The initial formation of teachers in scholastic cartography: a report on a research experience

This paper is derived from the PhD research entitled "The initial training of Geography teacher in school cartography: a reflective analysis", developed by the program of Post-graduation in Geography of UNESP, campus of Rio Claro. The research is in the final phase, focused on data analysis and final writing of thesis. In this context, it may be stated that the research orientates in the problematic focused at the understanding of how the recent knowledge produced by the school cartography unfolds in the practices of Geography licentiate students. However, at this time, we will discuss about issues related to the research by the theoretical and practical point of view.

TACTILE CARTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCES IN BRAZIL: METHODOLOGIES AND DIDACTICAL MATERIAL WITH TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR INCLUSION OF BLIND AND LOW VISION STUDENTS

The tactile cartography is an area of Cartography that aims the development of methodologies and didactical material to work cartographic concepts with blind and low vision people. The main aim of this article is to present the experience of Tactile Cartography Research Group from Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), including some didactical material and courses for teachers using the System MAPAVOX. The System MAPAVOX is software developed by our research group in a partnership with Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) that integrates maps and models with a voice synthesizer, sound emission, texts, images and video visualizing for computers. Our research methodology is based in authors that have in the students the centre of didactical activity such as Ochaita and Espinosa in [1], which developed studies related to blind children's literacy. According to Almeida the child's drawing is, thus, a system of representation. It isn't a copy of objects, but interpretation of that which is real, done by the child in graphic language[2]. In the proposed activities with blind and low vision students they are prepared to interpret reality and represent it by adopting concepts of graphic language learned. To start the cartographic initialization it is necessary to use personal and quotidian references, for example the classroom tactile model or map, to include concepts in generalization and scale concerning to their space of life. During these years many case studies were developed with blind and low vision students from Special School for Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired in Araras and Rio Claro, Sao Paulo - Brazil. The most part of these experiences and others from Brazil and Chile are presented in [3]. Tactile material and MAPAVOX facilities are analysed by students and teachers who contribute with suggestions to reformulate and adapt them to their sensibility and necessity. Since 2005 we offer courses in Tactile Cartography to prepare teachers from elementary school in the manipulation of didactical material and attending students with special educational needs in regular classroom. There were 6 classroom and blended courses offered for 184 teachers from public schools in this region of the Sao Paulo state. As conclusion we can observe that methodological procedures centred in the blind and low vision students are successful in their spatial orientation if use didactical material from places or objects with which they have significant experience. During the applying of courses for teachers we could see that interdisciplinary groups can find creative cartographic alternatives more easily. We observed too that the best results in methodological procedures were those who provided concreteness to abstract concepts using daily experiences.

Image segmentation using morphological watershed applied to cartography

Image segmentation is a process frequently used in several different areas including Cartography. Feature extraction is a very troublesome task, and successful results require more complex techniques and good quality data. The aims of this paper is to study Digital Image Processing techniques, with emphasis in Mathematical Morphology, to use Remote Sensing imagery, making image segmentation, using morphological operators, mainly the multi-scale morphological gradient operator. In the segmentation process, pre-processing operators of Mathematical Morphology were used, and the multi-scales gradient was implemented to create one of the images used as marker image. Orbital image of the Landsat satellite, sensor TM was used. The MATLAB software was used in the implementation of the routines. With the accomplishment of tests, the performance of the implemented operators was verified and carried through the analysis of the results. The extration of linear feature, using mathematical morphology techniques, can contribute in cartographic applications, as cartographic products updating. The comparison to the best result obtained was performed by means of the morphology with conventional techniques of features extraction. © Springer-Verlag 2004.

The use of software Mapavox for teaching graphics and games to blind and low vision students: a development through practices

Current policies on education to visually impaired point for a growing trend of including students with special educational needs in regular schools. However, most often this inclusion is not accompanied by an appropriate professional trained or infrastructure, which has been presented as a big problem for regular school teachers who have students with visual impairments in their classroom. Based on this situation, the Group of Extension in Tactile Cartography from UNESP - University of the State of São Paulo - Campus de Rio Claro - SP - Brazil has been developing educational material of geography and cartography to blind students at a special school. Among the materials developed in this study highlight the development of graphics and board games provided with sound capabilities through MAPAVOX, software developed in partnership with UFRJ - Federal University from Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil. Through this software, sound capabilities can be inserted into built materials, giving them a multi-sensory character. In most cases the necessary conditions for building specific materials to students with visual impairments is expensive and beyond the reach of features from a regular school, so the survey sought to use easy access and low cost materials like Cork, leaf aluminum, material for fixing and others. The development of these materials was supported by preparation in laboratory and its subsequent test through practices involving blind students. The methodology used on the survey is based on qualitative research and non comparative analysis of the results. In other words, the material is built based on the special students perception and reality construction, not being mere adaptations of visual materials, but a construction focused on the reality of the visually impaired. The results proved were quite successful as the materials prepared were effective on mediating the learning process of students with disabilities. Geographical and cartographic concepts were seized by the students through the technology used, associated with the use of materials that took into account in its building process the perception of the students.

