TED-Ed: a great resource

Image above: The TED-Ed introductory video page. Worth a look.

Related links
Spatialworlds websiteGeogSplace blog  
Geographical thinking Scoop.it  
Spatial literacy Scoop.it  
History and geography Scoop.it 
Spatial Education and technology Scoop.it   

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Email contact:
manning@chariot.net.au


TED Ed Use engaging videos to create customized lessons.

We have all heard or looked at TED and TEDGLOBAL over the years. These sites are an amazing source of stimulating talks.  Now there is TED-Ed! TED-Ed is a great resource to support your teaching on any topic. You can use, tweak, or completely redo any lesson featured on TED-Ed, or create lessons from scratch based on any video from YouTube. 

In particular, the site advocates Flip lesson planning. "Flipping" a video allows you to turn a video into a customized lesson that can be assigned to students or shared more widely. You can add context, questions, and follow-up suggestions to any video on TED-Ed or YouTube.

Resources for your Hums teaching

 
Related sites to the Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
The history room
Spatialworlds website
HumsRus
21st Century Geography Google Group
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au


Resources supporting the Australian Curriculum for English, History and Geography

Hi all
I hope your practicum went well. I thought I would do this posting to bring to your attention to some fantastic resources which have just been posted. They will really help you when teaching the Australian Curriculum in whatever primary school you find yourself in in the near future (and high school for you Ben). I hope the practicum went well and I plan to have your reflection assignment to the Flinders Education Office by the end of next week.
All the best.
Malcolm

Over recent weeks we have seen the publication of on-line resources to support the Australian Curriculum for English, History and Geography (also Mathematics). These resources have been developed by the national teaching associations for the subjects (HTAA, AATE and AGTA) with money supplied from the Australian Government via Educational Services Australia (ESA). The SACOL (Supporting Australian Curriculum Online) resources are worth a look because they contain professional learning materials on our learning areas as well as specific teaching materials for the new F-10 Australian Curriculum in these subjects. As well as providing some useful professional learning in humanities, the resources may also provide some teaching ideas and activities which can be adapted to our Stage 1 subjects.

As time goes by, the sites are likely to include materials to support the Year 11 and 12 courses as they are published by ACARA. These sites are worth a look to see what is going on with the Australian Curriculum, which is already impacting on F-10 schools and indirectly will impact on the senior secondary years next year by the fact that some of those students will have undertaken the Australian Curriculum subjects instead of SACE in their Year 10 classes this year.

If you have not already done so, go to the ACARA Curriculum Portal to view the English, Geography and History curricula prior to looking at the resource sites to get some background on these three new curriculum's in our faculty area.

Here are the SACOL sites relevant to English and Humanities for your preview:
The History site

The Geography site

The English site

... and the Mathematics site for those interested

The Science site (ASTA) should be published by the end of June. As for the business and economics and civics and citizenship sites, no decisions have been made as yet (waiting for the money form the Federal Government). Hopefully these learning areas will have the chance to develop resources to support the Australian Curriculum in those subjects when they are published by ACARA.

Connected curriculum

Related sites to the Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
The history room
Spatialworlds website
21st Century Geography Google Group
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

YouTube video of the trial at Nuriootpa Primary School.

Is connected curriculum the way to go for geography in the primary school

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ8Q9jTRjaM&feature=youtu.be and listen to Sue Toone, Principal of Nuriootpa Primary School talk about the connected curriculum Geography trial conucted at her school in October 2011.

The trial focussed on the integration of the draft Australian Curriculum: Geography into the schools connected curriculum. A thematic curriculum focussed in 2011 on the theme of Past, Present and Future, with geography being integrated into the learning modules from Foundation to Year 7.

Thanks to the generosity of the Nuriootpa Primary School students and teachers in giving permission for their teaching materials and reflections to be part of this blog. In particular, thanks to Sue Toone, the Principal for the trial at Nuriootpa Primary School.

Fantastic resources showcased

Related sites to the Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
The history room
Spatialworlds website
21st Century Geography Google Group
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

Resource presentation day!

Thanks for the great presentations on a resource of  your choice today.   Next week we will finish the presentations (thanks to those who said they will do their presentation next week).  All of the presentations were so good I really did not want ot cut people short. All amazingly presented and applied. 

The focus of the resource presentation was to select a resource and do the following when showcasing to the workshop:
* connect the resource to the Australian Curriculum for history and geography
* describe the resource and its purpose
* justify the use of the resource
* discuss any limitations of the resource
* be creative in showcasing the resource.


Here are just some of the resources presented in the workshop today - will post the rest next week.

