Article review
- Main arguments/ summary of the readings
The article discusses the reasons why it is necessary for every student to study geography. One of the reasons is to understand the basic physical affecting the day today life for example earth-sun relationship, wind and ocean currents and water cycle. It helps in learning various locations of places, characteristics of places so as to continue surviving in the interdependent world (Johnson, 2004). One is able to come up with a mental map for various geographical locations and for the entire world so as to understand the location of places and events occurring in those particular places. It teaches people historical geography and the important roles of geography in the progression of people and their surroundings. Geography helps to explain how physical and human activities affected the surface of the earth.
Geographic benefits serves the following the benefits; it opens way for job and career opportunities for example in geospatial technologies (Johnson, 2004). It is important for economic competitiveness. It helps in exploring the population and diversity in an area. Additionally, geography is important in elementary learning since it improves achievement in literacy and math.
- Connection to the past experiences in the field
In connection to the past experience in the field, geography has undergone profound changes. Therefore, the studying and the teaching of geography is also changing every now and then. The past geography had few job opportunities compared to the present geography as a result of advanced technology. Majority of work in the past geography studied human geography and that is especially the study of patterns and processes affecting human beings in the society compared to the present geography which studies a range of aspects and is subdivided into several branches.
- Specific applications to the present of teaching
Geography is widely applied and used in the present time especially through Geographic Information System (GIS). This system in geography is important in study, research and education purposes and this has improved the way geographers conduct their research. It is applied in disaster management; through this digital database by environmental experts to manage environment problems such as drought, floods (Canter & Youngs, 2007). It is also applied in crime statistics that is in law enforcement and to plan in terms of crime statistics through automation and digital mapping of reported crimes. GIS is also vital to the elements of archaeology for example it is used in predicting the historic site location. The system is also applied in civic planning; it is used in urban and rural planning to work out local tax rates, mapping social deprivation where roads are to pass and the ones to prioritize for repair (Canter & Youngs, 2007). It is used in health resource management. Finally, GIS is applied in the transport system; it is used to upgrade the rail network.
- Personal response to the readings
It is important for all students to study geography today. This is because geography is widely applied in the modern world than it was in the past. It is important to guide travelers in identifying places and the climatic conditions in those particular areas hence they are always keen of when and where to move in a given period of time. It has also helped people to understand the globe and what is transpiring globally no matter of their location.
References
Johnson. R. J. (2004). Arizona Geographic AllianceASU School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning.
Canter, D. V., & Youngs, D. (2007). Applications of geographical offender profiling. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate Pub.
