Friday, 22 February 2013

What is the future of Local ?

Here's Dan Raven Ellison looking moody and magnificent, and buying some bread, in a short film made in association with TED Conversations. Dan will be speaking at a TEDX event in Lausanne in March.
He asks a question about the impact of globalisation on our lives, and what the future of LOCAL is...

#futureoflocal





What do you think local means ?

For example, how local is the meat in this ad ?
70 miles ! That's not local for me....
What about your local regional TV news at 6pm in the evening ? I get news about Northampton and Southend... not really interested in that to be honest...



There are some  interesting responses already on the TED page

Why not check out the INTERDEPENDENCE mapper on National Geographic...
Or order your MESHU, which is an interesting idea.

Monday, 18 February 2013

Geography all the Way

Richard Allaway is doing another order of Geography all the Way clothing.
The clothing has a logo designed by Tom Morgan Jones, who illustrates Mission:Explore. There are t-shirts, hoodies and junior T-shirts in various sizes and colours.
Ordering details are available by following the link...

Order by March the 15th...

Special Geographical Conference Prices:


Adult t-shirts: £8
Adult hoodies: £17
Junior t-shirts: £5

Global Learning Project vacancies...

I blogged earlier about the signing of a Global Learning Project involving DfID, Pearson and a number of organisations, including the Geographical Association. Had this gone ahead when it was originally planned, around 2010, I would still have a job, but sadly it was delayed and then its scale was altered slightly. The project as it now stands is described HERE on the GA website.

Some job opportunities were announced at the weekend for people to work on the project for a fixed period of time.
These range from national project leader to more regional and school based project co-ordinators. Worth a look if you fancy a change in role, and a few years focussed on global learning.



The vacancies will also appear on the Guardian jobs site soon and will be linked back to the Pearson’s website so that all applicants will be able to view them in one place. The jobs will be on the sites for two weeks.


While we're at it, there's also a job going working with Richard Allaway at the International School of Geneva. Worth a look if you fancy some time abroad...

If anyone else has a teaching vacancy they want me to advertise my rates are very reasonable... :)

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

RGS-IBG Young Geographer of the Year

Each year, the RGS-IBG run a competition in association with Geographical Magazine.
It's called the Young Geographer of the Year Award.

The details have just been announced of this year's competition.


The competition began in 2000 and has become a regular feature in many schools' calendars.
The question for Young Geographer of the Year 2013, run jointly with Geographical, is:

How does either the human or physical geography of your local area compare to the rest of the UK? 

Pupils should use different sources of geographical information and data to research their local area and compare it to the national picture in the UK. This might include using census or climate data, and examining urban change or flood risk. However, the choice is open to you to explore relevant data to your local area.
The competition has categories for Key Stage 2 (KS2), KS3, GCSE and A Level students. 

The Society encourages schools to run their own in-school competition before sending their top entries into the national competition.
We particularly welcome entries which:
  • Can demonstrate a good use of different and relevant data
  • Focus on and explain a small number of geographical features and information about them. We do not need to know everything about your local area and would prefer you to select some key data
  • May also involve first-hand observation in the local area
Entries for the Young Geographer of the Year competition must be received by 5.00pm on the 11 October 2013.

Rex Walford Award 2013 – for student teachers or teaching colleagues new to the classroom

The same question will also form the basis of the accompanying Rex Walford Award, which is for teachers in either their student training year (for example: PGCE, Schools Direct) or who have just started in the classroom (for example: NTQ, Teach First). Entries should include lesson notes or a scheme of work to cover two or three lessons exploring this issue and we particularly welcome entries which include opportunities for data handling and fieldwork. 
Entries for the Rex Walford Award must be received by 5.00pm on the 11 October 2013.


Go to the RGS-IBG website for further information and entry forms...

Friday, 11 January 2013

OS MapFinder App

A new app was launched on the iOS store today which a lot of people are going to find useful.
It's produced by the Ordnance Survey, and called OS MapFinder.

The app comes with a basic high level map of the whole country preloaded, as well as a sample map tile around Exeter - so the folks of Exeter get lucky :)
Further tiles can then be downloaded (for either 69p for 1:50 000 or £2.49 for 1:25 000) as an in-app purchase.

Map tiles can be explored, and routes can be added on and plotted. The app will also store routes which have been walked or cycled.
Places can be found using a search by postcode, name or grid reference.

If you want to see more about the app, there's a YouTube video below which shows you a lot more.


Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Oxford Geography Teachers Day

I have attended this event several times in the past, and it has always been a splendid occasion.