Internet resources showcased

* Australian history mysteries

* Australian War Memorial

* Classroom photographs over time - and many more photos

* Kidsgeo games  The Oceana game

* Bound for South Australia

* This day in history and history orb

* Instagram as a teaching tool



Book resource

* "Are we there yet? "by Alison Lester and a YouTube to accompany the reading of the children's picture book , 'Are we there yet?' by Alison Lester (2004). Powerpoint on this by resource  is available if you click her (thanks to Ellen Barr for allowing this presentation to be posted)

* My "Story book" collection

* If the World were a Village by David Smith


*** You may also be interested in the corresponding blog from the 2012 class - some more great resources.***

*** The "Fun is OK" posting from last year also has plenty more great resouces listed (and linked to). ***

 

Conference opportunity for geography

Image above:  GTASA website at http://www.gtasa.asn.au/about_us


Related sites to Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
ACARA curriculum portal
ACARA site
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website
Spatialworlds website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

As mentioned this morning, the 2013 GTASA conference is being held on 30 and 31 May at the Education Development Centre in Hindmarsh. The cost for students to attend is $25/day and is a great opportunity for you to have some professional learning in geography. Keep an eye on the GTASA site for further information.

 

While on the site have a look around at the resources and information etc. Also think about registering on the site to recieive regular emails on geography (see below).

Curriculum making

Image above: The Geography Association in the UK. An amazing resource and the leaders in the concept of curriculum making.


Related sites to Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
ACARA curriculum portal
ACARA site
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website
Spatialworlds website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

Adapted from the work of the Geography Association in the UK

http://www.geography.org.uk/cpdevents/curriculummaking/curriculummakingexplained

What is curriculum making?

Curriculum making is the creative act of interpreting a curriculum specification or scheme of work and turning it into a coherent, challenging, engaging and enjoyable scheme of work.
Curriculum making is a job that really never ends and lies at the heart of good teaching.

When educators talk about curriculum making we refer to the creation of interesting, engaging and challenging educational encounters which draw upon teacher knowledge and skills, the experiences of students and the valuable subject resources of the subject. Curriculum making is concerned with holding all this in balance and as a teacher you play a key role.

Why curriculum making? 

The potential and promise of a subject is compromised if it is seen only as an inert or static 'knowledge-to-be-delivered'. Covering the syllabus is just the mechanics of teaching and is not the same as making the curriculum.

Curriculum making is about bringing a curriculum alive. It is about enacting the curriculum and giving it purpose. Geography and history are resources that can enable students to better understand the world and their place in it. It aims for a deep understanding.

The inquiry-led approach lies at the heart of teaching and learning in the Australian Curriculum: geography and History. Humanities teachers perform a delicate balancing act, drawing upon the student's experiences, the subject resource and their own knowledge and craft skills.

The essence of curriculum making 

The following diagram captures the essence of curriculum making. Think of the diagram as a kind of 'corrective', always aiming for somewhere in the middle. Engage with the subject, listen to your students and question the value of what you are teaching.

Diagram from the Geography Association UK

The inquiry approach contains four central aspects including the creation of a 'need to know' through the use of an engaging stimulus. It then develops through the collection and use of data, processing and making sense of that data and finally reflecting on learning in order to apply it to future enquiries.

This process has been captured in a single diagram (adapted from Roberts, 2003).

During the tutorials we will use the deconstructing triangle for geography and history  to start the exciting process of curriculum making within the context of backward designing the curriculum.

• The Year 6 history curriculum  to deconstruct for curriculum making.

First assignment info

Related sites to Humsteach blog
Spatialworlds blog
ACARA curriculum portal
ACARA site
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website
Spatialworlds website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

The first assignment

Great to meet you all today. I look forward to working with you over the next seven weeks on history and geography teaching and learning. 

Here is some follow-up to some of your concerns regarding the first assignment (presentation to staff on the Australian Curriculum History and Geography).

1.       The ACARA documents for history and geography

You will need to access the ACARA documents for history (already published) and the Geography (latest draft). Here are the links to both these documents.

The latest Australian Curriculum: geography draft

The Australian Curriculum: History

You will need to use these documents to check out the aims, structures of the geography and history curriculum, the nature of the achievement Standards and opportunties for integration.

2.       Format

The 700 words can be in the form of a report, speech,  handout, multi-media presentation or any other way you see that would impart the knowledge to the other staff.

 

3.       Due date

The assignment is due next week but I am happy (very happy) for you to hand me a written copy on Thursday at the morning tutorial. Otherwise post it on-line next Tuesday to give me time to download and copy. 

Good luck with the assignment and please have a go at reading that Backwards Design blog entry and readings from Wiggins and McTighe for us to continue work on the planning triangle at the beginning of the tutorial.

The importance of the Humanities

How does a Humanities education help us to make sense of these two images?