Influência da escala na análise morfométrica de microbacias hidrográficas

In order to verify the different scales in physical analysis of watersheds, the geomorphic quantitative analysis was done to distinguish homogeneous areas within this land unit. The variables studied were the dimensions, drainage pattern and relief characteristics. The study area is the watershed of the Corrego da Cachoeira, São Paulo State, Brazil. The cartographic scale 1: 50000 (IBGE) and 1: 10000 (IGC) were used to delineate the drainage network and study the morphometric characteristics. The watershed is characterized as an exoreic, fluvial drainage with consequent streams and drainage pattern. The values of the drainage density, frequency of rivers and the ratio of bifurcation are considered low, indicating the formation of the soil on permeable rock. The low values suggested a watershed with relatively mild relief. The detail of the cartography mapping analysed with field study data showed higher values of hydrological compartments and length of the drainage network, reflecting changes in the results obtained on the physical variables analysed.

Evaluation of the Cartographic Communication Performance of a Route Guidance and Navigation System

This study evaluates the influence of different cartographic representations of in-car navigation systems on visual demand, subjective preference, and navigational error. It takes into account the type and complexity of the representation, maneuvering complexity, road layout, and driver gender. A group of 28 drivers (14 male and 14 female) participated in this experiment which was performed in a low-cost driving simulator. The tests were performed on a limited number of instances for each type of representation, and their purpose was to carry out a preliminary assessment and provide future avenues for further studies. Data collected for the visual demand study were analyzed using non-parametric statistical analyses. Results confirmed previous research that showed that different levels of design complexity significantly influence visual demand. Non-grid-like road networks, for example, influence significantly visual demand and navigational error. An analysis of simple maneuvers on a grid-like road network showed that static and blinking arrows did not present significant differences. From the set of representations analyzed to assess visual demand, both arrows were equally efficient. From a gender perspective, women seem to took at the display more than men, but this factor was not significant. With respect to subjective preferences, drivers prefer representations with mimetic landmarks when they perform straight-ahead tasks. For maneuvering tasks, landmarks in a perspective model created higher visual demands.

Projeto cartográfico e implementação de um protótipo de atlas escolar interativo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento de um protótipo de um atlas escolar interativo: projeto e produção

This paper aims at presenting an Interactive School Atlas prototype which was developed for cartography and environmental education. The methodology was based on the theoretical study about child mental development of Piaget theory, in order to elaborate strategies that allow the student a better comprehension about the spatial information understanding. It was defined as study case of sixth grade students, because they belong to the Formal Operation stage, in which the children reach the needed mental operations for understanding cartographic key concepts. This Atlas was developed in two stages: cartographic design and Atlas production. The Atlas implementation was developed seeking the use of Multimedia Cartography and animation resources that may attract students and teachers, instigating them to explore the tools and strategies to lead users to a correct interpretation of map contents. The Atlas was implemented by using the Macromedia Flash and Visual Basic softwares and the MapObjects library. Though the map has bot been evaluated yet, one should point out that it was designed according to the theoretical and methodological knowledge of the cognitive development and its relationship to cartographic conceptions, aiming at adapting the product to children cognitive skills.

Utilização de métodos combinados de avaliação imobiliária para a elaboração da planta de valores genéricos

The Plant of Generic Values (PVG) is part of the cadastral system of a city hall and is about an important document or support for the urban planning. For its conception some stages are necessary, amongst which the most remarkable: the collection of information and the proper evaluation. A norm number 14653-2 of the ABNT recommends the application of the comparative method of data of market for the evaluation of lands values, but not always this procedure is possible due to absence of significant samples, as in urban areas densely constructed the real estate transactions is restricted, practically, to remarkable are the constructed ones. Thus, this work aims at showing which one, the sources of these data and the problematic found to get them. Moreover, a method is presented, that is an alternative to get the values of lands in the regions where yhere is scarcity of these data, so as to make the results beter. This method deals with the junction of other methods of evaluation to the comparative method of market data. The use of the methodology provided better performance in the procedures, having as a consequence bigger uniformity between the data, that is, the value of evaluation and the value of market equalize. Besides, the separation of the area of work in zones of homogeneous data made possible to generate more models, making use of fewes variables, due to the similarity among the data.

