Welcome to Geography 8040: Seminar in Geographic Education!
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How can geographic education contribute towards the development of civic-minded, critical thinkers, who are able to use spatial skills to address pressing human and physical problems at a local, state, and international scale? That is the question that geographic educators must constantly answer and reinforce as a means of reinforcing the relevance and necessity of geography as an academic discipline.
The modern teaching of geography blends academic research with best practices. With heightened emphasis on the use of geospatial technologies and real-world data, geography encourages students to build their knowledge of the physical and human processes that shape our planet through inquiry-based approaches. This course investigates modern theory and how those translate into best-practices to develop engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students in which students are active in the process of “doing” geography. This course is not meant to be all encompassing, rather it’s primary purpose is to encourage students to evaluate the role of both student and teacher in the learning process, and prepare students with the skills and knowledge they will need to be the “spatially competent” and “civic minded” that state and national initiatives demand. |
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Week 1 - A Unique Spatial Perspective
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Module 1.1 - Thinking Geographically: Teaching Spatially
June 1, 2021 Direct Instruction/Discussion:
Activity
Writing a Unit Plan or Lesson Plan for a Geography Course
Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 1: One Perspective: A Way of Looking at the World”
Related Materials
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Module 1.2 - Perspectives of Geography (Human, Physical, Regional)
June 4, 2021 Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 2: Two Blades of a
Scissors Regional and Topical Geography” Additional ReadingsDebates in Geography Education Hawley, D. (2013) “What is the rightful place of physical geography?”
-or- Teaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 4: Four Cornerstones; Foundation ideas of Geography” -or- Murphy (2014) “Geography's Crosscutting Themes: Golden Anniversary Reflections on "The Four Traditions of Geography" Discussion Questions
Week 1 Related Resources
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Week 2 - An Impactful Curriculum
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Module 1.3 - Teaching to the Standards
June 7, 2021 Discussion
Readings: Standards - Topical? Regional? Thematic?
Activity
Compare Nebraska State Social Studies Standards to C3 & GENIP
Direct Instruction
Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 5: Five Themes:
Meeting the Standards” Additional ReadingsGeography For Life Heffron and Downs (2012) "National Geography Standards"
-or- Nebraska Department of Education (2019) "Nebraska State Social Studies Standards" Related Materials
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Module 1.4 - Rigor and Student Engagement
June 11, 2021 Lecture: Accessibility in Geographic ED Universal Design L, PBL,
Required ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Lambert D. (2019) “Chapter 3: Geography, Capabilities, and the Educated Person”
Additional ReadingsBednarz (2016) “Placing Advanced Placement® Human Geography: Its Role in U.S. Geography Education"
-or- Debates in Geography Education Lyon, J. (2013) “Chapter 16: How does geography contribute to ‘employability’?” Discussion Questions
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Week 3 - Engaging Students in a Geographic Classroom
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Module 1.5 - Teaching with Geospatial Technologies
June 14, 2021 Direct Instruction
Guest Speaker - Dr. Joseph Kerski (esri)
Discussion
Readings: The Place & Value of GIS in Geography Education
Activities
Examining Available Esri Geoinquiries
Strategies and Suggestions for Using GIS in a Geography Classroom
Required ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Baker et al. (2019) “Chapter 8: Geotechnologies and the Spatial Citizen”
Additional ReadingsJohansson (2003) “GIS in Teacher Education- Facilitating GIS Applications in Secondary School Geography”
-or- Bednarz (2004) “Geographic information systems: A tool to support geography and environmental education?” Related Materials
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Module 1.6 - Teaching Students to "do" Geography with Skills
June 18, 2021 Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 6: Spatial Thinking: Geographic Skills”
Additional ReadingsEnser M. (2021) “Powerful Geography – Chapter 9: Doing Geography”
-or- Pawson (2006) “Problem-based learning in geography: towards a critical assessment of its purposes, benefits and risks” Discussion Questions
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Week 4 - Guiding Growth in a Geography Classroom
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Module 1.7 - Guiding Instruction: the Geoinquiry Framework
June 21, 2021 Direct Instruction
The National Geographic Geoinquiry Framework
Required Readings
Activity
Brainstorming Activity:
- Topics for geoinquiry in Physical, Human, or Regional Geography courses Additional Readings |
Module 1.8 - Teaching for Impact: Contributing to Civic Education
June 25, 2021 Required ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Schlemper and Stewart (2019) “Chapter 7: Cultivating Student Citizens”
Additional ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Hinde E. R. (2019) “Chapter 9: Informed Citizenry Starts in Preschool and Elementary Grades-and with Geography”
-or- Spatial Citizenship Education Bednarz & Bednarz (2019) “Chapter 5: Citizenship Education in a Spatially Enhanced World” Discussion Questions
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Week 5 - Supporting Geographic Educators
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Module 1.9 - Getting Teachers and Students in the Field
June 28, 2021 Activity
Using Survey 123 in the Field (Link)
Reading a Cultural Landscape
Direct Instruction
Required ReadingsDebates in Geography Education Kinder, A. (2013) “What is the contribution to fieldwork to school geography?”
