
Christmas is coming....
Looking back over previous work, there are some links on my GEOGRAPHYPAGES website, including an old BLOG POST.

Research Christmas presents and their global connections e.g. iPods, Barbies (some multicultural ones)
Thanks very much to Victoria Ellis for adding a comment which led me to her rather nice Christmas Assembly cum Quiz, embedded below:
A trip to Christmas Island ?
Music Festivals
To accompany it, here's a great pic of Sigur Ros from Alexandra Palace, which a few people I know went to - sounds like it was up to the standard of the first date on the tour that I saw.

Pic by Flickr user Beeeeeeeeeeeez
(hope that's enough e's)
Suffolk Geography Conference
Had a very good turnout for my keynotes and the network sessions in the afternoon. It was good to meet with the Heads of Department of 2 'Secondary Quality Mark' and 'Centre of Excellence' schools. Thanks for your contributions to the Ruth Totterdell inspired "Mr. Happy", "Mr. Grumpy" session...
Here are the 2 presentations that I used today: slightly edited to remove some copyrighted images and also with credits on the final slide...
Let me know if you have any questions about any of the content, or would like more information.
I hope I convinced you of the need to introduce an element of carefully planned CREATIVITY, perhaps using Chris Durbin's framework.
Also check out the NEW SUFFOLK LEARNING website, which contains resources that would also be useful for those outside Suffolk too... Choose CURRICULUM, then HUMANITIES...
Second session started with an overview of GIS, and then some resourcing issues. Many thanks to those colleagues who contributed in various ways, and thanks to Dale Banham and all colleagues in Suffolk for their efforts today.
Suffolk Geography Conference 3
Also remember WORDLE
New BBC Broadband Materials
Primary Geography Competition

There are fifteen books to give away so the first fifteen schools to emailcorrina@thinkfoodandfarming.
*Entries are limited to one entry per school and must be submitted by a member of staff who has permission to use the photographs.
Brighton hoves into view...
- For example, here are some A2 MATERIALS from the Chesterfield resources event (top right on the web page) - details from each of the syllabuses.
- The SOUTH RIBBLE network area has a great set of GOOGLE EARTH RESOURCES. Check these out...
- I also found a whole section on the new NETWORKS which I hadn't been aware of...
I BETT this will be good....

Where in the World ?
Suffolk Geography Conference 2
A 'geography' quiz in the Guardian
Mobile Internet Usage on the increase...
Suffolk Geography Conference 1
This YouTube clip, made by GIS professionals in Austin, Texas by the sound of it, is a great parody of REM's "It's the end of the world", made for GIS Day 2008, earlier in the month...
Discovered via one of my TWITTER contacts.
Futurelab report on Transformative Innovation
The new handbook, ‘Promoting Transformative Innovation in Schools’, is designed to prompt debate around the nature and purpose of innovation in schools. It aims to offer evidence, insights, ideas and recommendations that can be built upon to support and nurture a culture of transformative innovation within education and to share approaches and tools that can support innovative practice in schools.
This handbook is available to download free from www.futurelab.org.uk/handbooks

Worth reading to see what messages can be used in the Geography classroom...

Education 2020

Suffolk to Notts...
Just after breakfast time this morning, I was wandering the streets of Lavenham in Suffolk. A bit dark these images (sorry)...






Mark Cowan Poem
Thanks to Victoria Ellis' GEOGTASTIC blog for this example of Mark's poem: a great one about Fieldwork...

Don't forget that Geographical Association members get 15% off the book - check GA NEWS for more information.
50 Geographical Films
Ready for a session in Suffolk later this week.
Which one(s) have you used, and how did you use them ?
A new friend...

Land Grab
London - Stage 2 - Resourcing Controversial Issues

Another trip down to London today. Slightly later train, which was nowhere near as crowded, and Victoria Line to Vauxhall Bridge road and the Education and Campaign offices of Oxfam GB. I liked the 'chill-out' igloo !
The link is because of a unit that I am writing in association with Oxfam, which will also form part of an online CPD resource, coming in January 2009.
London - Stage 1

Train down to London, and a crammed underground on Piccadilly line to South Kensington. Past the ice rink outside the Natural History museum, and to the Royal Geographical Society for the launch of Primary Geography Champions.

Use the Google Map below to identify and contact your regional CHAMPION. Don't worry if there's no-one near you at the moment - the next tranche will be appointed shortly.
Why not apply ?
View Larger Map
Interdependence Day Seminar

Sheffield University Geography Department - 18th November - 4.15pm
Thanks to Dr. Tariq Jazeel for inviting me to yesterday's seminar by Dr. Renata Tyszczuk from the Architecture department of the University of Sheffield on the Interdependence Day project , which looks at the nature of global environmental change, as we enter the era that has come to be known as the Anthropocene : one of human landscape- alteration and environmental instability.
It explored interdependence as framework for discussion on human alteration of the world.
It also featured the Mappae Mundi project
This project is currently being developed with partners at the Open University and is a cross-disciplinary venture between Geography and Architecture, between `writing the earth´ and `making place´. Its ambition is to `put stories back into maps´.
Renata talked about 2 events at the Royal Geographical Society, and the publication “Do good lives have to cost the earth ?
Also passed out some broadsheets from the Interdependence Day meetings, including an excellent article: “London Inside Out” by Doreen Massey, which was familiar to me from her book “World City”.
Talked about 2 story-based pieces:
We don’t know when it’s coming in (PDF download)
Relating to clothing, and connections the British Antarctic Survey, and the charity clothing shop where items were sold.
We don’t have a survival kit (PDF download)
New maps for an island planet, and ideas of provisionality and uncertainty.Thanks to Dr. Jazeel for the invitation.

