New risk resource from Martin Parham

Via Martin's page on LinkedIn.

Martin is a Disaster Risk Lecturer at the University of Manchester. He works at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI)

I have been preparing and developing case study resources for secondary school teachers and students on the subject of hazards / disaster management to bridge the gap between secondary and higher education.

The first is on the Turkey/Syria Earthquake of 2023 and the Powerpoint slides are included.

Along with the slides:

• HCRI slides with audio (designed for students to listen to)
• A resource sheet with facts and tasks 
• A podcast recording (from the "RiskIt" podcast series) which may be helpful

Check out Martin's LinkedIn page for all the details of how you can connect and get more involved.

LivingGeography - another milestone passed

Thanks to everyone who has visited the blog over the years and/or subscribed to the Substack.

Lava Show Podcast

A cross-posting from my Fieldnotes from Iceland blog.

If you haven't checked this out, there are over 600 Iceland related posts, which are particularly added when I visit Iceland with Rayburn Tours as a field tutor.

The popular Lava Show now has a podcast, called Lava Academy.

Júlíus and Ragnhildur founded the Lava Show.

Hosted by Ian McKinnon and Heiðar Ragnheiðarson. 

Each monthly episode dives into the explosive world of volcanoes. 

From Iceland’s fiery fissures to famous eruptions around the globe, we explore how volcanoes form, why they erupt, and what they mean for the people who live near them. 

With expert guests like geologists and volcanologists, Lava Academy blends science, storytelling, and first-hand experience. Whether you’re a curious traveler, a student of earth science, or just fascinated by molten rock, this show brings the power and mystery of volcanic activity straight to your ears. 

Get ready for lava facts, eruption myths, behind-the-scenes stories from Lava Show, and much more. Subscribe and join us each month as we journey into Earth’s most dynamic forces.

This sounds like being particularly useful.

 

The first guest is Madison MacKenzie who talks about her experiences and talks about volcanoes.

Madison MacKenzie shares her personal journey from growing up near volcanoes in the U.S. and Japan to studying and working in Iceland’s fiery landscape. She walks listeners through volcanic fundamentals — what volcanoes are, how they form and erupt, and what makes Iceland one of the world’s most geologically active regions. Madison explains how different types of lava and eruption styles shape volcanoes, and why Iceland's location on a tectonic boundary and above a hotspot creates such unique volcanic activity.

The episode dives into lava types, eruption styles, and how scientists monitor volcanic behavior through seismic activity and satellite data. Madison also breaks down myths about eruptions, noting that many are mild and even beneficial.

International Geography Training

The latest batch of sessions organised by Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury have now been made available on their website.

There will be six online workshops between the end of August 2025 and May 2026, which can be booked individually or as an ‘any three’, ‘any four’ or ‘all six’ bundle.

Each workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions and then the opportunity to have a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with either Richard or Matt to focus on your specific topic of interest and questions.

The workshops will happen on Saturdays, so most of you will not need to find cover for your classes. They will run from 10h00 CET to 13h30 CET, so you have enough time for a lie-in and a lazy breakfast, and everything is finished in time for a late lunch.

Saturday 30th August 2025 – Surviving the first months as a DP Geography Teacher

Saturday 27th September 2025 – Adapting to the new CIE IGCSE Geography 0460 Syllabus

Saturday 1st November 2025 – Making it matter for your students

Saturday 29th November 2025 – Using generative AI as a Geography Teacher

Saturday 7th March 2026 – Getting your students exam-ready

Saturday 9th May 2026 – Big things that your students need to write

The duo have a new Tom Morgan Jones logo inking too, which is always a mark of quality.

If you have a Whole School subscription to both geographyalltheway.com and ibgeographypods.org, you can get a 10% discount.

All the details can be found on the link here.

Cloud Point app

Thanks to Emma Espley for pointing me towards Cloud Point.

From the website:

What is the point of clouds? 

We at Cloud Point see them as the most amazing by-products of nature - they don't need to be there! A mere gathering of water droplets formed from atmospheric processes can give rise to some of the most amazing shapes, forms and colours. But what we love about them most is they are ever changing. You will never see the same cloud twice and they are always different from one moment to the next. But thats what makes them special; impermanence.

Cloud Point gives you the opportunity to capture these moments, learn what clouds they are, and share this with others. 

Our mission is to create a platform where you can turn to appreciate nature in its ever-changing form, whilst contributing to science and hopefully learning something along the way.

Think also; what connects us to the world gone before our time? 

These days there are so few things that link us now. But when you consider it, you're looking at exactly the same forms and shapes your ancestors would have seen.

Clouds give us the calming, visual opportunity to pause and reflect. So next time you see a cloud, pause for a second and give thanks for all that has been, and is, and will be, under this incredible sky.

