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'Celebrating Geography'
Produced by Chris Kington
in association with the Geographical Association
This conference took place on Thursday 24 November at the University of Cambridge and was attended by a capacity audience of 110 delegates. Workshop and lecture materials will be made available for download from this page over the coming weeks.
Introduction - Chris Kington
Lecture 1 - Geography: Is It Cracking Up?
Liz Taylor, University of Cambridge
Workshop 1 - Alternative schemes for learning
Stuart Thompson & Peter Goddard, Norwich School
Workshop 2 - Geography: Why argue?
Di Swift, University Wolverhampton
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| David Lambert addresses delegates at the Reception |
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| Introduction - Chris Kington |
The origin of this conference goes back over 10 years when the late Ted Wragg - and what a shock his untimely death has caused - addressed a party at Woolacombe Bay Hotel when I published my first six books as an independent publisher (Teaching & Learning series edited by Roger Trend including such authors as Fran Martin, Jeff Battersby, Bill Chambers and Karl Donert).
It was also the very same day that the first Dearing Review of the NC was announced! Ted said I was either mad or brave to launch out on my own.
A lot has happened in the following ten years.
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Last year Ted said we should do it again to mark ten years and until August was going to be a keynote speaker. However I thought something more than a party and a little more cerebral was called for. Encouraged by Stuart Thompson and Peter Goddard I dipped my toe in the water to create this experimental event.
The aim is to look at the positives that teaching geography can bring not just to you and your students but the whole school. Good teachers create those magic moments - when the spark of excitement lights the flame of learning. Lives can be changed by such teaching.
The GA has always been supportive and gave me their backing as I planned this event. The local branch - the Cambridge & District branch - have been involved too. So this celebration starts with some real brain work - keynotes from David Leat and Liz Taylor to fire your imagination followed by a choice from four workshops. All this followed by a reception addressed by David Lambert.
The brand new iconic building of the Faculty of Education is a great place to hold such an event. I live and work just across the road and watched this magnificent new building take shape over the last 2 years. It is a pleasure to be able to use its state of the art facilities to celebrate the teaching of geography.
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| Lecture 1 - Geography: Is It Cracking Up? |
This paper contains the full text and references from Liz Taylor's presentation. Her talk explored the 'cracking up' of geography as a subject and discussed the implications of this fragmentation for the future of geography in the curriculum.
Download: Geography: Is It Cracking Up?
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| Workshop 1 - Alternative schemes for learning |
Material from this workshop will be added soon.
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| Workshop 2 - Geography: Why argue? |
In this session, we drew on the Geographical Association’s CPD-Led Curriculum Development projects to explore the use of argumentation in geography. Our emphasis was on how this teaching and learning strategy can support pupils and indeed teachers in thinking geographically.
Used wisely argumentation supports geographers in thinking deeply about the complexity of places. Places are the result of negotiations. These negotiations are better when they are well informed. Geography can contribute by developing with learners an understanding of physical processes, natural features, human priorities and power relationships.
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The background paper and PowerPoint presentation highlight some of the ideas explored in this session while the related sketch file is taken from a Monty Python sketch called The Argument Clinic. The evaluation extracts give a feel for the positive impact that this approach is having on pupil learning.
Download: Background Paper
Download: PowerPoint Presentation
Download: Sketch
Download: Evaluation Extracts
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| Workshop 3 - Celebrating Creativity |
This workshop considered the characteristics of creative geography. A planning framework that encourages creativity was presented which can be applied to a lesson or sequence of lessons across the age range.
In a nutshell, the idea is that thought given to:
a stimulating introduction to gain children's attention,
well chosen questions to elicit a response,
a choice of activity,
purpose and audience (vary the latter),
debriefing,
will result in more creative teaching and more effective learning.
Participants tried the model out and the creative ideas flowed! These ideas were first shown to me by Chris Durbin - I have adapted and developed them and I would encourage you to do the same.
Download: Creative Planning Model
Download: Creative Planning PowerPoint Presentation
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| Workshop 4 - Sensational cities |
This workshop/discussion focussed on the planning agenda being guided through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Download: Sensational Cities Notes
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| Lecture 2 - Really Useful Geography |
Material from this lecture will be added soon.
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| Reception - Celebrating Geography |
Taken from his forthcoming book, Geography inside the Black Box, this short paper outlines David's thoughts on the 'language of geography'.
Download: Geographical Literacy? |
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