9354097 Tinker Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are collections of spatially aggregated data and programs to manipulate the data to answer questions in geography, earth science, environmental science and other disciplines. These systems have the potential to make major contributions to what students learn and how they learn it. In a three-day workshop those who develop and study GIS, those who use GIS in research in various disciplines and educators are brought together to obtain an understanding of GIS and its potential uses in education. The workshop consists of written papers to form the basis for discussion, plenary talks, breakout sessions and demonstrations. The issues include technical (the present and future state of GIS), educational (disciplines, examples, costs teacher enhancement), and cognitive science (what new concepts and processes students can learn). The conference provides a consensus of the potential for GIS in schools and an outline of the steps to reach that potential. ***
