A space to reflect on geography, education and the world about us.
Here’s an interesting slide presentation I found on SlideShare. Given the current concerns about world food shortages and rising prices, it seem more important than ever to consider the world’s food supply and how we can avoid people falling into famine and starvation.
index cards
Originally uploaded by kparra
I have been encouraging my pupils to practise condensing notes on to index cards, as a way of helping them to revise. I am prticularly keen to get them thinking visually, and spatially, So, I got my second years to try drawing a simple sketch map of South America on to an index card, set up in portrait layout. They had to add in some key points-major cities, the Andes, the Amazon, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, etc-all from memory. They had several minutes first to look over their atlas first. The standard was very wide ranging-some were very accurate and detailed, others naive and barely recognisable as South America, with little sense of scale or relative position. That’s not a criticsm of the pupils, but an indication of how different children process and retain spatial data. I shall upload some images of their maps over the weekend. One thing I wanted to find out was, whether there was a significant difference in the mental maps of boys and girls-my first impression is that there was… but I need to check each pupil’s index card carefully first. To be continued…………
Today’s slide show
[Will also be posted on the Ethos homepage-shared documents]
Here is a sample of the many blogs and wikis out there, mostly relating to Scottish education.
General learning and teaching/use of ICT in teaching:
Ewan McIntosh, LT Scotland http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs
LT Scotland list of blogs: http://ltsblogs.org.uk/
Biology:
Tessa Watson; http://edubuzz.org/blogs/tessawatson/
English:
Neil Winton, PT Perth Academy: http://nwinton.wordpress.com/
Geography:
Ollie Bray, Depute Head, Musselbrough Grammar http://olliebray.typepad.com/
Val Vannett, PT Geography, High School of Dundee http://www.gmpay.blogspot.com/
Music
Alan Coady, East Lothian:http://edubuzz.org/blogs/alancoady/
Physics
Technology:
Stuart Meldrum: http://stuartmeldrum.co.uk/blog/
School/class blogs & wikis
http://www.innerleithen.tv/blog/2007/12/04/Natural_Heritage_Improvement_Project_at_St_Ronans_Primary
http://eastdunbarton.wikispaces.com/Blogging+Project
Everyday Geographies http://primarygeogblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/pivot/eco.php
Independent Schools Council blog:
Perspective of a Director of Education:
Don Ledingham, East Lothian http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/
Perspective of a Quality Improvement Officer
Andrea Reid http://andreareid.wordpress.com
A wiki on wikis:
http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Articles+and+Resources
cloud chart
Originally uploaded by jmmcdgll
It’s been a mix of a day. We went to the Scottish Deer Centre, near Cupar this morning. Nice, broken cloud, with plenty of blue sky, but come 1pm, as we all sat in the arena to watch the birds of prey demonstration, the skies darkened, the tempertaure dropped and we had hail and rain. Didn’t spoli the talk too much as we were all fascinated by the three birds on display-European Owl, Harrier Hawk and Falcon. The falcon was particularly impressive, coming in fast over the crowd like the RAF tornado we had seen earlier in the day, no doubt heading to Leuchers. Then, from 2 o’clock it brightened up and we were able to get some decent work done in the garden.
The route back from Cupar to Clarkston is like a transect through Scottish time and place-the large, rolling arable fields and extensive stone farm buildings make this a very different farming region to East Ren, with its predominant dairy herds; gold, brown and yellow to contrast with the green. I remembered the “windows on Scotland” approach we used in O Grade Geography, uisng selected maps that each convyed a sense of place-Grangemouth, for example,. still belching and flaring across the mournful mud flats of the Forth, or Blairgowrie-the classic market garden landscape, now often tilled by East Europeans (who would have predicted that social dynamic in the Communist mid 70s?).
