I learned a lot from doing the ArcMap tutorial. I realized this nearing the end of tutorial, when it started having me perform specific tasks on my own. I realized I no longer needed specific instructions on how to perform many of the basic tasks. This is because of the semi-repetitive process the tutorial goes through, creating similar, yet very different maps throughout.
However, I realize I have a lot to learn about ArcGis. I must devote a great deal of time with the program in order to become proficient in using it on my own. As I was working through the tutorial I kept noticing more and more options, actions, settings, objects, and so on, to use. This has led me to believe that the capabilities of this software are not nearly fathomable to me.
I am now starting to realize the power of ArcGis. The five items which are included on my poster collectively give a very clear visual basis for a proposed airport expansion. I created something that people, from airline pilots to school teachers, can look at and form a very good idea of what such an expansion would entail. Immediately they are able to see where the airport is, where the noise contours, and schools are. They can see what type of land (or parcels) are around the airport, and where most of the population lives. By having this knowledge immediately available by glancing at maps and tables, we are more able to make better decisions about land use.
There are somethings we need to be careful about when using GIS. We need to be careful of the data we acquire, making sure it's accurate and up to date. Because the visual elements of maps and tables that GIS provides are such strong influences of people's perceptions of the world around them, inaccuracies will literally imprint the wrong pictures in people's heads. This is often very dependent of how we acquire data, so it must be made sure that the sources from which it comes are reliable.
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