Video tutorials for Web2 applications - including Etherpad

PrimaryPete (Twitter @primarypete_) has produced a set of very helpful videos on using Web2 technology. The link is to his tutorial on using Etherpad - he also has videos on how to use Photostory3, Wordle and a whole host of others - why not check him out.

Updating my Flickr pages with images stored on my computer

I've been spending some time over Christmas adding images to Flickr. I've got thousands of images stored on my computer (most of which are backed up elsewhere).

Apparently there are now more digital photographs in the world than house bricks!!

You can view my latest updated images within the Flickr badge at the top of the left column. This provides a direct link to my Flickr pages.

Chembakolli - a village in India

We used drama, sense impressions, art, creative writing & data handling to help year 3 & 4 children to gain a sense of what it might be like to live in ` A Village in India'. Originally taught in 2002, this geography unit set out to embrace citizenship, art & drama and speaking & listening which fit very well with the broader approach to developing a `creative curriculum'. I created a website to share resources (though some of the pictures that I sourced from the internet are now looking very dated). The activity plan for the unit can be downloaded from the website.

I've now provided an update for this unit by creating a chart to show where the learning acitivities fit into the >>>> (click on the red text) New Primary Curriculum (NC 2011).

You can download this from here.

Silvepura - A village in India

Silvepura is small village in Karnataka State, 28 kms NW of Bangalore, India. It is a largely Christian village which is unusual for this part of India. I've just been creating cpations for a new photopack for India that will be available in the New Year from the Geographical Association. It felt really good to re-visit these images and to be reminded of our very special visit to India.

CABE: Education grant winners 2009-10

At the end of 2009, six schools were awarded CABE education grants of £1,500 to support imaginative teaching about architecture and the built environment.

• Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, London
  
• Pewley Down Infant School, Guildford
  
• St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, Gateshead
  
• Virtual School for Children in Care, Cornwall
  
• Ercall Wood Technology College, Telford
  
• Haringey Sixth Form College, London

CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space.

If you haven't come across them before their RESOURCES are well worth a look as most are FREE.

Christmas Greetings

Christmas looks like being a white one for us this year. It snowed quite a bit on Sunday afternoon and then cold weather (from continental Europe) looks like keeping the temperature around freezing. I've been experimenting with some publishing software called ISSUU which I think is great. Christmas Greeting to all.

Ideas for using images

Lots of good ideas for using images in this Google presentation - though not all of these ideas are focused on geography (a few are) many to them can be adapted. Why not share some of your own ideas and help to build this resource. It was started by Anthony Evans of Redbridge LA. He'd welcome your ideas too!

UK Snow - track the current snow storm in the UK

I've been fascinated by a website that uses a Google map to track the current snow in the UK. You can help to track the course of the snow as it crosses the UK by posting to Twitter.

Click on the link to be taken to >>>> UKsnow

West & South Yorkshire Primary Geography Champions

As the new Primary Geography Champion for West and South Yorkshire I am very keen to develop networks of teachers who can share creative ideas for geography.

The Primary Champions have been recruited from across England and support primary geography through an online Networking site or NING.

There are lots of good ideas for teaching primary geography on this site already. People share ideas in the form of `blogs’ which appear on the home page and there are some particular contributors that I would highly recommend you follow. My favourite being the The Hampshire Primary Geography Network which is run by Sharon Witt.

I’ve now set up a group page for West & South Yorkshire.

See the full flyer below. Click on the page (and then again if you want to enlarge further).

The Story Of Cap & Trade

I have lots of personal reservations about leaving carbon management in the hands of big business. This US video explains the process in a way that makes sense to me though I'm not sure everyone would agree.

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

What do you think?

`Copenhagen Climate Conference' - at what age should we start to focus on `climate change' with primary aged children?

Climate Change is very much at the forefront of everyones mind at the moment and we've been thinking about what we have available on the GA website to support primary teachers. Not much is the simple answer. While searching the web I came across a very interesting article by Leo Hickman in the Guardian. Why don't we stop hurting the planet?

Leo has just written a new book called, `Will Jellyfish Rule the World?'

As I find suitable website I'm starting to list them on Twitter - see bottom left column of this website or on Twitter @primarygeog

Who Do We Think We Are? Week 21st – 27th June 2010 Exploring Identity, Diversity and Citizenship

Who Do We Think We Are? Week 2010 - Grants for Schools Now Open

Grants of up to £500 are available for schools to develop activities linked to the ‘Who Do We Think We Are?’ Week programme for 2010 (www.wdwtwa.org.uk).

Who Do We Think We Are? is an annual programme of advice and curriculum support that helps schools explore the issues of identity, diversity and citizenship at the local and national scales through four key themes:

• School and community
• Relationships, belonging and faith
• History and settlement
• Britishness, national identity/values and the 2012 Games

The programme culminates in a national week of events and activities taking place in the week of 21st – 27th June 2010. During 2009, the project awarded 10 grants to maintained schools across the English regions to develop activities. Projects explored issues of identity, diversity and citizenship, involved students and people of all ages, across many diverse British communities and served to highlight the ties that bind us together in our local communities and nationally.
As part of ‘Who Do We Think We Are? Week’ 2010, schools are again being offered the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £500 to develop activities linked to the focus week. Further details of the application process can be obtained by visiting: http://www.wdwtwa.org.uk/news/1536/grants-for-schools-now-open.html. Applications will be accepted until 12th February and should be submitted to the Project Officer at wdwtwa@rgs.org .