Assignment Two Interactive Workshop Topic: The need to make Geography mandatory from years 6 to 10 James Lymer Rachel Bola Pamela Slack Ashlee Patzwald

Why are participants attending our workshop? Participants attending our workshop should be interested in and in favour of the need to make geography mandatory from years six to ten. Why is our workshop relevant? Our workshop is relevant because of the introduction of the National Curriculum which will see the reintroduction of Geography as a stand alone subject. What are some key questions/issues being addressed? Please see the “Focus Questions” slide. What is the focus of our workshop ? The focus of this workshop is to inform participants of the need for geography to be a mandatory subject from year six, and also to provide participants with additional information regarding the teaching a learning of Geography Rationale

 Why should geography be made compulsory?  What is the importance of teaching and learning about geography?  What are some appropriate theoretical frameworks to use?  What are some appropriate teaching strategies?  What types of learning experiences should students be exposed to? Focus Questions

 What cross-curricular links should be made to geography?  What are some present issues surrounding the teaching of geography?  Why is professional development important?  What are the most appropriate types of assessment? Focus Questions (continued)

 What is your definition of Geography?  Did you study Geography at school? Why/why not?  Did you enjoy studying Geography at school? Why/why not?  How do you think your learning experience with Geography could have been made more exciting /interesting?  Do you think Geography should be made compulsory? Why/why not?  What has been your experience with teaching Geography so far?  What do you think about the new (national) Geography curriculum? Questions for Participants (Please respond on the following page)

Responses to Questions Posed

 Geography is the study of the Earth’s lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. This includes the study of place, space, scale, interdependence, environmental interaction, changing physical and human processes and diversity. Geography - Definition

 Educators should be working towards achieving these goals with their students  These goals are addressed in detail in the position paper  Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence  Goal 2: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians

 Multiple intelligences – like all other subjects, Geography should be taught in ways that meet as many different learning styles as possible  Bloom’s Taxonomy – encourages higher order thinking  De Bono’s six thinking hats – also encourages thinking skills  Constructivism – promotes problem solving abilities as students construct their own meaning from their own experiences and build on this knowledge  Social constructivism – Geography education is a product and producer of society Theoretical Frameworks

 In Queensland, SOSE involves the study of history, geography, economics and sociology. The knowledge and understanding indicators of the SOSE curriculum are organised in four areas; time, continuity and change, place and space, culture and identity and political and economic systems. This broad range of content that must be covered does not allow for a strong focus on geography.  Many teachers have experienced the absorption of geography into SOSE and this has resulted in a loss of the content, rigour and skills that were taught when geography was a stand alone subject. Teachers have found that students studying geography in the final years of high school are lacking the basic knowledge required for that level of study. The Importance of Teaching and Learning about Geography

 Geography develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world  Geography develops understandings of maps, and a range of investigative and problem solving skills  As students study geography, they come across different societies and cultures. This develops understandings about how nations rely on each other  Students also learn about the consequences that can arise from everyday decision making  Geography can inspire students to think about their own place in the world and their own personal values, rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment The Importance of Teaching and Learning about Geography (continued)

The perceived decline in the teaching of geography has been linked to several factors including curriculum structures, teaching and learning, school organisation and teacher professional development. Obstacles to the quality of teaching and learning of geography have been listed on the following slide. Issues Surrounding the Teaching and Learning of Geography

1.Problems caused by the amalgamation of geography into Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) 2.Loss of status for geography and geography teachers 3.Loss of priority for geography in an over-crowded curriculum 4.The shortage of suitably qualified geography teachers 5.Failure to engage students 6.Lack of incentives to study geography in senior years Issues Surrounding the Teaching and Learning of Geography (continued)

Many of the previously stated issued could be overcome in the following ways: 1.Reintr oducing geography as a stand alone subject 2.Teachers and schools treating the subject as important and ensuring adequate teaching time is allocated 3.Providing professional development to give teachers the necessary skills to teach geography effectively 4.Enthusiasm shown in teaching Geography Issues Surrounding the Teaching and Learning of Geography (continued)

Feedback

 Strong leadership with an unrelenting focus on improvement  Shared commitment to:  implementing the required curriculum  embedding literacy and numeracy across all learning areas  embedding higher order thinking in all learning areas  Quality curriculum and planning to improve learning  Teaching focused on the achievement of every student  Monitoring student progress and responding to learning needs Teaching Strategies Years 5 and 6 Teaching Approaches  Spatial interaction  Spatial analysis Years 7-10 Teaching Approaches  Human agency  Scalar  Cultural/social constructivist

The quality of geography education is enhanced by the following factors:  Adequate time given to the teaching of Geography  Teachers who:  have the academic background and skills to facilitate rigorous and in depth learning teaching the subject when possible  have a passion for the subject and a belief in its value within the curriculum  have up to date knowledge and skills in teaching Geography.  have the confidence to embrace and utilise new technology Teaching Strategies

 Develop positive relationships with students  Access technology such as computers, Geographic Information Systems, broadband internet and software programs wherever possible  Participate in excursions and fieldwork as these activities develop students’ skills and connect classroom learning with real world applications  Focus on students’ understanding of the relevance of learning experiences to themselves and others Teaching Strategies (continued)

