Geomatica Titanium version 2 - Released January 2009 

We are pleased to announce that version 2 of Geomatica Titanium is now available. This new and improved version of the extremely popular GTi v1 has been in its beta testing phase for about 6 months in 2 private and one government school.

So what’s new?

In a nutshell, these are these are the highlights of the new version:

• This version of GTi brings you a host of new data that you as educators have been asking for. This increases it’s usage in Geography and other curriculum areas and across the grades.
• This version is compatible with Vista and Google Earth.
• We have also corrected many place names and sorted out some styling issues.

Tell me more!

We have put in a lot of new data for the World making this the area of the product with the most exciting changes. This means that this data is also available for more detailed work on Africa and South Africa and any other continent under discussion.

See our November 2008 newsletter in the Downloads section or click here. If you are an existing GTi v1 customer, you can upgrade to version 2 and qualify for a 25% discount.

Contact Denese for more information on: marketing@geomatica.co.za or 053 643 0574

19th March 2009

Article in PositionIT magazine regarding Spatial Literacy Workshop.

Click here to read it.

To complete our Grade 10 to 12 series of GIS resources, we are proud to announce that both our Grade 11 and 12 GIS learners workbooks are now available.

Each series of lessons for each grade are now available in digital format for only R500.

A teacher’s workbook and learner assessments are part of each package.

Grade 10 and 11 workbooks are aslo available in Afrikaans.

Contact Denese on marketing@geomatica.co.za or 053 643 0574 for further info.

Last updated: 14th May 2008

If you are an educator using Geomatica Titanium in the Intermediate Phase, we are proud to announce that the Geomatica subscriber website now has resources for you!

These downloadable resources are written by Debbie Stott and include the following:

• Learners Worksheet with instructions and extension exercises
• Teachers Memo with answers and marking guidelines

New resources will be added every month to build up a set of lessons that focus on topics in the Intermediate Phase Curricululm. For example:

• Rivers (South African and World)
• Lakes (World)
• Boundaries (Africa and South Africa)
• Simple Direction

Contact Denese on marketing@geomatica.co.za if you need information about subscribing to our website.

Last updated: 14th May 2008

Grade 10, 11 and 12 Geography resources written by educator, Mariette Bornman are now available on the Geomatica subscriber website.

The resources use Geomatica to teach topics across the Geography Grade 10 to 12 curriculum. Each printable resource includes:

• Learner Worksheet with instructions
• Teachers Memo with assessment criteria, marking guidelines and LTSM

For example, she has a series of Grade 12 resources that focus on Temperature:

• Altitude and Temperature
• Latitude and Temperature
• Ocean Currents and Temperature

Mariette is a teacher at Sutherland High School in Gauteng and uses Geomatica Titanium for ALL her Geography and GIS lessons. Look for her materials in the DOWNLOADS section with (MB) in the Description.

If you aren't already a Geomatica subscriber, please contact Denese on marketing@geomatica.co.za for more information.

Last updated: 14th May 2008

Exciting things are happening at the Geomatica Head Quarters!

In March of this year we engaged the services of a Marketing Manager, Denese. Her task is to get Geomatica out there into as many schools as possible! We hope she is successful in her task, good luck Denese.

New product enhancements

To support the new Grade 10 Geography curriculum and specifically the GIS aspects we have enhanced our Geomatica Titanium Atlas to incloude World data. This is supported by a Grade 10 Learner’s Workbook and Teacher’s Handbook.  The Workbook takes the learners through a series of lessons that enable them to cover the new GIS aspects of the curriculum as well as learning about their environment and developing crucial thinking skills.

We now also offer Geomatica Titanium as a “Take Home” Resource for Grade 10 to 12 learners. This allows teachers to set computer based homework assignments and to use the resource for portfolio and cross curricula project tasks.  Some schools choose to include this in school fees when learners ‘sign’ up for Geography whilst others ask parents to purchase the atlas as an additional resource much like a text book.

What's in the pipeline for 2006?

• Graded training courses (both face-to-face and ‘teach yourself’) to take you from basic knowledge to more advanced skills and applications
• An automated Training CD
• An Afrikaans version of the Grade 10 GIS Workbook
• Maptrix Geomatica. An enhanced version that builds on the map reading skills of the paper-based kit that develops analysis and interpretation skills in the learners. This is new product is brought to you as a collaboration between the Geomatica and the creator of Maptrix.

• Grade 11 GIS workbook for 2007 and accompanying teachers guide
• Grade 12 GIS workbook for 2008 and accompanying teachers guide

We'll keep you posted as these new projects are completed.

The Geomatica Team

June 2006

Lungile Moyo, an Honours student in GIS at the University of Fort Hare, teaches Thenjiwe Boji, a Grade Nine learner at Loyisa Secondary School in Port Elizabeth, how to use the GIS learning resource, Geomatica.

Geomatica displayed by means of an interactive whiteboard

Learners interacting with Geomatica

A very excited and highly motivated group of future scientists (Grade 7) from Kenton-on-Sea Primary entered the prized "Amazing Race" competition held by Napierian GIS Technologies at the Science Festival.

The group consisted of Grant Mouton, Kaitlyn van Wyk, Awonke Desi, Trisha Sneyd and Jade Hilton, under the capable leadership of Cecile Mouton. The first prize was a computer and software (Geomatica) to the value of R25 000 and training for 3 educators to use the software.

For the first 45 minutes they received training on the computer to orientate themselves with aerial photographs and compass directions. Next they had to plot a course on the map. Each member of the team had a specific duty. There was a cut-off time at 17h00 to find the actual venues in the streets of Grahamstown. With great speed they set off and soon found themselves back where they had started - just where they were supposed to be!

A long wait over the weekend ended in joy when they heard that they were the winners.

Congratulations to all involved and thank you to Clyde Mallinson and staff from Napierian GIS Technologies for their patience and enthusiasm. The computer will be put to great use!

Learning made Local

Grahamstown-based company Napierian GIS Technologies recently launched its Geomatica education product suite to varied audiences in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Geomatica, which is based on geographic information systems technology, is a cross-curricular learning resource targeted at grades 7 to 12.  The software is modular in nature, with the first release including a digital atlas of South Africa, a variety of skill suites and the first module which features the 1819 Battle of Makana (one of the early Frontier Wars).  The digital atlas of South Africa provides maps showing land cover usage, geology, biomes, climate, temperature, towns and cities, road and rail networks, hydrology and numerous other features.  These maps allow the users to make intelligent enquiries from the underlying database.  In addition to the software, teachers receive in-depth training, lesson plans, problem-solving tutorials and assessment rubrics, as well as ‘idea sheets’ which show how the product can further be utilized in the educational environment.

Geomatica is suited to the outcomes based education framework in that it promotes project based work, and develops soft skills such as planning, research, organizational techniques and teamwork.  According to Napierian director, Clyde Mallinson, “Geomatica brings both sides of the brain to bear on educational materialsâ€�.  This is because the product provides a visual and spatial perspective to what has traditionally been rote-learning.

Although the product is built on geographical information systems, Mallinson is quick to point out that the use extends far beyond the geography curriculum.  “Users can measure and calculate things such as area and vectors, or follow the course of a battle, permitting the entire spectrum of school subjects to be addressed.â€�  The first release includes topics for mathematics, geography, history and language.

Mallinson goes on to say that the product was developed by educators, working in conjunction with various educational and academic institutions to provide a learning experience that truly addresses the needs of South Africa’s education system.

Independent Education, Winter 2004