Additional ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Kenreich T. (2019) “Chapter 6: Rediscovering the local”
-or- Hope (2009) “The importance of direct experience: a philosophical defence of fieldwork in human geography” |
Module 1.10 - Giving Educators the Tools to be Successful
July 2, 2021 Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 9: A Multi-wheeled Cart: Supporting Teachers”
Additional ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Schmidt S. (2019) “Chapter 4: The Spatial
Production and Navigation of Vulnerable Citizens” -or- Bednarz, Stoltman, & Lee (2004) “Preparing Geography Teachers in the United States” Discussion Questions
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Week 6 - Guiding Learning and Life Skills
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Module 1.11 - Assessment in Geographic Education
July 5, 2021 Activity
Activity - Writing an effective examination
Tutorial - Revising the Rubric - Skill based-Grading System + Basic, Intermediate, advanced, expert - Importance of Feedback Direct Instruction
Guest Speaker - Dr. Kelly Swanson
Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 7: Three Kinds of Tests for Three Kinds of Meaning”
Additional ReadingsDebates in Geography Education Weeden, P. (2013) “How do we link assessments to making progress in geography?”
-or- Debates in Geography Education Digby, B. (2013) “Examining Geography: What geography is examined in schools and colleges?” Related Materials |
Module 1.12 - Geographic Education in the Post-Truth Era
July 9, 2021 Lecture: Navigating the Political Sphere of Geo Ed
Required ReadingsLambert & Morgan (2010) “Chapter 11: Geography, media and education”
Additional ReadingsAlderman (2018) “Time for a Radical Geographic Literacy in Trump America”
-or- Debates in Geography Education Rawding C. (2013) “How does geography adapt to changing times“ Discussion Questions
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Week 7 - Change and Further Development within Geographic Education
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Module 1.13 - Challenges of a Broad Curriculum
July 12, 2021 Direct Instruction/Activity
Required ReadingsDebates in Geography Education Mitchell, D. (2013) “Chapter 17: How do we deal with controversial issues in a ‘relevant’ school Geography?”
-and- Kerski (2020) - Teaching About Racial Equality and Social Justice Using GIS Additional ReadingsSpatial Citizenship Education Shin E. E. (2019) “Chapter 11: Spatial Citizenship in Geography/Social Studies Teacher Education”
-or- Lambert & Morgan (2010) “Chapter 9: Cultural understanding and Diversity: Promoting community cohesion?” Related Materials
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Module 1.14 - Research in Geographic Education
July 16, 2021 Required ReadingsKerr et al. (2013) “Teacher education and geography: Research perspectives”
Additional ReadingsBrooks (2010) “Why Geography Teachers’ subject Expertise Matters”
-or- Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy (2001) “Teacher Preparation Research: Current Knowledge, Gaps and Recommendations” Discussion Questions
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Week 8 - Geography Onward
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Module 1.15 - Leading the Revolution in Geographic Education
July 19, 2021 Direct Instruction
Required ReadingsTeaching Geography Gersmehl (2014) “Chapter 8: Geography in the Curriculum: Surviving Top-Down Education Reform”
Additional ReadingsLambert & Morgan (2010) “Chapter 12: A mind for the future”
-or- Boehm et al. (2018) “The Rise of Powerful geography” Related Materials
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Module 1.16 - Work on Unit Plans
July 23, 2021 Required ReadingsAdditional Readings | ||
Week 9 -
Module 1.17 - Presentations
July 26, 2021
July 26, 2021