 Activities should involve problem solving and higher order thinking skills to challenge and extend students.  Incorporate current learning theory into teaching practices, i.e. Multiple Intelligences and Thinking Skills  Incorporate a range of different learning activities in the classroom to cater for the different learning styles of students, e.g. role plays, group work, individual research, and team investigations  Provide opportunities for student involvement in practical, community based projects, e.g. Water Care, Coast Watch and Trees for Life. These activities involve students putting their learning into action and empower students.  Drawn on students’ prior knowledge and experiences Teaching Strategies (continued)

 Geography concepts, processes and skills are best taught through learning experiences that are inquiry based  Geographical inquiry involves the examination and investigation of a geographical question from a variety of perspectives while using a variety of concepts.  Inquiry helps develop students’ metacognitive skills, higher order thinking skills and allows for deep learning about a topic  Five themes of geography: location/place, environment, region, interaction, movement Learning Experiences

 Steps involved in inquiry based learning experiences:  Identification of an issue to be studied  Development of questions for consideration  Identification, collection and analysis of evidence  Conclusions drawn  Action taken on the issue that was originally identified Planning Learning Experiences

Title: ‘X marks the spot’ Aim: By completing this activity students will learn how to make a scale map. Students will interpret these scales by viewing, interpreting and assessing peers maps. Task: Small groups hide treasure in the school grounds and then create a scale map to direct other groups to the treasure. Each group must find the treasure by using the map developed by their partner group. Groups will assess their partner groups map to see if correct scale and representations have been used.  Problem solving  Higher order thinking  Group work & Peer assessment  Field work  Cross curricular links Activity

 Literacy  Multicultural  Numeracy  ICT  Civics and citizenship  Environment  Sustainability  Social competence  Ethical behaviour Cross-curricular Links  Cross-curricular links make connections from one area of learning to another, therefore enhancing students’ understandings  They should be incorporated into learning experiences as much as possible

Cross-curricular Links (continued)  Work, Employment and Enterprise  Difference and Diversity  Aboriginal and Indigenous history and culture  Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia  Creativity and thinking skills including higher order  Intercultural understanding  Self management and teamwork

Title: ‘Are we there yet?’ Aim: By completing this set task students will learn how to calculate how long it will take to get from one country/city to another. Task: Using the following formula and map calculate how long it will take to get from point A to point B Formula: rate x time = distance Point A = Brisbane Australia Point B = New York USA Distance = km Time = 20 hours 15 minutes What is the rate? Cross-curricular Links (continued) Activity Geography & Numeracy

Findings and other suggestions for integrating cross-curricular links

 Please access these links, browse the lesson plans and leave some feedback below.  ns/01/g68/mapmaking.html - map making/latitude & longitude ns/01/g68/mapmaking.html  ns/01/g68/group.html - groups/ethnic minority ns/01/g68/group.html Inquiry Lesson Plans

Feedback

Assessment for learning:  emphasises interactions between learning and assessment strategies that promote learning  clearly expresses the goals of the learning activity to the student and the teacher  reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better, instead of just achieving a better mark  provides ways for students to use feedback from assessment  encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning  is inclusive of all learners Assessment

Geography is suited to the following types of assessment  Inquiry-based research assignments and projects  Fieldwork activities  Presentations  Peer assessment  Self-assessment Assessment (Continued)

Ideas for Inquiry Based Assessment?

 The geography strand of SOSE is usually taught by teachers who have no specific geography training. This often results in little enthusiasm when teaching the subject.  The Council of the Institute of Australian Geographers (CIAG) reports that in several states SOSE teachers in Years 8-10 are expected to teach across the disciplines of history, geography and economics, even though they might have studied only one of these subjects at a university level. This practice is is not conducive to quality education.  If teachers are knowledgeable and confident in their subject, they are more likely to teach it well and with enthusiasm. This enthusiasm then rubs off onto their students who are then more likely to show enthusiasm towards the subject being presented. Importance of Registered and Pre- service Teacher Training

 Geography should be reintroduced as a stand alone subject  Geography needs to be viewed as an important part of the curriculum and given adequate teaching time  Teachers need to be given training with regards to teaching geography so that they become confident in doing so  Inquiry based learning experiences are most suitable i.e. problem solving using higher order thinking skills  Teachers should embrace and strive to use ICT’s whenever possible  Teachers should strive to keep their knowledge and skills up to date Conclusion

Assessment strategies and techniques, Retrieved 29 December 2010 from website: Constructivism and Differentiating Geography Teaching and Learning. Retrieved 5 January 2011 from website: Constructivism: A Model of Learning for Preparing Problem Solvers. Retrieved 5 January 2011 from website: Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Geography, Retrieved 29 December 2010 from website: Geography, Retrieved 10 January 2011 from website: Geography Years 7-10: Syllabus, Retrieved 30 December 2010 from website: Geography Years 7–10: Advice on Programming and Assessment, Retrieved 30 December 2010 from website: Marsh, C Studies of society and environment: Exploring the teaching possibilities (5 th ed.). Pearson Education, Australia Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, Retrieved 7 January 2011 from website: Report to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: A Study into the Teaching of Geography in Years 3-10, Retrieved 30 December 2010 from website: Tambyah, M. Teaching Geographical Issues in Context and Developing a Professional Identity: The Challenge Facing Primary School Teachers, Retrieved from website: The Importance of Geography. Retrieved 7 January 2011 from website: References

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