Notes from a PGCE #4: Maps and Mapping

The fourth of a series of posts which may be of interest to those who are completing their PGCE this year (or completed it in other years).  

In this session we explored maps and mapping.

There was a mention for former GA President W G V Balchin who, along with Alice Coleman, developed the idea of graphicacy: one of geography's great contributions.

We explored the relatively new opportunities for remote sensing. When I got my first full time job in King's Lynn, the school had an aerial on the roof which sent satellite images to a computer in the geography room. It would take about half an hour for the final basic image to appear line by line on the small monitor screen.

We also explored the idea of children's mental maps. We used the classic book from Gould and White in a Penguin edition.

We also had discussions about the Peters' projection which was still relatively new having appeared in the 1970s, but had not yet replaced the Mercator projection in many classrooms (and still hasn't one could argue). 

There was no Google Earth or anything similar of course, and few paper OS maps either. Examination extracts were the main map collection, plus some large sheets in an old plans chest, which would now be worth a fortune probably.

PGCE Week 3: Maps and Mapwork by GeoBlogs on Scribd

I'd love to hear from others with memories of their own PGCEs (other ITE opportunities are available)