On the 8-10th April the GA is holding its annual conference. This year it is held in the University of Derby. The theme for 2010 is ‘Geography: The Big Picture’ and focus’s on:
- How changes in the primary curriculum following the Rose and Alexander Reviews will affect the broad picture of geographical education
- How geography is perceived through images by the wider public
- Creative use of images and maps
- How geographical research can contribute to key global issues and debates
Young people need to become global citizens and encouraged to learn about their local area, their county, their country and about the world. Geography has for sometime been losing its position of importance. In KS3, 4 and 5 elements of geography are taught in other subject areas especially science. With science as a core subject where is geography’s place? We need to define geography as a subject in its own right. The importance of geography needs to be made clear by the Department of Education. We need to reclaim our topics and rebrand ourselves as a twenty-first century subject.
With an ever-changing world geography must be at the forefront of educational thought. Being versatile, experimental, and very much of today it should be leading the future of education. As a teacher I have worked in several forward thinking schools where opportunities to attempt new ideas were welcomed. I am very lucky in this respect. I have been fortunate to have witnessed great teaching in my years as a teacher.
miketidd.com 
We absolutely agree that geography is a subject vitally important to young people especially nowadays. People are able to travel so much more widely but sadly see & learn little of the places they visit because of the time spent in clubs etc. & sleeping it off! The world is a wonderful place, too wonderful to be missed. Yours is a very interesting website and you, together with the likes of Professor Brian Cox of BBC2 fame, can bring Geography alive to the masses. Good luck