Technology at local level Neighbourhood Mapping With School Children

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Technology at local level -Neighbourhood Mapping
With School Children

Dr R Siva Kumar Siva_k_at_alpha.nic.in
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What is a map? Is it just the graphical
representation of a geographic setting or an area
? Or more
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What Is a Neighborhood Map?

• A map by its basic definition is a meaningful
  visual representation showing places and their
  relationship to each other.

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Neighborhood Map

• A neighborhood Map charts the places where nature
  and the designed world interconnect, using Map
  Icons to symbolize the different kinds of
  ecologically and culturally significant sites,
  including the toxic hot spots

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The Challenge

• To make people develop relationship with maps
• Making maps part and parcel of our lives
• and increase our understanding of the complex
  interrelationships of resources and their
  effective use in our daily activities

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Agents of Change

• Children
• Reflections in childhood remain forever
• Children influence parents and their homes
• Fast learners

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The Vision

• During the bicentennial celebrations of the
  commencement of the measurement of the Great Arc,
  Government of India announced the programme of
  mapping the neighbourhhood which will cover
  about 1 million children all over the country.

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The Background

• The neighbourhood mapping project has been
  conceptualized by the Government of India,
  Department of Science Technology , in a
  judicious mix of alternative concepts and
  investments in building data infrastructures.
• It traverses multiples disciples of thought and
  aims at the very basics of a society for its
  success and implementation - schools.

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Children and Maps

• Maps would go a long way in
• inculcating a sense of understanding in using
  maps effectively and
• respecting their environment

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School Children

• The Mapping process by School with children will
  bring in new ways of mapping their local areas
• and in the process highlight the most important
  issues with regard to their own local areas

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Why Neighbourhood Maps

• Collecting such information and displaying it in
  a user-friendly way can generate awareness and
  build a sense of responsibility of people towards
  their environment
• This exercise could lead to the creation of
  interesting temporal story lines unique to each
  neighbourhood adding a rich literature base for
  the students

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The Phases

• Phase I - would encompass the start of the
  overall vision. It shall have celebrity evenings
  with an aim to tell the story and the historic
  significance of the Great Arc, one of the oldest
  scientific surveying and mapping exercise carried
  out in the world. The story is woven by music
  rendered by maestros on the percussion
  instruments.

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The Phases

• Phase II - a step further to disseminate
  awareness of maps. The coverage and the means of
  communication shall be more like a story telling
  session in the form of a road show.

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The Phases

• Phase III - extensive programme Mapping the
  Neighbourhood. Shall try to address the school
  curriculum and permeate the concepts of mapping
  in the young minds. This activity will lead to
  rich local database of locality maps.

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Methodology

• A step-by-step exploratory mapping method that
  allows children to innovate and discover
• Provide a basic understanding of what goes into
  map making through pictorial handbooks and
  exercises
• Simple surveying methods incorporated in
  activities

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Guiding Principles

• To make the generation of data and information,
  and the conversion of such information into
  knowledge
• To use this as an opportunity for participatory
  and interactive learning for children
• To shift emphasis from being a passive
  recipient of information and knowledge
  (downloading) to becoming an active
  creator/author of relevant and useful information
  (uploading)
• To generate a participatory and local level
  data base on themes like climate, natural
  resources and building a village/watershed level
  data infrastructure
• To generate interest in science through this
  process of mapping
• To bring schools, institutions of higher
  learning into a networking relationship.

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Tools to Be Used

• Basic Items like
• Graph paper
• Compass
• Measuring tapes
• Protractor
• Satellite imagery of the area

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Tools to Be Used

• Plane table

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Tools to Be Used

• Handheld Computers (PDAs)

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Tools to Be Used

• Handheld GPS

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Tools to Be Used

• Digital Camera

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Pre Launch Exercises

• Mapping the Neighbourhood programme in Almora
  was initiated with mapping by school children at
  Koormanchal Academy, Almora.

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The Almora experience

• Three levels of children were chosen from the
  school, viz., Class VIII, IX and X.
• In all sixteen students were chosen.
• Each student group was designated the task of
  preparing the school map (mental map) on a 2mx2m
  piece of land area, using whatever they could
  find like, sticks, pebbles, sand, grass etc

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• Then were asked to redraw the map on paper,
  improving upon their shortcomings
• They were given lecture on the basics of PDA
  (Personal Digital Assistant) and GPS (Global
  Positioning System).
• They were also taught the process of mapping with
  the help of these devices.

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• The next day was earmarked for map updating.
• Children moved around the area marking buildings,
  resources, open spaces, etc and putiing the
  information on their maps
• GPS readings were also taken
• GPS track maps were also made to superimpose upon
  the earlier made crude maps

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Thank You