The site offers an app which connects you to a like-minded community.

This would be of particular interest to members of the Cloud Appreciation Society. I am member #719, so a relatively early joiner.

GA EDI Report newly published

 

When I was serving on the GA's Governing Body, work started on a report exploring the diversity and inclusion of all aspects of the GA's activity. This was going to be produced by a Working Group called the DIWG.

It has taken a while to carry out the research that underpins the report. Thanks to all those who were involved in producing this.

Thanks to Steve Brace for sending me a copy of the report.

You can download your own copy from here.

Thanks also to the report's co-authors:

Elaine Anderson, Nona Anderson, Peter Jackson, Alastair Owens, Hina Robinson, Iram Sammar and Christine Winter.

The report is published today. It can be downloaded from the GA website.

GA press release says:

Despite growing diversity of the geography GCSE cohort, at A level and at university geography is one of the least diverse of all subjects.

The subject, and its institutions, are not serving all geography teachers nor all young people who could benefit from studying geography. Change is needed.

The Geographical Association (GA) recognises the need for change and invited feedback from a wide range of participants on its work and governance.

The Geography for Everyone? report, and the research on which it is based, was commissioned by the GA’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, established in response to the GA’s 'listening exercise'. This spoke of the need to ‘drive forward initiatives for greater diversity in the Association and support for anti-racist teaching in geography’.

While the research sets out to explore diversity and inclusion from a range of perspectives, the themes of ‘race’ and ethnicity were strongly emphasised in interviews with participants and are central to the report, perhaps reflecting wider societal concerns and movements like ‘Black Lives Matter’. The report’s co-authors Elaine Anderson, Nona Anderson, Peter Jackson, Alastair Owens, Hina Robinson, Iram Sammar and Christine Winter commented:

'Working together on this report has opened our eyes to some of the challenges that the Geographical Association faces in becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

But we are also optimistic that the GA can use the insights and recommendations in our report to drive change so that it supports the needs of all geography educators and helps to build a discipline that values the experiences and perspectives of everyone.'

The GA welcomes this report and its recommendations. These will help bring positive change to the Association and the subject.

The GA is currently preparing its new 2025 -30 strategic plan and ‘Geography for Everyone’ will be one of its guiding principles.

Cooper Education

James Peverill got in touch to let me know about some upcoming events organised by Cooper Education.

This is a newish CPD offering - catering for those who want help with specific GCSE and ‘A’ level exam specifications - and includes some very well known speakers including Cameron Dunn, Paul Logue, Kate Stockings and Catherine Owen. 

If you go to the website and scroll down you will see that they offer a range of CPD sessions - held as webinars - supporting different qualifications. The next session, for example, features Kate Stockings talking about Regenerating Places for EQ3 and EQ4. It takes place later today. She is also leading another session next week. 

Check the website if you are interested in finding out more.

Please note: I have not attended any of these sessions so this is not a personal endorsement, but all the speakers are very highly regarded.

ONS Population Projection explorer

Another useful interactive from ONS to unpick the Census 2021 data.

This comes after yesterday's news stories about projections of how fast migration is going to be changing the UK's population over the next decade.

The UK Population projection explorer is a new tool launched yesterday.

Small changes in factors like migration and life expectancy can have a big influence on population projections. This interactive tool enables you to adjust different factors and see the effect they have on what the population may look like in the future and make comparisons with our official projections.

There is a caveat:

The statistics generated by this tool are projections, not predictions. National population projections are not forecasts and do not attempt to predict changes in international migration, births or deaths.

Knowledge Symposium at UCL

 A UCL Symposium on knowledge looks like it might be a useful CPD opportunity. It is on the 26th of March 2025

This symposium aims to investigate: 

a) how knowledge in education in different countries is shaped by contemporary ideas about the relationship between the past, present and future, and 

b) epistemic growth in university disciplines and school subjects. 

We will discuss whether schools can and should do without ideas of epistemic growth and progress in education and how we should think about and revise the relation between knowledge, education and progress in different socio-political and educational contexts.

This symposium will bring together scholars and teachers interested in exploring the relationships between knowledge, education and progress. 

As John Hopkin (a former President of the GA) succinctly explains:

‘The idea of education is an idea of progress, an investment in the future of our young people and community’ (2011, 116). 

The suggestion that humanity is lifted through studying a planned curriculum of learning different disciplines dates to Peter Rasmus (1515-1567). 

Rasmus built a case for learning from a designated series of books (a curriculum), not just individual scholars, thus opening the potential for the democratisation of education. In 21^st century Europe, societies struggle to articulate a positive vision of the future and a vision for education. Ideas of social, economic, moral and political progress are problematised and contested. 

