Take part in the GA's fieldwork survey ahead of the start of the National Fieldwork Festival tomorrow.
Primary & secondary #geographyteachers please share your views on #fieldwork by taking part in this survey.
— Steve Brace (@SteveBraceGeog) May 29, 2024
Only 10 quick Qs & your answers which will help inform @The_GA work as part of #NationalFestivalofFieldwork
Look forward to your answers. https://t.co/rcvRS4mqM9
Sad news about the passing of Richard Dilley, who was the oldest member of the Cambridge branch of the GA. I met him and Keith several times over the years, and we met by chance a number of times travelling to GA Conferences from Peterborough Train station with former GA President Keith Grimwade.
This piece is in the Summer 2024 issue of 'GA Magazine'.
Image copyright: Geographical Association
A piece of writing that I put together with the memories of Professor Denys Brunsden from Andrew Goudie and Anjana Khatwa was published in the Summer 2024 issue of GA Magazine.
Join the GA to see the full issue, and subscribe to the three other GA journals.
Check out some free samples here.
Image copyright: Geographical Association
As you'll have perhaps seen from a post at the end of April, I'm going to be working as the Vice President: Education of the RGS from June.
As with any major project that I get involved with, or new role, I've started a new blog. This will track my work over the coming years, and also publicise relevant RGS-IBG activity.
When I started out on my GA Presidential journey, I started a blog which now has over 850 posts on it, and includes a biography of every GA President to date as well as much more on the history of the Association and its activities.
No. 1 Kensington Gore is known as "the Home of Geography".
Lowther Lodge has been the home of the Royal Geographical Society for over 100 years.
I've been connected with the RGS-IBG for quite a number of years in various ways, as were quite a few other former GA Presidents. I'm now about to strengthen those connections a little more.
In 2007 I became a Fellow of the RGS and Chartered Geographer (Teacher) and have been ever since.
In 2008, I was awarded their Ordnance Survey Award for excellence in Secondary Geography Teaching. This was a proud moment and came at the culmination (I thought) of my teaching career as I was joining the Geographical Association and stepping out of the classroom. I didn't realise I'd be back again within five years.I had also spoken at the RGS as part of a student day - with Alastair Owens actually - although I only found that out much later when digging through some old papers. It's a wonderful thing to stand on the stage in the Ondaatje Theatre where so many greats have stood before. We also took students there for a range of events, and I took part in an event representing the Guardian / DfE once as well. I ended up having lunch with Nicholas Crane and have bumped into all sorts of explorers and 'celebrity' geographers at times in the lunch area.
Between 2008 and 2011 I worked closely with the RGS - particularly Steve Brace - who is now the GA Chief Executive of course, and Claire Wheeler (now Claire Brown) along with the rest of their APG team as part of the Action Plan for Geography. This meant regular meetings at either the RGS or Solly Street at a time when Michael Palin was president.
From 2011 onwards for several years I contributed resources to the RGS website, thanks to Steve Brace. This included:
- From the Field resources - working with PhD researchers to translate their work into the classroom
- 'A' level / fieldwork materials funded by a Data Skills project
- a resource on Hunstanton's famous stripy cliffs
- the education materials for Felicity Aston's Going Beyond funded trip to the Pole of Cold - these won an award from the SAGT.
If you are a fellow, you will have received your electronic 'ballot paper' for the elections for Council for June 2024 and will perhaps have noticed that I have put myself forward for the post of Vice President: Education. I had to keep this to myself for a while.
From June I shall therefore be taking on the role of Vice President: Education at the RGS and have a place on RGS Council for a four year term of office.
Thanks to the fine people who proposed me for the position, including a Polar explorer and some very excellent geography teacher colleagues.
Thanks also must go to my predecessor as VP Education: Mel Norman, who has also been closely associated with the Geographical Association. She Chaired and was Co-Chair/Secretary of the GA's Education Group and was also editor of 'Teaching Geography' for a lengthy period.
She taught PGCE Geographers for many years - I visited her cohorts a few times while working for the GA - and is also closely associated with the organisation of the Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. I'm hoping she will pass on more of her wisdom, much as she did when I started my GA Presidency. Speaking of which, Mel is one of those people who has not been GA President (yet) but would be fantastic in the role. She has received awards from the GA for her work in a range of spheres.
If you're going to be at the AGM / Awards or reception in the evening it would be fantastic to catch up.
I shall be back with more requests as I get started on the role in the summer.
I look forward to working with all the various Council and committee members, RGS staff and the new incoming President Professor Dame Jane Francis, who received the RGS's Patron's Medal in 2022.
There is work to be done to ensure that all the ongoing support that the RGS offers for teachers meets their needs, and continues to be responsive and inclusive to the changing needs of the profession. I'm excited to offer my support in various ways.
Image: Sam Parkinson
R H Kinvig is mentioned in a few documents referenced when I was searching for information on Michael Wise. He was connected with the Unive...