On way back, we saw the engineering works going on for the Upper Forth crossing-struck me that I haven’t been over by Kincardine and Clackmanan since my days setting S Grade geogrpahy papers at Keiveil House, now five years ago. (Despite the tedium, I look forward to marking papers, as Markers; Meeting is a great time to meet up with old friends)
Almost everywhere I look there are wind farms, like forests of spartan, while trees. The latest is in my own backyard, at Eaglesham. They have a commanding position, and I imagine opinion is sharply divided. I think I like them, but I can choose not ot look at them-I don;t know how it would be if I had no choice.
We received a letter to say that our younger son, Fraser, will be part of the random sample to take part in the SSA for Maths and Core Skills. The survey studies what pupils across Scotland know and can do in certain subjects at important stages of their education. As the accompanying information sheet sets out, the SSA aims to collect accurate, up to date information that will allow the Government to plan and deliver policies to benefit all pupils, understand some of the factors which influence attainment and achievement and to target resources.
SSA was introduced in 2005 as part of Assessment for Learning, since when it has surveyed:
English language (2005)
Social subjects (enquiry skills) (2006), and
Science, science literacy and core skills (2007).
Full details can be found here.
Will be doing an In Service on blogs and wikis on Monday 21st, along with Jane Bulloch our librarian. I have made up a PowerPoint, which I;ll put out on the school intranet. Here’s a preview below. It’s really just a few images designed as hooks for the discussion. I don’t want to spend more than 20 iminutes on this, as we want colleagues to try making their own blog, and to ask questions.
When I watch or make up a PowerPoint slide show, I recall the story of the IBM president, who, attending a presentation by one of his senior mangement, stood up and switched off the projector. “How about we just talk about your business?” he said. There was a very long pause, before the meeting recommenced, but he had made a vefry important point.
I think we need to watch that we don’t use PPs as a crutch and switch off our critical thinking faculties. I think that’s whay embedding slide shows on blogs is a useful option-you can direct people to the blog to look at the presentation in detail, and spend more time actually engaging with them at the meeting, rather than just talking at them.
keswick and skiddaw in the lake district at sunrise with an inversion
Originally uploaded by ac_hardman
A common question at Higher level is to describe and explain the conflicts of interest arising from the multiple use of national parks. Candidates are then asked how national park status helps. I suspect quite a few Higher pupils are not familiar with the ways in wich national parks work. Take the Lake District. The Lake District National Park Authority is an independent local authority and part of the local government in the Lake District. It does some of the work that is done by the County and District Councils outside the National Park.
The LDNP was established to conserve and enhance the Lake District’s natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage; and promote the public’s understanding and enjoyment of the National Park’s special qualities. Its aims:
to ensure that developments and activities are not harmful
to encourage responsible countryside access
to inform and educate visitors and local people about conservation issues and foster the economic and social well-being of the local communities.
as the Planning Authority for the National Park the LDNPA
runs information and educational services,
maintains rights of way and a wide range of properties: car parks; woodland; moorland and mountains
Among the key areas of the LDNPA’s latest plan are:
Rising to the challenge of climate change
Local employment and affordable housing
Renewable energy targets set for new developments
The needs of larger communities, including Keswick and Windermere, and smaller dispersed settlements, such as Underbarrow, Bampton Grange and Bootle Station, will be addressed.
Commercial redevelopment and regeneration sites have been flagged up around Windermere’s waterfront.
Sustainable transport eg: local park and ride sites linked to visitor attractions
World Heritage Status
coloured panels
Originally uploaded by jmmcdgll
I am fascinated by colour and I love the interplay between colour and shape, the positioning and relationships between blocks and background. I am a big fan of Kandinski. I like the idea that the juxtaposition of certain colours creates particular effects, rather like chords in music-unexpected sounds are created by merging certain notes to create tingle factors-like Jazz harmonies or the famous “Tristan chord” by Wagner. I doubt my son Fraser was thinking about that when he played around with Paint application to make this painting. What does it mean?!!
Hosted by Edublogs.
