GIS day activities and the ConTIG project: Using geographical information technologies in middle and high school

In November 2008, ISEGI-UNL (Institute Superior de Estatistica e Gestao de Informacao - Universidade Nova de Lisboa) hosted a GIS Day inviting seven secondary schools to use and experience Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Sixteen teachers and about one hundred and twenty students from 7th to 12th grades were able to try and learn about Geographical Information Technologies (GIT). This event is one of the activities that are being developed by ISEGI-UNL in a partnership with ESRI Portugal and two Portuguese high schools since 2007. During the 2007/2008 school year, ISEGI-UNL had a grant from the Portuguese program "Ciencia Viva" (from the National Agency for the Scientific and Technological Culture) to develop several learning experiences with the aim of promoting a learning process centred on experience, in which the focus is given by the use of geographic information technologies (the ConTIG project). During the current year (2008/2009), the project continues, but open to any school that wants to try the learning experiences (that are available online) and also share their own experiences. GIS Day is one of the ConTIG events. Other activities will also include courses for teachers to learn how to use the technologies and practical activities with students in their schools.