This year's event is now available to book and there are some good options for GA members to have reduced price bookings. It's a fairly stellar list of presenters.... and me....
Open to state schools as well as Independent schools.



OXFORD GEOGRAPHY TEACHER’S DAY2013
(Organised by the Oxford Branch of the Geographical Association and supported by the GA Independent Schools Special Interest Group)

AT ST EDWARD’S SCHOOL, OXFORD ON THURSDAY 7th MARCH 2013

10.00 Coffee/Tea/Refreshments on arrival

10.15 Introduction by Dr Garrett Nagle   President of the Oxford GA Branch

10.20   Opening Lecture
Bob Digby – President of the Geographical Association

‘Geographers and some Contemporary Health Issues’

 11.00 to 1pm
Choose TWO workshops to attend (each workshop will be 55 minutes) with exception of workshop 6 for Prep school and KS3 teachers which will last the whole 2 hours 

Seminar/ Workshop 1
Professor Sarah Harper - Oxford University
Population and Old Age updates – update for teaching GCSE and Post 16 Geography students

      Workshop 2
      Peter Price   Head of Geography from Charterhouse and Ewan Laurie
      Head of Geography, King’s School, Wimbledon
      Teaching the new Post 16 Exams – Practical Workshop linking Fieldwork    
      with the new A Levels, Pre  U and IB Curriculum .

      Workshop 3
      Lead by Dr Gareth Hughes – Head of Geography at Radley College with
      Rob Morris (Geography Teacher at Shrewsbury School)- Practical   
      Fieldwork Ideas for the new International GCSE
      (This hopefully will take place outside in the school Grounds –
       weather permitting!)

      Workshop 5 

      Alan Parkinson (Geography Consultant)

      Connecting teachers - connecting classrooms
        
A look at how social media and smartphone apps can help teachers to  

      connect with other colleagues, and open up possibilities for authentic  

      and collaborative learning, and prepare learners for the future workplace.

Workshop 6 for CE and KS 3 Teachers on next page
         Workshop 6   NB Double Workshop– lasts the whole 120 minutes-
for Prep School and KS 3 Teachers only
Gyles Morris  – CE/ KS3 Fieldwork ideas though ‘the Lens of a Camera
with support on how to use the skills in CE Fieldwork from Simon Lewis (ISEB Lead Setter) and Dr Andrew Lee (SATIPS Geography Broadsheet Editor)
This is aimed at giving you new ideas for inspiring your pupils to use photographs and small areas to produce excellent Fieldwork enquiry skills. 
Ideal for Prep School teachers wanting new ideas for the revised CE Fieldwork Enquiry.
(Will be outside along the Canal ) (Restricted to 12 teachers)


1.10 pm  A chance to talk with some Publishers  and look at resources over a glass of wine and a chance to browse all the latest publications.

1.45  A sit down Lunch followed by 10 minutes from Steve Brace of the Royal Geographical Society (with the IBG)

2.45 pm-  3.45pm:  Lecture and Question session
Alan Kinder (Chief Executive of the Geographical Association)
 ‘
Geography and the GA in a time of curriculum change. Where are we, where are we going and how we can support you.’

A chance to hear what Alan Kinder has to say and to question him and to let him know what support you think the GA can give to teachers and the pupils you teach.

3.45 pm Finish

You can attend for £60 if a GA member (£160 if not) and two teachers can attend from the same GA member school for just £75


Let me know if you'd like a copy of the booking form sending to you....

Friday, 4 January 2013

KS3 Bitesize Geography

Thanks to Helen Young from Geography Geek for letting me know about the launch of a new project she's been working on.

KS3 Bitesize Geography contains a lot of new content, including animations by Aardman. Check the ACTIVITY option for each section to play fun interactive games. Explore the patterns of Crime in Noseyford, or the coastal processes at Sleepton Regis...

There are 6 sections to the new site.
Places 
Antarctica, Awesome areas, Extreme environments, Geography of Europe, Contrasts within a continent
Spaces
Rural areas and farming, Settlement in urban areas, Geography of crime
Interdependence 
Population and migration, Globalisation and global trade, Development
Physical processes 
Glaciation, Plate tectonics, Rivers and flooding, Coasts, Weather and climate
Human processes 
Changing shopping patterns, Sustainable futures, Tourism, Geography of sport
Geographical enquiry 
Geographical skills
Well worth checking out. 
Why not set your students the task of reviewing a section, and selecting their favourite(s) ?