These are comments from teachers engaged in a development day facilitated by the Geographical Association [GA] in partnership with Tide~ to support the OCR Pilot Geography GCSE. In March a group of 25 teachers grappled with some of the challenges presented by the My Place – Living in the UK today unit from this specification. It was significant that this event was held at Tide~ for a number of reasons. Much of the underpinning thinking for this innovative concept-led course originated from the work of GeoVisions. This was originally a Tide~ project providing a forum to debate, raise issues and make proposals about the future of school geography. The project was unconstrained by short-term objectives or immediate political concerns. A set of dispositions were created [see below]. These have underpinned much recent thinking in geographical education. There have been many significant outcomes from GeoVisions, two of which will be featured here: the OCR Pilot Geography GCSE that has already been mentioned and Valuing Places.

GeoVisions Dispositions Places are complex and diverse We need to make transparent the way in which individuals develop their partial view of the world We must recognise the plurality of knowledge We need to engage in critical reflection We must use alternative texts, and think about how we inform and misinform young people We must be confident that geography is plural, dynamic and contested

Both these projects form part of the GA’s expanding creative continuing professional development [CPD] opportunities. As an approach, the GA is developing the notion of ‘local solutions’, emphasising teachers’ own abilities, with appropriate stimuli and leadership to find solutions to challenging curriculum and pedagogic issues. The GA believes that facilitating teachers working together with a shared sense of purpose for their own professional development, [literally, giving them time to think] provides a fantastic creative resource. Here there is much in common with the philosophy of the DFID Enabling Effective Support strategy. Indeed in a number of regions, including the West Midlands, the GA and Enabling Effective Support groups have been able to join together to facilitate more coherent pieces of work. In the GA’s ‘local solutions’ projects, teachers are given the opportunity to consider, in depth, geography’s big concepts and distinctive contribution to young people’s learning. In a sense, ‘local solutions’ is designed as an antidote to the centralised cascade of largely generic advice and guidance that pours into schools on a weekly basis [and which has done little to support the development of geography].

Some of the big concepts that have featured in projects are worthy of further consideration, as are the teaching and learning strategies that have been emphasised. The OCR Pilot Geography GCSE is underpinned by five concepts. The creativity in planning the day led to the notion of ‘Fugis’ [you fly] [see right]; ‘Fugis’ being a mnemonic for futures, uneven development, globalisation, interdependence and sustainability. The fact that the specification is concept-led represents an innovative departure. This approach facilitates greater freedom to explore ideas and content appropriate to both the students’ and the schools’ local circumstances and strengths, rather than imposing pre-determined content on a learning community. The use of concepts creates the opportunity for more open discussion and dialogue, increasing the opportunities for deep learning. As Robin Alexander states: Knowledge and understanding comes from testing evidence, analysing ideas and exploring values, rather than unquestioningly accepting somebody else’s certainties.

Valuing Places is also a concept-led approach. As a project it highlights the concept of interdependence, and leads us to consider the rights, responsibilities and ethics of people living in an interconnected world. A fundamental concern of the project is to explore the social, economic and environmental issues related to the question: “how can we teach about places in a way that develops in students a sense of global interconnectedness?”. Although a national project, Valuing Places is dependent on 11 regional groups and the participation of approximately 100 teachers around the UK. This project is as much about the creative involvement of teachers in developing appropriate curriculum materials as it is about producing the materials themselves. Thus it is not evangelical about ‘the right way to teach’, rather Valuing Places tries to be reflective in its attitude and open about technically difficult teaching.

Both these projects represent ‘work in progress’, and both have involved partnership between the GA and Tide~ in their construction and in their realisation. They highlight that issues such as ‘sustainable development’, ‘global perspectives’ and ‘international understanding’ are no longer to be sidelined as matters reserved for the committed few. There is still much to be done, but this work is illustrative of the power and potential that partnerships and creative continuing professional development projects have.

The GA site contains further information about Valuing Places, other GA ‘local solutions’ projects, the Pilot GCSE Specification and current resources including the DEA/GA booklet, Geography: The Global Dimension Key Stage 3 and the January 2005 edition of Teaching Geography that highlighted the work of the Valuing Places project teachers. Look out for the October 2005 Primary Geographer that will also feature the Valuing Places project.