ICT Working Group
Contact
Chair: Wendy North
Email: wnorth@geography.org.uk
About the ICT Working Group
The ICT Working Group has been operating since the 1970s. It is made up of around twelve members of the Geographical Association reflecting a broad range of professional interests. The group strives for a balance of primary teachers, secondary teachers, lecturers in ITE, LA advisers or consultants and those working for organisations related to geographical education. Members can be co-opted.
The role of the Working Group is to help geography teachers to make effective use of ICT resources, by knowing what is being done and disseminating it to a wider audience, through articles, conferences, CPD, advice panels and larger publications.
The group meets face to face three times a year (usually in London) and correspond via email. We are also beginning to share ideas through our group page on the GA Ning.
Our Aims
- To investigate new technologies and resources and their potential for teaching and learning geography on behalf of the GA.
- To provide information and advice about teaching and learning with ICT to members of the GA in journals, booklets, the GA website, through presentations, conferences, workshops and correspondence.
- To encourage the effective use of ICT, disseminate good practice and encourage the development of improved approaches to the use of ICT in geography classrooms.
- To promote and initiate projects which involve the effective use of ICT to enhance the learning of geography.
- To contribute to the realisation of the GA strategic plan.
What we do
The ICTWG contributes to a range of regular events and activities. This includes the GA Annual Conference, articles and software reviews for GA publications (such as Primary Geographer and Teaching Geography journals) and the GA website. We also contribute to one-off events and activities such as CPD courses or larger publications.
The group is called upon as the GA spokesperson on ICT issues, such as responding to official consultations.
ICTWG Expertise
The ICT working group has a breadth of experience and expertise, covering many aspects and facets of geographical education, which they are happy to share. In addition to our geography role our professional and personal interests include:
|
Ian Dixson |
Advanced Skills Teacher at High Arcal, Sedgley (a GA SGQM Centre of Excellence) Chartered Geographer and FRGS, member of Black Country GA, author, Regional Subject Advisor, organises Dudley Secondary Geographers group, former SSAT Lead Practitioner, digital product author, editor and consultant. Interests in Gifted and Talented, ICT (of course!), school trips abroad, pedagogy, ITT mentoring, leading CPD, curriculum planning, primary geography, international/global dimension, Eco Schools, house swaps and Cardiff City FC! |
| Peter Fox | Secondary Leading Teacher whose interests include fieldwork and multimedia. |
| Sarah Haynes | Primary Geography Champion for East Sussex. Involved in the Young Geographers project. Conference contributions have focused on developing primary geography and the use of the interactive whiteboard. |
| Tina Horler | Liaises between the GA Primary Committee and the ICT group. A moderator for the Primary Geography Quality Mark. |
| Bob Lang | Secondary teacher at King Edward VI Five Ways School (The school is a SGQM Centre of Excellence). C Geog; GA regional subject adviser & SSAT Lead Practioner; Birmingham KEGS GA Branch. |
| Sophie MacDowall | Secondary teacher and Head of Department in the independent sector; travel. |
| Wendy North |
Primary Curriculum Development Leader for the GA, Primary Geography Quality Mark and Primary Geography Champion. Interests include: graphicacy & ICT, global citizenship, photography and travel. Websites: Everyday Geographies, Flickr, Primary Geography Champions, GA Ning |
| Peter O'Connor | GIS Resource Development & Research, RGS-IBG website, Geography Teaching Today website, work with Liz Taylor (Cambridge University) on training PGCE students and working with local schools, resource development with ESRI UK and GA, e.g. GIS for A-level Geography publication. |
| Andrew Pinks | Head of KS3 Geography at Bottisham Village College. Cambridgeshire GTP subject mentor. Interests include Interactive Whiteboard, Google Earth, photography. |
| Matthew Potter | Head of Geography at Huxlow Science College, Northamptonshire. Interests include: GIS, Interactive Whiteboards, Education for Sustainable Development. |
| David Rayner | |
| Paul Richardson | |
| Kate Russell | Senior Adviser for Geography, School Improvement Division, Staffordshire. Editor of the SLN website and the Geography Teachers Forum. Organiser of bi-annual study tours for geography teachers. |
Get Involved
The ICT Working Group is always keen to recruit new members with an interest in primary ICT and geography who may work in a primary school, in a local authority or in teacher education.
Contact Wendy North if you'd like to get involved.
(Updated 11.01.10)
