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Firstly, again via Paul on SLN, there is a link to an online GIS style resource... Discovery Channel STORM CHASERS There is also a TORNADO CHASE GAME If you're on Twitter, you can also sign up to follow the NETWEATHER forum team on their storm chase... Has a live stream to follow when the chase is on !
The sun shone today, and we hit the Norfolk coast... I'm going to be doing a lot of travelling around Norfolk over the next year or so, as I've been asked to be the President of the Norfolk GA branch , and am preparing and collecting images and material for my lecture: "Very flat, Norfolk..." which looks at how the county is represented. I already have quite a large folder of NORFOLK images on Flickr. First up it was Burnham Market for some Gurney's fishcakes. Then over to Lord Nelson to have lunch and a pint of Wherry: been going there for 20 years, and it's always a pleasure to walk in Nelson's footsteps. Next up the back of the Holkham estate, the Norfolk Real Ale shop, and to Big Blue Sky in Wells. Back along the coast road: Holkham, Titchwell and to Hunstanton for some shopping for sunday lunch tomorrow (something to go with the fishcakes) Finally, to the beach hut for a read of the papers... Image: Alan Parkinson
The annual Frontiers of Geography event for secondary geography teachers is coming up again at Leeds University on the 20th of June. The Leeds GA Branch has been reborn, with an exciting range of workshops and events. They also have a new website area , which contains some downloads from previous events - always a bonus. I attended the 2008 event , and only the summer flooding prevented me attending the 2007 one. Topics for this year will include: Antarctica's climate history 21st century Citizenship Wilderness environments Geography, GIS and healthcare Tropical rainforests and global change Credit crunch, regeneration and sustainability... Visit the website and register your interest to claim a place.
Free Fieldwork courses: Teacher Master-class & AS Student Summer School An opportunity for students and teachers alike... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is providing fully funded opportunities for AS geography students and for geography teachers through our Learning and Leading programme. They are offering fully funded places on two separate residential courses, based at the RGS-IBG in London led by experienced staff from the Society and other professionals. Full costs will be covered including accommodation, food and travel to and from RGS-IBG: Teacher Fieldwork Masterclass: Monday 17th - Friday 21st August 2009 Teachers will visit a wide range of sites in London which provide opportunities for teaching and learning in geography – topics include the Olympics and sustainability. The course will cover a variety of fieldwork techniques, ideas for low cost and local fieldwork and safety management and ideas for easy to use ICT and GIS. There will be opportunities to share...
New on Twitter are the Geography Collective at Mission Explore .... The book is now in pre-production... Watch for more exciting multi-media Exploring ness from the Collective. Visit the blog for some sample missions , including some BRAND NEW ONES !! "Great news for the young, and the young at heart" Iain Hallahan
GA Conference 2009 All the blogging from this year's conference can be found at LIVING GEOGRAPHY. Below are links to the 2 main presentations that I delivered at the conference. Other links etc. will appear on Living Geography too.... 1: TRANSFORMING TIRED TOPICS Transforming Tired Topics View more presentations from GeoBlogs . 2. RESOURCING THE WORLD FOOD CRISIS Food Security Workshop View more presentations from GeoBlogs .
National survey reveals most young people think not enough time is spent learning about the wider world in school. Geographical Association’s manifesto, A different view , is launched today. · 93% of young people think it is important to learn about issues affecting people’s lives in different parts of the world. · 92% of young people think it is important to learn about where the things they use, such as food, energy and water, come from. · 63% of young people think that not enough time is spent learning about the wider world in school. · Geography is the subject in which young people have most often learnt about important local and global issues, and the one in which they would most commonly expect to do so. · A different view re-affirms geography’s place in the curriculum. · It makes a forward looking and compelling case for geography in education. · It re-states the value of free-think...
Just been writing some resources for the GA's website on the forthcoming PLASTIKI expedition. The GA will be involved in tracking and reporting on the voyage and providing some curriculum materials for using the voyage in the classroom by UK geography teachers. The PLASTIKI is a vessel made from recycled plastic bottles. It will set sail from San Francisco in 17 days and counting (there is a countdown on the main website page linked to from above) and visit various locations reporting back on major environmental themes. It will complement the current voyage of the BBC Box , which is another useful maritime example. The Box is currently in the Indian Ocean.
AR stands for 'Augmented Reality' The AR SIGHTS: I first saw the idea of 'augmented reality' some 4 years ago, when working at the Royal Geographical Society, and there was a presentation by the Ordnance Survey, who showed the technique in action with some headsets and hand held devices. Just been having a play with the AR SIGHTS website: a 'Twitter' tip-off.... The idea is that you install an application which connects with Google Earth . Located around the world are some iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids of Giza and Sydney Opera House. Once installed, a sheet with a special image is downloaded and printed off. This is then placed in front of a web-cam, and instead of the image, a 3D model of the building appears to 'sit' on the sheet of paper, and can be rotated and looked at from various angles. Thanks to Ollie Bray for the useful demo video on BLIP TV which shows it in action...
The SLN Geography Forum began almost 10 years ago on the 7th of September 1999, with a post from Chris Durbin. Approximately 80 000 posts followed, almost 4 000 of which were mine (I really should get out more...) If you haven't already visited the NEW HOME OF SLN GEOGRAPHY FORUM you need to go there now and register : a new measure to improve the security of the forum, and also allow some enhanced functionality for members.
