goes back to Google Earth when it took forever to load on a machine or two at parents' evening and you wouldn't even think about trying to get 30 kids at once to use it. As part of getting back up to speed, I'd like to have a play with something more up to date but would rather do so on a system that is used fairly widely. I'm not school-based at the moment so I've not got a particular system to hand and it's difficult to compare options when I've not got any 'how they work in real life' data.

 

Thanks all

[Oaktech]

It all depends on what you want to do with it, and how good your broadband is. As far as GE goes, my last place had a gig connection and 90 kids using it made no difference to the performance, my new place has 10mb and it works ok as long as it's only one class using it. Google have made massive improvements in it's performance in general.

 

As far as 'real' GIS goes, I've seen qGIS and Free GIS used at a-level, and the A Vision of Britain through Time | Your national on-line library for local history | Maps, Statistics, Travel Writing and more website used through from KS3.

[CaterinaAnna]

Thanks Oaktech

I'm also trying to get a feel for what systems people actually use. Materials from the RGS are based on Google and ArcGIS but I know the licensing cost of the latter would have beyond the departmental budget in my last place.