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What is the GA for?. G. David Lambert (4 years into the job). What is the GA?. Registered charity, founded 1893 7000 members ( 12,000+ in mid 1990s ) ‘furthering the learning and teaching of geography’ Governing body and Education Committee Turns over > £1m pa
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What is the GA for? G David Lambert (4 years into the job)
What is the GA? Registered charity, founded 1893 7000 members (12,000+ in mid 1990s) ‘furthering the learning and teaching of geography’ Governing body and Education Committee Turns over > £1m pa ~ 17 staff (+ APG project team)
What does the GA do? Journals Geography (new editorial collective consisting Peter Jackson, Stuart Lane, Eleanor Rawling, John Morgan) Teaching Geography (Margaret Roberts) Primary Geographer (Fran Martin) GeogEd(Teresa Lenton;online only from 2007)
What does the GA do? Publications Handbooks (three) Professional literature Teaching and learning materials Special interest
What does the GA do? Projects (‘third stream’) - Valuing Places [DfID] - Why Argue (two) [IU, WF] - Where Will I Live? [CABE] - Living Geography [DfES; FS] - Places We Want [ASC] - Disease spread & control [WF]
What does the GA do? Projects (‘third stream’) Oh, and the Action Plan for Geography (jointly led with the RGS)
What does the GA do? Thinks and creates Phase groups (EYP; Sec; Post 16) Special Interest ‘working groups’ AEWG - ESDWG - CWG - GAIN - PhGWG - FSWG - IWG TEWG - ICTWG - ISG
What does the GA do? Communications - website www.geography.org.uk www.geographyteachingtoday.org.uk - press TES Independent, Guardian, Times Telegraph - radio BBC Radio 4 BBC Five Live - television TTV Children’s BBC - correspondence Letters Ministers Shadow ministers
What does the GA do? Face to face CPD Annual Conference and Exhibition ~ 700 participants over 2-3 days Day events – PDUs; Phase events; SfE Action Plan meetings and conferences ~ 750 participants over 18 months
What does the GA do? Online CPD Free “curriculum making” (APG) VLE: free to GA members GCSE pilot virtual conference APG extra support
What does the GA do? Goes to meetings! Lobbying DfES, QCA, TDA, Becta, ABs Partnerships SAWG (SASG), RGS, SSAT(?)
What does the GA do? Worldwise (the children’s GA ‘brand’) Face to face quiz Online quiz WW Challenge Olympiad Question: does this remain a cottage industry or can we grow it?
What does the GA do? Branches After gradual decline, recent increase in all kinds: Traditional Specialist school Living Geography Question: can we envisage more, in relation to ITE partnerships?
So, what’s the GA for? Some possibilities - a nice ‘club’ for geography nuts? - to help the government out of a tight spot? - to ‘speak out’ on behalf of its members - to defend geography and to wage successful ‘turf wars’
So, what’s the GA for? Some key observations/questions Why are teachers so compliant, putting up with so much? Why is it so difficult to sustain educational change?
So, what’s the GA for? Some more key observations Do teaching professionals still count the ‘subject’ as part of their identity? Why does one become a teacher? How ‘alive’ (independent) is the subject?
So, what’s the GA for? To conclude The GA exits to support all those who believe that teaching young people geography is not only worthwhile and relevant but also brings enjoyment and delight.
So, what’s the GA for? To achieve this (1) The GA understands that it works in, and is a key part of, a networked society. It is a conduit and a catalyst, also offering a voice and professionalsupport to teachers of geography.
So, what’s the GA for? To achieve this (2) The GA can also offer vision and direction in a way that enables personalised CPD through community engagement.
So, what’s the GA for? To achieve this (3) The GA’s vision is that improvement will folow what we call ‘teacher-led curriculum development’. We promote curriculum making which evokes a form of curriculum development that is responsive to local context, and where appropriate, students’ voices
So, what’s the GA for? A subject association geared to promoting the subject through teacher-led curriculum making is in tune with the zeitgeist: new emphasis on subject specialism fresh emphasis on new professionalism urgent ‘big agenda’ (addressed through ‘Living Geography’ initiatives)
So, what’s the GA for? Questions Does this ‘strategy’ make sense? How can this mission be strengthened further?