The idea of progress has been tainted with its past association with colonialism, exploitation and domination and is thus criticized as a genuinely `Western ideal´, a secularized `hollow replica of a Christian conception of history´ or even as a kind of `Prozac for intellectuals´ (Gray, 2004). 

Some academics now envisage Education After Progress, while others think schools must engage with the meaning of social progress. 

Find out more here.

The cost is £40 (£10 for unwaged/students)

Place available on RGS Education Committee

There is availability to join me on the Royal Geographical Society's Education Committee, which I joined in June as Vice President Education.

We have an important job to do - particularly at the moment with a focus on the Government's Curriculum and Assessment review.

The process is explained on the link below if you'd like to put yourself forward.

You will need to fill in a few forms online and get them to the Director's office by the 20th of March 2025. Selected names will then be added to a ballot paper which will go out to all those eligible to vote. The results will be announced at the RGS's AGM in early June 2025. I shall be there. 

You will fill the role for a four year term.

Only Fellows of the Society may stand for positions on Council and only Fellows may propose candidates for election (this includes Associate Fellows).

If you wish to stand for election to Council, you should be able to demonstrate:

• a good working knowledge of the Society
• an understanding and support for its breadth of activities and audiences
• experience and seniority relevant to the position that you are standing for

Each position also requires a sound working knowledge, as appropriate, of geographical education, expeditions and fieldwork, research and higher education, geography in professional practice. In addition, Council has provided guidance to nominees and proposers on the skills, expertise and experience that it feels would be most helpful at the present time. It is not a requirement that nominees fill identified skills gaps but it is highly desirable.

For Education this is described as:

Practical expertise, skills and knowledge as an established geography teacher (with five or more years of classroom experience), head of geography or senior leader at secondary level (Councillor).   

In terms of time commitment, Council members must be available to read papers for, and attend, four Council meetings per year and at least two Committee meetings per year.

Go to this page for all the details.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like to know more details about what is involved in this role, and good luck if you are thinking of applying.

International Geography Training - new for 2025

A new venture, and one I can certainly get behind...

Two legends of international geography teaching, resource creation and training in the same virtual space: Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury have teamed up to offer some special support for teachers in international schools / teaching international qualifications.

Their new website and opportunity is now live.

They will start their new enterprise by offering three online workshops between now and May 2025, which can be booked individually or as an ‘all three bundle’.

Each workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions and then the opportunity to have a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with either Richard or Matt to focus on your specific topics of interest and questions.

The workshops will happen on Saturdays, so most of you will not need to find cover for your classes. They will run from 10h00 CET to 13h30 CET, so you have enough time for a lie-in and a lazy breakfast, and everything is finished in time for a late lunch.

The workshops focus on the training needs of international geography teachers, especially those teaching IB DP Geography and IGCSE Geography.

Head to the website to find out more.

Upcoming GA Gloucester Branch CPD - 'Digging Deeper'

I've just finalised the plans for a session for GCSE and 'A' Level teachers and students later this month as part of the programme of events offered by the GA Gloucester Branch.

It's an upate of a session I created for the GA Oxford Branch last year.

I explore some of the ways that teachers and students can research case studies they need to remember for exams to make them come to life a little more, and ensure they are a little more authentic, contemporary and relevant, as well as memorable for the exam when it comes to revising.

Why not sign up?

This will be one of my Worldly Wednesdays....

New resources on coastal erosion

 

Some new resources from Anthony at Internet Geography. These were filmed recently at Mappleton: a popular case study for coastal erosion and management.

New footage featuring coastal erosion and mass movement at Mappleton on the Holderness Coast: https://t.co/BZQQxyBOAi #geographyteacher

— internetgeography.net 🌍 (@InternetGeog) July 16, 2024

Some new YouTube footage is shared here. 

Subscribe to Internet Geography to explore more of what Anthony has produced.

New role... new blog

As you'll have perhaps seen from a post at the end of April, I'm going to be working as the Vice President: Education of the RGS from June. 

As with any major project that I get involved with, or new role, I've started a new blog. This will track my work over the coming years, and also publicise relevant RGS-IBG activity. 

When I started out on my GA Presidential journey,  I started a blog which now has over 850 posts on it, and includes a biography of every GA President to date as well as much more on the history of the Association and its activities.

No. 1 Kensington Gore is known as "the Home of Geography". 

I've taken that as the name for my new blog, as I'll be visiting more regularly than I have for a few years.

Lowther Lodge has been the home of the Royal Geographical Society for over 100 years. 

You can visit the new blog here. 

Please check back regularly over the months to come...

100 000 page views

 We are now up to 100 000 page views on the blog. Thanks for your interest.

RGS Teachmeet - 26th June

 

Why not join me in late June for the latest RGS-IBG Teachmeet - once again, it's online rather than face to face, but that allows people to join who would not be able to get to Kensington on a weekday evening, so that's fair enough.

