GA International Geography Network (GA IGN) - get involved

The GA IGN has been launched.

The GA International Geography Network is currently developing a network of regional hub coordinators, with colleagues already involved across South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Our aim is to create locally relevant professional networks while remaining connected as part of a wider international geography community.

The GA IGN seeks to:

• provide an online space for sharing ideas, resources and best practice
• organise at least one online TeachMeet-style event each year
• facilitate at least one regional, face-to-face meetup each year
• encourage collaboration and professional dialogue between geography educators working in international settings
• support teachers and departments in developing high-quality geography education within their schools
• Improve representation of international geography teachers at the GA Annual Conference.

Here are the existing regional hub co-ordinators, but if you want to get involved, contact Matt Podbury.

Follow the link at the top of the post.

Update - 18th September 2026

Matt posted today that the response has been excellent...

Still time for you to get involved in this rapidly growing international network.

GA Conference video... and GA Strategy video

Two videos from the GA were released this week.

The GA Conference video is here. There's a few shots of the audience at mine and Matt Podbury's session along the way.

There are also new Summer issues of the GA's journals, and the GA Magazine has a conference review as well.

Steve Brace has also shared a video linked to the new GA Strategy which runs from 2026-31.

The GA's new Strategy focuses on:

1. Supporting geography as a subject - particularly at a time of curriculum change
2. Supporting primary and secondary teachers
3. Inspiring and supporting the Next Generation of Geographers

GA Conference 2026 #4: Confluence conversations

One of the main reasons I go to the GA Conference is that I try to see people who I don't otherwise see from one year to the next (or even longer). 

As I've said before, a gathering of geographers is called a confluence. We are stronger when we flow together.

This year once again, I connected with former GA Presidents, including the wonderful Margaret Roberts and Bob Digby - who remain active despite being in their 80s. 

At the special meal for longstanding members, there were quite a few former Presidents; Eleanor Rawling, Richard Daugherty, Chris Kington, Keith Grimwade, John Hopkin plus Catherine Owen. Good to chat to David Balderstone and Paul Baker in particular, and catch up with Sandra Patterson.

It was also excellent to catch up with a whole host of other people including Justin Woolliscroft (who invited me up to Hull University each year when he was leading the PGCE course there. He also provided me with a handbook for my department to save me writing one from scratch. He was also heavily involved in the OCR Pilot GCSE Geography. (I have a blog about that too....)

He was talking to Sue Warn - an 'A' level examiner legend.

I had a good chat with David Preece, who is the Head of Geography for Teach First. He was a member of the RGS Education Committee which I chair and always provided thorough and thought provoking contributions to our meetings. 

Cath Rule and Rayburn Tours were there, handing out posters and details of their tours.

Paula Richardson spoke to me about the 5th National Festival of Fieldwork which she is spearheading as always. The first one was held during my GA Presidential year and it's a great initiative. Get involved!

Ahead of the session that Matt Podbury and I were presenting I also got a chance to meet Daryl Sinclair, who was part of the team that created the Discover Geography series.

David Wood and Catherine Souch from the RGS were at the GA Awards as were the Time for Geography team - who were picking up more awards for their excellent films. Simon and Rachel were on the RGS stand. Ashley and colleague were here from the Geological Society.

I also caught up with Tom Collins from the Environment Agency with whom I worked on the BETT Award winning Coastcraft resource.

Helen Young was also there to present on the Roblox resources on the BBC.

There were many more conversations during the day and a half that I was there, but I hope this gives you an idea of the great people you can bump into and chat too if you attend the conference... apologies to the great many other fine geographers who aren't mentioned in this post... catch you next year!

GA Conference 2026 #2: Day 2: Musical Geographies

Late morning on Day 2 of the conference was the session that Matt Podbury and I had prepared for the conference programme. 

This was connected with his work on GeographyPods.

Prior to that Matt and I sat in the exhibition area and spoke to lots and lots of geographers. 

We had been given a room that was too small. The Sched app was telling us that it would be overflowing and we tried to fit as many people in the room as we could - around 40. 

Here's Matt presenting his part of our session.

The presentation we used is up on Scribd and has been embedded on a post over on the World of Music blog.

It would be great if anyone reading this was able to fill in the Google Form below to help me with some of the posts I've been producing. There are also plenty of other forms on the blog in places. 

Please have a browse through the blog.

GA Conference 2026 - see you there!

I'm going to be co-presenting a session with Matt Podbury at the GA Conference 2026.

Matt Podbury and I are putting the band back together...

 

Our session at the GA Conference 2026 has been accepted and we've teamed up for some musical improvisation... this one's in 9/8....

Musical Geographies: Sense of Place and Storytelling in the curriculum

Music is a dynamic, everyday phenomenon that connects billions of people, places, and cultures. It offers a powerful lens through which to understand the world and our place within it. From local rhythms to global genres, music, and its associated visuals provide students and teachers with meaningful insights into diverse environments which help shape their worldview. 

For this collaborative lecture, Matt Podbury and Alan Parkinson are putting the band back together!

Matt will share how an idea to showcase his vinyl collection evolved into a rich, three-week unit on the Geography of Music for KS3 students. This explores themes such as sense of place, landscape and emotion, and the role of music in shaping our cultural identity, and addresses how music can be both a unifying and divisive force. Students design and produce their own vinyl LPs to end the unit.

Alan will share his new collaborative World of Music blog, which charts a year long journey through curriculum resources and collaborative pedagogy around music and its meanings; a playlist of ideas for teaching everyday geographies.

You will gain practical ideas, resources and inspiration for incorporating music into your own geography curriculum.

Browse the programme and Schedule us in here.

This one goes up to 11!

For my contribution, I've put together a Google Form here.

GA Conference 2026 - programme now available

The price will rise in the New Year, so secure yours now. 

And you'll have a chance to see a double-act with me and Matt Podbury - worth the price alone!

You can now browse the programme here... this session looks awesome.

Sign up to Sched to schedule in your events... 

Musical Geographies at the GA Conference 2026

So Matt Podbury and I are putting the band back together...

 

Our session at the GA Conference 2026 has been accepted and we've teamed up for some musical improvisation... this one's in 9/8....

Here's the details, we submitted, which will appear in the programme in due course:

Musical Geographies: Sense of Place and Storytelling in the curriculum

Music is a dynamic, everyday phenomenon that connects billions of people, places, and cultures. It offers a powerful lens through which to understand the world and our place within it. From local rhythms to global genres, music, and its associated visuals provide students and teachers with meaningful insights into diverse environments which help shape their worldview. 

For this collaborative lecture, Matt Podbury and Alan Parkinson are putting the band back together!

Matt will share how an idea to showcase his vinyl collection evolved into a rich, three-week unit on the Geography of Music for KS3 students. This explores themes such as sense of place, landscape and emotion, and the role of music in shaping our cultural identity, and addresses how music can be both a unifying and divisive force. Students design and produce their own vinyl LPs to end the unit.

Alan will share his new collaborative World of Music blog, which charts a year long journey through curriculum resources and collaborative pedagogy around music and its meanings; a playlist of ideas for teaching everyday geographies.

You will gain practical ideas, resources and inspiration for incorporating music into your own geography curriculum.

This one goes up to 11!

For my contribution, I've put together a Google Form here.

Thanks to those who have already sent their contributions.