"Quest
with GIS" is a very example of how GIS is now becoming part of the K-12
curriculum. The Quest Program
is a statewide program to bring GIS into K-12 classrooms by having the students
solve real-world problems through GIS. The LSU CADGIS Lab is involved with
this effort. Farrell Jones trained the trainers who, in turn, trained teachers
in the use of GIS. Through the "Quest with GIS" website, hosted
by the CADGIS Lab at http://questwithgis.lsu.edu,
students can zoom, pan, and scroll around the maps and orthophotographs representing
Louisiana (with DOQQs from Atlas!). Users can query the map to find specifc
locations or features by entering the name of parishes, the name of cities,
geographic coordinates, and major highways. The DOQQs allow the students locate
their school facilities. The web interface allows teachers or students to
submit and update the information they collect on the schools in terms of
its possible use as a shelter during emergency.
The Quest With GIS program was featured in the February 2004 issue of Geospatial Solutions with an article titled "Lessons in GIS and Emergency Management." This article was written by Susan Gauthier of the Louisiana Center of Educational Technology, a unit of the Louisiana Department of Education. It is available to be viewed online as a PDF file.