Free to join.

Sign up online here.

Speakers

Jo Clarke, Queen Anne's School – Using audio and visual feedback

Guy Paxman, Durham University - The Greenland StoryMap series

Jen Monk, Stretford High School – Windows and Mirrors, ensuring diversity in our curriculum

Fiona Sheriff, Kingsthorpe College - Beautiful books to inspire curiosity in the classroom

Rosie Moore, Cronton Sixth Form College - Embedding Cornell note-taking to improve assessment outcomes

Alan Parkinson, King's Ely Prep - 'Should I stay or should I go': leveraging professional support for pedagogical longevity

I'll be speaking about pedagogical longevity, and how we can use the available support from professional organisations - including the GA and RGS-IBG - to provide the spark which will get us through those times when we question whether we can stay in the classroom.

Practical Pedagogies 2024 - Early Bird tickets available

The third running of the Practical Pedagogies conference will take place in November 2024. The first two events were rather great - one in Toulouse and one in Cologne.

This event will take place in Cologne once again.

The keynote speaker who will bookend the event is Hywel Roberts. He was awesome. His book 'Bothereredness' has been published since the last event, when he was sharing some of the ideas behind it, and comes highly recommended.

You can find out how to get your Early Bird ticket and also see the full programme (subject to the addition of other sessions) on the link above as well. There are over 120 sessions. They are all presented by teachers / educators, sharing what they do with colleagues. You will see session from Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury and quite a few other familiar names here.

My session is here, as described. It will take place on the 1st day of the conference.

Early Bird tickets available in limited quantities which are 100 Euros cheaper than the normal price.

Congratulations to Rafael

An excellent interview with Rafael de Miguel Gonzalez Lazaro published in Spanish, but can be viewed in a translation from the link above.

Rafael was recently awarded the highest geographical honours of the Gilbert Grosvenor Honours from the American Association of Geographers (AAG). This was well deserved.

It means entering the “Olympus” of the greats of geography, which includes Walter Christaller, Yi-Fu Tuan, David Harvey and others.

I've been fortunate to work with Miguel on a whole range of ERASMUS projects over the years, and I hope to be working on something with him later in the year.

A final quote from the interview:

"I want to make a call, above all, to understand geography as a bridge science between the natural sciences and the social sciences, and a fundamental science to understand the current world."

Image source: https://iuca.unizar.es/noticia/rafael-de-miguel-si-nunca-hubiese-sacado-mi-trabajo-de-zaragoza-no-habria-tenido-el-reconocimiento-que-ha-tenido/?fbclid=IwAR1QqkeBVVeON__2V_2U6rgFueM-dmzpZPh_0lJsdJAxqraL5djs7nC2bH8 

Tenemos el enorme placer de informaros de la concesión del prestigioso premio «AAG Gilbert Grosvenor Honors for Geographic Education» a nuestro compañero, Rafael de Miguel de la @unizar
Enhorabuena y nuestro agradecimiento por su excelente contribución a la Geografía pic.twitter.com/RLJNatGLW1

— AGE (@AGE_Oficial) January 11, 2024

'A' level grids for Tim Marshall books

 

Thanks to Fiona Sheriff for the lead to some useful grids for those who may be thinking of using Tim Marshall's books with their 'A' level students (or younger).

Do you use any of the @Itwitius @eandtbooks books at A Level? Found this really useful grid showing how you can use the books at A Level - mapped to the diff specs. https://t.co/sTNlKriRW6

Lots of opportunity for wider reading!#GeographyTeacher

— Fiona Sheriff 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🌍 (@fiona_616) February 10, 2024

Practical Pedagogies 3 - a call for session proposals

 

One of the best events I've attended and presented at has been the Practical Pedagogies events that were held in 2016 and 2018. The first was held in Toulouse and the second was in Cologne.

Russel Tarr is now organising a third running of the event and the call for sessions is now open. I shall definitely be there (assuming my presentation is accepted). I'll be working on this over the weekend.

Workshop proposals for Practical Pedagogies 2024 are warmly welcomed from primary, secondary and whole-school practitioners and educators willing to share their expertise and practices in a friendly, collaborative, international setting. 

Experienced and first-time presenters are equally welcome to submit a proposal!

The special ticket price for workshop leaders is just 75 Euros for the full two days (payable upon the session proposal being accepted onto the programme). This non-refundable fee, which represents a 75% discount on the standard ticket price, helps ensure that people accepted to run workshops seriously plan to attend.

This sum is effectively reimbursed with free access to the coach which brings attendees to and from the venue from central Cologne, and complimentary meal at the evening restaurant function on the final evening, which is always a highlight of the event. However, please note that in order to keep delegate ticket prices genuinely affordable, we are not able to cover any other expenses.

If you go to the website you can now submit a session proposal.

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