Maps, while always an abstraction of reality, have a way of making the real more concrete.  As tools, maps are used to understand, reshape, and control the world. Until recently, the development of complex maps was, for the most part, only possible by those with power and money, but recent technologies put map creation and exploration into more hands.

I would like to lead a discussion on how we, as teachers and researchers, can democratize the creation and use of maps.   I can share some of the ways I am using maps in my classes and research—from simple tools like online map quizzes and Google Maps to more complex projects like the ATLmaps platform being developed by Georgia State University and Emory. I am very interested to hear from others how they are using maps in their work.