Geography+Learning+Evidence

Geography - Precis 1

Pritchard, B., Hutchinson, N. True Blue Geography. Retrieved 12th July, 2010, from Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA): []

This article by Pritchard and Hutchinson discusses the importance and role of Geography Education in Australia. They describe that 'to understand why and who we are, we need to understand both where we have come from (our history) and what places we’re in (our geography)' (p.1). Today we live in a society where the nations are so closely connected with amazing communication capabilities and limitless transportation methods. In comparison to the colonial times, Phinneas Fogg took 80 days to navigate himself around the world, and knowledge of Geography back then was a 'luxury for the rich'. Nowadays geographical literacy takes on a different role, which includes understanding how the world works, or as they referred to 'Geography's task is to write the Earth' (p.1).

The article outlines the results of research that shows the number of students that are taking Geography in their HSC is less than one third of what it was 15 years ago. This has in turn resulted in far less university Geography degrees being studied, and also there are no more stand alone Departments of Geography in schools in Australia any more.

There needs to be more of a push to revitalise Geography Education as part of SOSE in schools across Australia. The focus of attention should be on the year 9-10 curriculum. These are the years in which high school geography teachers have a captive audience. Successes in years 9 and 10 will flow through into years 11 and 12. There is no reason not to think that with a bit of imagination in the curriculum, years 9-10 geography could be (re)presented as a field of study which is central to national and global environmental and social futures. ‘Where do you want to go today?’ was used as the centre-piece of Microsoft’s marketing campaign in the early Internet years. ‘Do geography to understand and change the world’, should be the credo of a revitalized geography curriculum.

If we would like our country to keep up and be well-equipped with our rapidly changing world, then the heads of schooling curriculum should make a priority to not neglect the need for Geography in Australian Education.

 Geography Precis 1 - by Jimmy Green

Towards a National Geography Curriculum for Australia Australian Geography Teachers Association Ltd, Institute of Australian Geographers Inc and The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland (2009). Towards a National Geography Curriculum for Australia. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from@http://www.ngc.org.au/

This paper has been written as a result of the Australian Government’s commitment in 2008 to begin the establishment of a national curriculum. The Geography bodies and associations listed in the reference above developed a project and composed this paper to present what they think should be included in and aid the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in gathering ideas and developing a national geography curriculum.

“The towards a National Geography Curriculum Project Steering Committee has endeavoured to create a document, based on research and wide consultation, which sets out the overarching principles and preferred directions for a national geography curriculum, that geography teachers, academic geographers, and community geographers can agree upon in principle” (p. 45).

“This paper does not attempt to define the content of this curriculum, but it does take a position on some of the key structural issues that have to be decided in shaping this curriculum” (p. 6). The Paper sees these important decisions being: -the definition of geography -the contribution of geography to the education of young Australians -the nature of procedural and substantive knowledge in geography, and -the structure of the curriculum. The project was launched with the website and a range of questions such as: -How should geography be defined in the curriculum? -Why is it important for students to study geography? -What should be the objectives of a geographical education? (p. 5)

These were developed to gain responses and information from the public which have been used to develop the content of the paper. It provides recommendations of what could be included and how it could be included in the national curriculum. The paper also advocates for particular teaching pedagogy and ways of delivering the curriculum to students. These mainly include the scope to allow inquiry-based learning approaches for teaching procedural knowledge (skills, methods, perspectives and questions) as a way of developing substantiative knowledge (content). I think this is a useful document, although long, combats this by having a fairly comprehensive contents page and written text that is quite easy to follow. Also recommend reading the conclusion after or even before the introduction as is sums up and explains the main arguments of the paper well. 

 Geography - Precis 2

Article 1 - Pritchard, B., Hutchinson, N. True Blue Geography. Retrieved 12th July, 2010, from Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA):[]

Article 2 - Found by Jimmy Green Australian Geography Teachers Association Ltd, Institute of Australian Geographers Inc and The Royal Geographical Society of Queensland (2009). Towards a National Geography Curriculum for Australia. Retrieved July 12, 2010, from @http://www.ngc.org.au/

I found this article to have great depth into the input of Geography into the national curriculum development. One of the authors of my article is a part of the Australia Geography Teachers Association (AGTA), whom is also a part of the committee responsible for the views and pushes from this paper on national curriculum.

In short there are a few questions that the paper answers that relate to the article I chose: - Why is it important for students to study Geography? - What skills should a Geography Education develop?

The paper was a good indication of the curriculum that needs to be developed so that it promotes Geography for future students, and prompts students and teachers alike to 'think geographically'. There is a focus on inquiry-based and problem-solving methods, as well as modifying content so that it is engaging and intellectually captivating.

I really do appreciate the efforts many educationalists are putting into the pressing issues of making sure the new National Curriculum will be developed as best possible. This will mean that we, as pre-service teachers and soon to be new teachers, will be utilising the very best developed curriculum to meet the needs of students, teachers, and the community of today. 

 These are some of the resource I have used to collect my learning through the semester, including a Gungahlin map I have created.

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The below file can be used to open the map in Google Earth. Link:

This is the presentation from a workshop showing how to use Google Earth to its full extent - Very Helpful!! Google Earth Presentation

Websites Used: [] - Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) [| Mapping Our World]- A fantastic resource to use, especially on Smart boards.

[] - Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA)

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