Projeto Geo-Escola: Disseminação de Conteúdos de Geociências por Meio do Computador para Docentes de Ciências e Geografia no Nível Fundamental em Jundiaí-Atibaia, SP

Abstract

The Geo-School project aims at the computer-aided dissemination of geological data, images and maps of a given region to elementary school teachers. The first pilot-module, planned for public and private institutions of elementary education, is being evaluated at this stage of the research. It was developed for the region between Jundiaí and Atibaia (SP). The work started with an open inquiry, sent to Geography and Sciences teachers of the study area. A survey of the existing infrastructure was also included in the investigation. The preliminary results of research on the 132 public and 36 private schools of the Jundiaí-Atibaia region indicate that more than 85% of the 49 schools that answered the questionnaire make use of computer equipment for pedagogical support and limited access to the Internet. The demand for the potential products is great, as long as all the 108 teachers who participated in the inquiry use audiovisual resources and are interested in applying geoscience subjects to the course they teach. The Geo-School project uses CD-ROM and Internet resources to deliver free software tools. It stimulates a more democratic use of the equipment and programs and can contribute to the development of new roles, such as teacher-authors or as student-authors. The results of the preliminary consultation made to 168 schools of the Jundiaí-Atibaia module suggest that the Geo-School project may stimulate similar initiatives elsewhere.