Related sites to Humsteach blog
http://spatialworlds.blogspot.com.au
Spatialworlds website
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Geography Teachers' Association of South Australia website

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au


THE THREAT OF FOCUSSING ON UTILITARIAN EDUCATION

With today’s global competition, there is increasing concern about the nature and quality of education– should it be primarily practical and utilitarian and equipping students to be competitive in the workforce or should it rather a liberal education with broad ideas and values to prepare a well-rounded student with the capacity to be fully functional democratic citizens, prepared for life in contemporary society? For students to be successful in today’s global economy, it should be seen that utilitarian and liberal education need to be tightly coupled, and that students’ academic, developmental, interpersonal and experiential lives are entwined. Schools should move towards developing transformational learning for students and not just focus on providing knowledge and understandings based on employability. Such questioning of the utilitarian trend in education around the world is critical when we consider the decrease in curriculum time for humanities in schools and the significant drop off in the number of students studying geography in particular in the senior school in Australia and around the world.

“Transformational learning means that the “whole student” has to develop so as to prepare him or her as a thinker and citizen for a challenging world; to question and affirm or change what she or he believes; and come to a greater understanding of the complex questions of his or her own life and the lives of others than they otherwise would. By attending to both leads to transformational learning and the development of the whole person into a flourishing individual and citizen.”

Traditionally in our school system the humanities’ (history, geography, studies of society etc) have developed those capacities referred to as liberal education. Ironically, it was the liberal subjects that dominated early education! In the present economic and educational environment the humanities in the senior school are being devalued and squeezed out of the curriculum in face of utilitarian demands. In Australia the humanities is declining in schools in terms of numbers, prestige and general influence. Many young people now leave school with a scant knowledge of history, geography and our society in general (law, government etc). The impact is particularly serious in the senior secondary year that provides a sophisticated understanding of the humanities for young people. The utilitarian demands on a young person when choosing subjects has resulted in significant reduction of the perceived ‘non employment direct’ subjects such as history, geography etc (in fact these subjects do have significant and much needed career pathways but often not seen as direct and thus not promoted as getting a student a job). As this blog has highlighted and discussed over the past 4 years, the opportunities in the spatial industry is enormous and subjects such as geography and history have an important role to play in developing student knowledge, skills and capacities in-line with the needs of that industry.

Australians hold what appear to be conflicting aspirational and practical notions of the purposes and value of a schooling. Economists and corporate leaders refer to this function of education as the development of human capital.
“…education is more than preparing for a job; it should be for acquiring the knowledge, skills, competencies, values, dispositions and capacities for many life roles in a world of inevitable change and that this is ultimately the more “practical” preparation for life.”
Anecdotally the trend away from the liberal humanities in school education, towards the demands of a utilitarian education, in particular in senior secondary, is common throughout the western world and similar OECD countries to Australia. There is a need to get quantitative and substantiated data on the trend away from the humanities and to research what other countries are doing to arrest the trend away from the humanities as highly respected (in number and prestige) subjects in schools. Those involved in humanities education consider that the trend away from the humanities towards utilitarian education in our schools (and universities) is undermining and threatening the development of a ‘well-rounded, thinking, socially analytical young citizen ready for the demands of the 21st Century globalised world.
Here are two really interesting articles from the UK re: importance of geography and diminishing numbers. Seems that the drift to utilitarian education is happening everywhere. Geographers need to be strategic and work towards reversing this trend.

1. "Without geography, the world would be a mystery to us"
Geography is the subject that contributes more than any other to young people’s knowledge of the world, writes David Lambert.

2. "History and geography 'diminishing' in schools", says head
Subjects such as English, history and geography are being marginalised as schools ditch academic rigour in favour of “accessibility”, according to a leading headmistress.

The irony is that geography and the associated spatial technology tools it uses are seen as a non-vocational area of study and just a nice subject to do for those interested. As this blog repeatedly highlights, geography is a great humanities subject for young people to do as citizens now and in the future but it also is a subject with increasing vocational opportunities in the branches of geography (climatology, economic analysis, planning, environmental management, disaster mitigation etc etc) and the related areas of the spatial industry which continues to say that they have a human resources shortage. Geography is also a subject which goes somewhere in the world of employment. There is a lot of work to be done with subject counselors, vocational consultants, parents and the community to get the message across that geography and all the knowledge, skills and capacities it develops in young people is and should be promoted as a learning area with great (and increasing) vocational opportunity.

Primary Geography book launched at AGTA 2013

Image above: Front cover of the new Teaching Primary Geography for Australian Schools.

Sites related to Spatialworlds
Spatialworlds website
Australian Geography Teachers' Association website
'Towards a National Geography Curriculum' project website
Spatialworlds blog

Follow Spatialworlds on Twitter

Email contact
manning@chariot.net.au

Where am I??
Perth: S: 31º 57' E: 115º 52'

Primary Geography for Australia book launched

One of the highlights of the conference was the launch of the new Teaching Primary Geography for Australian Schools by Simon Catling, Tessa Willy and John Butler. The book has been produced by Hawker-Brownlow and strongly endorsed by AGTA. The book is the first of its kind for Australian schools and certainly fills a huge hole in the primary geography landscape in Australia.

 Simon Catling talking at the AGTA 2013 Conference in Perth