JDMcDsblog

Attended a meeting of LT Scotland’s International Education coordinators in Glasgow today. Among the keynotes was a presentation which included the following thought-provoking slide.

To Do

1. I’d like you to take some time to view it, and add a comment to this post (below)on what slide (or slides) you found most interesting, and why? (PS Health Warning-ask yourself are all these facts true; are there any you find hard to believe? Let me know!)

[slideshare id=33834&doc=shift-happens-23665&w=425]

2. We are now looking at Brazil; we are interested in how it compares to the USA. Make sure you have completed the climate graph for Manuas on page 5 of your booklet. Manuas is a large city on the Amazon. We have looked at Phoenix; now write up in your jotter how you think Manaus compares with Phoenix. To help you, also look at this site here.

My thanks to Judi Hedding, who formerly worked in international banking, and who now writes a very informative blog about Phoenxi. I contacted her, pretty much out of the blue, having found her site while searching for resources on Arizona for my S2 class. Judi has responded several times to the comments my pupils have been leaving, sometimes to add, or to correct things they have said. Have a look at the S2 page to see what I mean. This seems the ideal use of blogging for teaching and learning, where we can begin to draw on local knowledge to enhance pupils’ awareness of ideas, and to help provide feedback fairly rapidly.

IMG_1412

Originally uploaded by jmmcdgll

Here is 3D model that is trying, through use of colour and shape, to classify various species of the primate family. Classification is central to all sciences and of course plays an important part in geography. We have started to look at how we may classify the scenery of Scotland, and how we can divide rocks into the three main groups-Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

TO DO

1. Use the comments space below to suggest to me some other types of classification we can use in geography.

2. Using this photo as a starting point, in your jotter sketch out your own classification diagram for eg rocks, scenery, towns, land uses,…

make sure to focus on layout, handwriting and good use of colour and shape.

Further Information: See the excellent British Isles website for more details and helpful links.

Having picked up Ollie Bray’s reference to musicians on Google Earth, I arrived, after many meanderings, via Alan Coady’s musings, to a site on TED blog that graphically illustrates the power of maps to record events as they happen. This map tracks the incidence of violence in Kenya, with each placeholder indicating a particular incident, colour coded by category. The spatial representation of data is a key way of offering firstly a description, for example of clustering or dispersal. It may also show chronology, tracking the spread of rioting for example over a period of time. From description comes explanation and then understanding. Depicting spatial information is straightforward. Solving the internicene, tribal and social problems which the map depicts is the difficult part.

Got my niece a copy of “1001 albums to listen to you before you die“, one of a huge number of lists books, all exorting or advising to get on and travel, read, listen, eat, visit a thousand things or so before you die. It’s shameless nostalgia and also controversial as not everyone ever agrees with such lists. I think I can live without ever listening to all the albums the authors recommend, but there are some “essentials” (now, there’s a Classic FM adjective!). The Beatles White Album is there, as is Abbey Road. Taking me back to 1970s Greenock Academy, I see the Yes Album, and its antithesis; the soundtrack to Shaft, along with other schoolday icons such as ELP’s “Pictures at An Exhibition”. Bowie’s Hunky Dory and Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down in Broadway.. I particularly remember Autobahn, by German technogroup Kraftwerk, who provided the soundtrack to four mad, funpacked weeks of archaeological digging at the Peel of Lumphanan in Deeside in 1979. Old smoothies are there too; Count Basie and Frank Sinatra.

What I’d like to know is, what 5 albums would you put into such a list. If you have any suggestions, post them here!

I love reading Edward Tufte. Professor Emeritus at Yale University, he writes, designs, and self-publishes his books on analytical design, which have received more than 40 awards for content and design. Tufte taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. His website is a joy to browse and his analysis of design, in typography, graphics and cartography is fascinating. His website has numerous links and threads into all manner of debate and discussion. As a geographer and election geek, I found the item on mapping the Iowa caucus results by Jonathan Corum of 2004 a beautiful piece of cartographic dissection. THe discussion of map layout and design iis an llustration of the level of detail that a good designer must apply to ensure the message is straightforward, lucid and fit for purpose. I think anyone involved in presenting information to pupils should take Tufte et al on board. Power Points will never be the same again!

Social enterprise vision

Originally uploaded by empathya

Here is a chart I found on “Flickr” which sets out the context of Social Enterprise very clearly.