O tratamento cartográfico da informação em saúde do trabalhador

Apesar do reconhecimento da importância dos conhecimentos geográficos e do uso das ferramentas de análise espacial nos estudos da saúde coletiva, esse é um campo ainda pouco explorado pelos pesquisadores brasileiros. em levantamento realizado nas principais revistas científicas que veiculam os resultados de pesquisa em saúde do trabalhador, verificou-se o grande predomínio do uso de tabelas e gráficos como meio de organizar e apresentar os resultados obtidos, e o número reduzido de mapas. Para isso foram examinados todos os artigos publicados em quatro periódicos (Revista de Saúde Pública, Cadernos de Saúde Pública, Revista Saúde e Sociedade e Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia) no período de 1967 a 2009. Uma vez analisado o conjunto de artigos selecionados no estudo, aqueles que utilizaram representações cartográficas receberam atenção especial. Verificou-se que, embora ainda pouco utilizadas, as ferramentas do geoprocessamento e da geoestatística com suporte em SIG abrem um campo de novas possibilidades no uso da cartografia temática em saúde do trabalhador no Brasil. Contudo, recomenda-se para os editores das revistas científicas o detalhamento de normas técnicas para publicação de figuras cartográficas, assim como a elaboração de pareceres específicos que possam auxiliar os autores em vista das modificações necessárias para a melhoria da qualidade da comunicação visual de mapas e da correlação espacial por meio do tratamento cartográfico.

Atlas municipais elaborados por professores: a experiência conjunta de Limeira, Rio Claro e Ipeúna

Na última década, as recomendações curriculares de história e geografia para o ensino fundamental incentivaram a produção de atlas municipais, uma vez que permitem incluir num só volume mapas, textos, fotografias, gráficos, entre outras fontes de informação, a respeito do espaço local. Este artigo apresenta uma experiência em que a produção de atlas municipais se tornou projeto de pesquisa colaborativa entre pesquisadores da universidade e professores de geografia, história e ciências de três municípios. Problemas como recorte curricular, linguagem cartográfica e formação de professores consistem nos pontos principais da pesquisa, a qual traz uma contribuição significativa para a constituição de uma linha de pesquisa que vem sendo chamada de cartografia escolar.

Aplicação da geologia de engenharia na redução de risco geológico urbano em Itapecerica da Serra - SP: estudo de caso

O município de Itapecerica da Serra, Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), possui uma população de 162 mil habitantes e cerca de 150 km² de área. As características geológicas e geomorfológicas do seu território e o fato de localizar-se quase inteiramente em área de proteção aos mananciais que abastecem a RMSP implicam restrições ao uso do solo e à expansão da ocupação nos moldes em que vem ocorrendo. O diagnóstico das áreas de risco geológico do município foi uma das atividades implementadas para a execução do Plano Municipal de Redução de Riscos (PMRR) do município. O PMRR tem por objetivo apresentar os resultados da identificação e da análise das situações de risco geológico-geotécnico, criando propostas de intervenções estruturais para a sua eliminação e/ou redução, estimativas de custo e estratégias para a gestão de risco no município. O mapeamento do risco geológico foi realizado em 35 áreas, onde foram identificados 66 setores de risco englobando, 419 moradias, sendo 175 moradias em setores cujo grau de risco foi classificado como alto ou muito alto. As propostas de intervenção estrutural buscaram a aderência entre o processo geodinâmico atuante e a tipologia de intervenção sugerida para estabilização e controle. A definição de critérios para a hierarquização das intervenções propostas contribuiu para a inserção das propostas do PMRR no planejamento plurianual do município de Itapecerica da Serra.

Atlas escolares municipais: a moda e os professores

Neste artigo abordamos o crescimento das pesquisas e da produção de atlas escolares municipais e a relação entre pesquisadores e professores, considerando o atual contexto curricular e a concepção do trabalho docente segundo a racionalidade técnica que caracteriza as reformas educacionais na sociedade neoliberal. em uma análise dos trabalhos apresentados sobre o tema atlas escolares, nos cinco eventos científicos realizados no Brasil sobre cartografia para crianças, notamos que predomina a produção desses materiais por pesquisadores e especialistas, externa ao âmbito do trabalho dos professores.

Automatic absolute orientation of scanned aerial photographs

Image orientation is a basic problem in Digital Photogrammetry. While interior and relative orientations were succesfully automated, the same can not be said about absolute orientation. This process can be automated by using an approach based on relational matching and a heuristic that uses the analytical relation between straight features in the object space and its homologous in the image space. A build-in self-diagnosis is also used in this method, that is based on the implementation of data snooping statistic test in the process of spatial resection, using the Iterated Extended Kalman Filtering (IEKF). The aim of this paper is to present the basic principles of the proposed approach and results based on real data.

Training courses for teachers through the distance learning: practice reports used virtual environment TELEDUC

This paper describes the experiences of long-distance courses, it focused on the continuing education of basic education teachers in all Brazilian territory. Such courses were offered by CECEMCA (Center for Continuing Education in Mathematics Education, Science and Environment), linked to the Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho - Campus de Rio Claro during 15/01/2009 to 30/11/2009. The subjects report to the theme of Education, Geography and Environment, it was organized in four courses: "Introduction to Cartography," Environment and climate change - thinking a new paradigm of sustainable green planet "," Remote Sensing in environmental studies Environment "and" Methodological Alternatives for Inclusive Classroom: Experimenting with visual and hearing impairments". So, we show here, the feasibility and importance of distance learning tools for education, specifically teacher training, based on the results obtained in these courses.