Tuesday 28 August 2012

Hurricane Season

One of the sections in the book refers to the importance of timing when teaching GCSE topics.
As we are currently in Hurricane Season, and the news today was discussing Hurricane Isaac, perhaps the start of the new school year could be a chance to focus on Extreme Weather or Natural Hazards - or the relevant section of the (hopefully accredited) specification that you are teaching.

Check the ESRI Hurricane and Cyclone disaster map, which is constantly updated, and is currently showing the track of Isaac and associated media...

Don't forget that you can also add a WEATHER layer to Google Earth...

Isaac is over two hundred miles wide at present, and travelling at around 10 miles an hour towards New Orleans....
Perhaps a chance to compare with Hurricane Katrina...


Friday 24 August 2012

GCSE Results Day

Congratulations to all those who received GCSE results yesterday, particularly GCSE Geography and to the teachers who supported students as they worked towards their grades.
There has been a lot of press and other coverage of exams today, as was to be expected. There has been plenty of talk of political interference, changed grade boundaries and goalposts being moved...

If you want to support the next year's cohort of students as they work towards their GCSE Geography, this is a gentle reminder of the Badger GCSE book which will help you support students to get the best possible grades. I can't guarantee there won't be some external alterations of grade boundaries in the meantime, but at least you can be satisfied that you did all that was possible to prepare students.

Of course, we are still waiting for some of the final awarding body specifications to be accredited by OFQUAL, which a week before the start of the new academic year is a crazy situation....

Monday 20 August 2012

New GA CPD courses 2012-13

You've bought the book (I hope) - now meet the author....

The latest GA courses for the new academic year have now been published and are on the Geographical Association WEBSITE.

The courses in red are the ones I am leading. Look forward to seeing some of you there...

You can download further information and a course flyer from the links. Feel free to use these with colleagues.

Leading urban fieldwork

For primary teachers and geography subject leaders
London - Tuesday 16 October 2012
Manchester - Monday 22 October 2012
Price: From £150

Primary geography for the non-specialist

For non-specialist primary teachers, including those who may be taking on the subject responsibility within their school
Birmingham - Wednesday 17 October 2012
London - Wednesday 7 November 2012
Price: From £150

Leading a successful geography department

For current and aspiring secondary geography subject leaders
Birmingham - Thursday 18 October 2012
London - Friday 19 October 2012
Price: From £160

Google Earth and beyond: free online GIS

For secondary geography teachers
Leeds - Thursday 18 October 2012
London - Thursday 25 October 2012
Price: From £160

Planning for Ofsted with the Quality Mark Self Evaluation Form

For secondary and post-16 geography teachers and subject leaders
London - Tuesday 23 October 2012
Birmingham - Friday 30 November 2012
Price: From £160

NQT Conference: Making a difference in the classroom

For secondary geography NQTs
York - Thursday 8 November 2012
London - Thursday 15 November 2012
Price: From £160

Outstanding teaching and learning in primary geography

For primary teachers and subject co-ordinators
Manchester - Monday 28 January 2013
York - Monday 4 March 2013
London - Friday 15 March 2013
Price: From £150

Managing safe and effective fieldwork for IGCSE geography

For secondary geography teachers involved in delivering the new IGCSE
Leeds - Monday 4 February 2013
London - Tuesday 5 February 2013
Price: From £160

Being Ofsted ready with the PGQM

For primary geography subject leaders, middle leaders and head teachers
London - Tuesday 5 March 2013
Nottingham - Monday 11 March 2013
Price: From £150

Fieldwork and new technologies

For post-16 geography teachers
Birmingham - Thursday 7 March 2013
London - Thursday 14 March 2013
Price: From £160

    Leading through primary geography

    For primary teachers and geography subject leaders
    Birmingham - Friday 3 May 2013
    London - Wednesday 15 May 2013
    Price: From £150