This year I have been working with one of our School’s Young Enterprise Companies. This is is the first time in my teaching career I’ve had contact with YE and I have found the whole experience very interesting. One of the best things I’ve had the chance to do was to attend the Cafe Conversation at Celtic Park last September. This annual event brings together Sixth Year pupils from schools across the Glasgow area to meet over dinner, exchange ideas and reflect on what they are trying to achieve. They also have the chance to hear some very good words of advice from actual entrepreneurs who have carved out a successful business. Very often business success seems to follow personal challenge or hardship, and the common thread that drives them on is determination and sticking power. Mick Jackson (previous post) gave a keynote speech and asked the young people to consider two questions:

1. Who are you? and 2, What do you really want to do with your life?

The pupils instantly warmed to his mix of oratory, passion and self deprecation (the guy has an infectious laugh and laughs at himself), and he certainly seemed to inspire my own YE company.

Hearing Mick speak just the other week, I have started to consider how YE can incorporate both notions of entrepreneurial flair with a desire to help people. I am often struck by how seemingly “ruthless businessmen” are often the most effective at getting things done in terms of supporting charity and identifying opportunities. Mick argues that people want help to get started, they do not want to exist on charity. I know that many companies have a policy for corporate social responsibility. Perhaps Young Enterprise companies could aim to have a similar set up-each company would be required to nominate a member of their Board to handle CSR and to identify SMART ways of helping specific groups in their local area.

I read recently of the Social Enterprise Coalition, and have discovered that there is a Conference-”Voice 08″ for young people, to be held in Liverpool in February, which to quote:

It’s your chance to mix with the UK’s most exciting social enterprises – sharing ideas and shaping a new social economy.

If there is going to be a real culture of social enterprise in the UK we need to change society’s attitude to the role of business. As the economic and social challenges we face are huge, we need to be ready to tackle them.

Attended a presentation about “Wild Hearts in Action” today, This is the trading arm of the WildHearts Foundation, an office supplies company created to give organisations the ability to give money to charity without having to ‘donate’ a penny. There was about 100 people at the Supper Club in Glasgow to hear entrepreneur Mick Jackson tell us about a pivotal moment in his life when he decided to turn back from attempting to climb K2 to save the life of his sherpa, carrying him for four days to safety, in gruelling conditions. He told us that the experience taught him the true nature of humanity and he promised that if he was spared he would make a difference when he returned. He outlined his vision to build a company that would devote its profits to helping the most vulnerable, not by giving handouts but by encouraging small scale loans that can make a real difference. He described the role of microfinance as a way of sustaining communities through tiny, but effective loans. His talk was heartfelt and passionate and I came away fascinated by what he, and the other speakers had to say. It got me thinking a lot about how we can develop a policy of social responsibility at our school. How do we enthuse youngsters and get them to engage with challenging issues, both on our doorstep and much further afield. Many pupils have a strong sense of justice and we need to tap into that. For example, every year we raise a large amount for a major charity (this year Cystic Fibrosis Triust), we have pupils involved in the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award and a group taking part in World Challenge. Many do community service through Duke of Edinburgh, and we may well consider Raleigh International as another idea in the near future. I want to explore how we can take forward our initial link with St Rollox Church, in Springburn, to help with the asyslum seekers project there. We have aleady donated a large amount of clothing for young people, but it would to make the connection more “interactive”. I think there are lots of ideas to follow up and I hope to explore some of these over the coming posts.

Sweets!

Originally uploaded by jmmcdgll

Just to brighten up Monday morning, here is a shot of candy sticks in FAO Schwartz toyshop, NYC. They remind me of the “Toot Sweet ” scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I have been updating my Flickr page and checking out the visitor statistics, which show the numbers of people viewing each photo, Among my most popular photos are one of a New York fire engine, the village of Weisslingen in Zurich and the American cemetry at Omaha, Normandy. What I want to do this year is explore how to make the most of Flickr both for home and school. I like the idea of creating a Flickr group to showcase pupil work, and I propose to trial this. The idea is to take photos of jotter work, posters, etc and upload these on to a gallery, creating a virtual display board. My first year class made some great posters which I’d like to put on display. The great thing is that comments and notes can be added-properly used, this could be a very practical way of developing peer-related formative assessment. It is also a fun way of acknowledging-and celebrating- good work.