Let's get together...

School Geography
Glogster....
Public Geographies: Seminar Series 1
‘How did that happen?’ The creation of time and space for public geographies
This introductory event will be held over a 24-hour period, with the aim of identifying common themes and issues about ‘new public geography’ through panel discussion and open floor debate, presentations and interventions of varying types focused on exploring ‘how did that happen?’
We wish to encourage anyone with an interest in ‘engaging geography’ to participate – academics, researchers, students, practitioners, and, of course, members of ‘the public’. We hope to facilitate the inclusion of as wide a constituency of ‘geographers’ as possible, by creating time and space for discussion around stories of engagements, the initiation of enduring relationships and research, issues of communication/translation, engaging geographical work beyond academic publication, successes and failures, and perceptions of those on ‘the receiving end’ of geographical engagements, with a particular focus on exploring how publics value the time and expertise of geographers.
The seminar will include:
Friday 23 Jan
- Arrivals, lunch, informal conversations …
‘How did that happen?’: panel discussants and open floor debate
- Susan Buckingham (Middlesex University)
- Ian Cook (Exeter University)
- Rachel Pain (Durham University)
- Tom Wakeford (Director, Beacons of Public Engagement)
‘Conversations I’: small group debate and feedback, drawing on people’s wider experiences and thoughts on public geography*
*Participants are encouraged to do some ‘homework’ for the seminar, asking students, colleagues, research contacts, family and/or friends relevant questions around ‘what is public geography?’ – and to bring their ‘findings’ with them
Evening meal … in honour of Dr. Duncan Fuller, who was the driving force behind this seminar series before his unexpected death early in October
Saturday 24 Jan
Film screening: collaborations between geographers/academics and ‘publics’
- Matthew Gandy (UCL)/PUKAR: water issues in Mumbai
- Neil Percival (Northumbria Uni): community film making - experiences of racism in the north east of England
‘Public geographies in action’: presentations of (local) case studies with Q&A
- Neil Denton (Newcastle City Council): ‘Perceptions of safety at the neighbourhood level’
- New Line Graffiti Promotions
- Participatory Evaluation and Appraisal in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (PEANuT)
- John Woodward (Northumbria Uni) Antarctic research / schools education work
‘Conversations II’: round up of emerging themes, ‘where do we take this’, discussion around dissemination and outputs etc
Public-orientated intervention in Newcastle city centre, around the issue of ID cards…
All participants are encouraged to bring posters/leaflets/info about specific projects/research they feel is relevant to debate: space will be made available to present any such material.
We hope to also show the photographic exhibition that resulted from the ‘Rescue Geographies’ project, recently installed at MADE gallery in Birmingham, throughout the event: see http://www.rescuegeography.org.uk/default.htm
The seminar is FREE TO ATTEND, and being run midday Friday to Saturday afternoon in order to enable those outside academia with work commitments Mon-Fri to attend for at least part of the conference – please indicate on the application form (available from kye.askins@northumbria.ac.uk or phone 0191 227 3743) which days you intend to participate.
Date: January 23rd and 24th, 2009 Convenor: Kye Askins (Northumbria University) Location: Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne Potential speakers: open to all ‘publics’: academic, postgraduate, practitioner, policy
GA Conference 2009: full programme now available

The full programme for the 2009 GA Conference is now available on the website.
I've been to Hull and back....
Study Geography

The RGS have a very helpful site which takes students through the various options, and is well worth visiting.
The Estate we're in...

Geography Champions

This is a new project, co-ordinated by the Geographical Association as part of the Action Plan for Geography.
- Passionate about geography as a subject and about the teaching and learning of quality primary geography?
- Enthusiastic about leading and developing existing or new networks of primary teachers?
- Familiar with the aims of the Action Plan for Geography (APG) and the values of the Geographical Association?
Benefits include: |
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The Geography of the Sunday Lunch
What geographical connections could be made based around the sunday lunch. As food is a preoccupation at the moment with the other resource I'm writing, here's some pics of the lunch that I prepared for 6 people earlier today...




- Agriculture
- Food Miles
- GM Foods
- Cultural Influences
- YORKSHIRE Pudding
- Fenland Soils and the need for flood protection
- Energy prices
- Biofuels
The Food Crisis

Working on an article for GA Magazine in Spring 2009, which tells the story of a resource I am also writing for the Training and Development Agency in association with Oxfam. Got a meeting next week to start to put the resource together.
200th post...
Under construction
Nice work.
Shakeout in the News
Apparently about 5 million people took part in the event...
About 5 million people "living" geography...
Concepts: a poll....
Geography in Schools: Misplaced or Misheard ?
Peter Jackson introduced the lecture, and David Lambert explored the nature of geography as a subject discipline, and the various pressures and tensions that exist between subjects and a curriculum based on competencies, and skills.
Norfolk Network Meeting


David Lambert Lecture - live Twitter posts....

Geography in schools: misheard or misplaced?
Professor David Lambert (Chief Executive of the Geographical Association)
5:30 pm Richard Roberts Auditorium

Beyond critical - some spaces of optimism in a globalised world
Professor Doreen Massey (Open University)
5:30 pm Students' Union Auditorium
GeoChallenge on Facebook

A lot of my virtual colleagues seem to be giving up lots of time to this online diversion.
You need to be logged into Facebook to play.
A Pumpkin is for life, and not just for Halloween...
They are all available from the GA shop.



