Geography Teaching Techniques in the Digital Age

In its most general definition, geography is a science that describes the earth. In this respect, it would not be wrong to say that geography is equivalent to the history of humanity. Because the desire of human beings to know and make sense of the environment and the fact that knowing the spatial distribution of facts and objects is indispensable for all living things is the most important proof that this science actually started with humanity. Technological developments have simplified this most important feature of geography, its ability to reveal spatial distributions. Computer software, which can be used by almost everyone from seven to seventy, can easily show the earth distribution of each element.

When the stages that the science of geography has gone through in the historical process, we see that the identity of only descriptive science is left behind, and today's geography performs an important function in order to ensure the balanced relationship between man and nature. The most important problem for geography today is not the human, physical and economic distributions, but the interaction of these distributions. All kinds of natural and human events that affect or can affect people are in the field of geography.

While the current state of modern geography is like this, what is the state of our education system that will pass it on to new generations? Technological developments, especially the findings and applications in the field of computers and internet, have been widely used in the planning and operation of the education system, but have been more effective on teaching methods. We have come to a period where many information can be answered within seconds, from the periods when it was necessary to go through books for days in order to obtain information. Therefore, the perception of the geography course, which they have to memorize constantly, is not very positive in the eyes of the students. This negative perception alienates students from the course, hence from geography education.

Here, the most important duty of the educators is to determine the attitudes of the students towards the geography lesson and to take the necessary measures to correct the negative attitudes. Geography science, which has a basic function such as revealing the relationship between human and nature and minimizing possible human harm, should be taught by geography teachers correctly, since the science of geography is learned by young generations.