As they prepared for the start of the new school year, Anchorage middle school teachers spent time learning how to utilize new GIS software in their classrooms.

Terri Morganson, ESRI-Alaska, and Roger Pearson, UAGP, gave presentations to the Anchorage school district's 7th and 8th grade teachers on August 17, 2007 at South High School. Steve Ex, the Social Studies Coordinator for the Anchorage School District, invited Morganson and Pearson to the in-service to share exciting software with the seventh grade World Geography teachers and the eighth grade US History teachers.

Morganson and Pearson introduced ArcExplorer - Java Edition for Education (or AEJEE) the new GIS software by ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute), which is compatible on both PC and Mac platforms. AEJEE offers a very simple, yet powerful mapping software program that is ideal for world regional geography courses.

GIS has played a very small role in US history classes so far; but that is about to change. With AEJEE and the ability of teachers (and students!) to enter historical data on the AEJEE software, new and exciting possibilities are opening in the study of history.

In fact, AEJEE software can be utilized in many different subject areas. Ex, Morganson, and UAGP Director Mike Sfraga will be exploring more ways to expand GIS education in the Anchorage School District.

For more information on AEJEE, please contact NW Account Manager; Heather Diaz, hdiaz@esri.com 360-754-4727 or Alaska Account Manager; Terri Morganson, tmorganson@esri.com 907-644-8470.