...and there is more.

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: The train bridge in the demilitarised zone between South-North Korea.
Right image: Hopes for re-unification.

Seoul, South Korea: N: 37º 01' E: 126º 36'

More than just geography!
In previous entries I have outlined areas with direct potential for geography classes to study. However there are other aspects of the Korean experience which are worthy of note for study. They are foreign relations, ancient history, military history and democratic studies. Whilst not wanting to go into great detail in relation to these areas of study it is warranted in this entry to provide some useful case study links.

Foreign relations
Korea has played a strategic geographical role over the centuries between China, Japan and Russia. Purely because of its geographic position at the centre of this area, Korea in the modern era has had a pivotal role in the Russo-Japanese War, World War 2 , Korean War and the so-called Cold War. Interestingly this disputed geographical role is still being played out on the issue of the Korean Islands called Dokdo. The study of this present day contentious issue on the ownership of the Dokdo Islands provides a fascinating case study.

Ancient History

Korea has a rich ancient history involving the stories of dynasties, Kings and invasion. One of the most interesting talks we had on the study tour was by Moonjong Choi from the Ewha Womans University in Seoul who traced Korean history from the earliest times through the study of Korean art and pottery. The background to Korean art and pottery provided by this talk was supported by visits to the Seoul Museum and other cultural visits on the field trip. The approach was a very engaging way to learn about the history of Korea by linking the preservation of art with history. One of the highlights for me was the visit to the burial mounds of the Silla Kingdom at Gyeongju . These burial hills had all the mystery, wealth and intrigue of the Egyptian Pyramids. I had never even heard of them before this visit! With the added wonder of the Buddhist religion and relics as evidenced at the beautiful Seokguram Grotto, the study of Korean history is indeed a rich one, comparable with those we are so familiar with from Europe.

Military History
Naturally the Korean War of 1950-53 plays a key role in understanding modern day South Korea. The trip to the 38th parallel demilitarised Zone gives a great insight into the tension between North and South that still exists today. Only the week before our visit the North Korean launched missiles into the Sea of Japan, causing considerable news coverage and restrictions on the areas we could visit. The American teachers on a similar study tour were not even allowed to visit the zone (we could but they couldn’t- much to their disquiet!). The North Korean tunnels, the Freedom Bridge, and lookouts over North Korea are amazing living relicts of the Cold War. Equally eerie was the visit to the massive Dorasan Station which was opened in 2002 for rail traffic between the North and South. With only a few trains a day, this station is an amazing edifice to the hopes of re-unification. The study of the Korean War opens the door to examine related issues of nuclear disarmament, US-Korea relations, China-North Korea relations, the nature of communism in North Korea and the attitude of the South Korean Government to the North Korean regime.

Democratic Studies
South Korea has a rich modern history in relation to liberalism and democracy. The 1960 'People Power' democracy riots which resulted in the April Democratic Revolution (which started at Korean University where our lectures were) and the 1987 Democratization Movement are interesting case studies for the students of revolution in sociology and history.

Geography?
Despite the comprehensiveness of the program, one of the puzzling factors for the geographers on the trip was the lack of geography as a component of learning. At no time were we introduced to the internal geography of Korea as a topic and there seemed to be a total lack of spatial discussion of the Korean Peninsula, spatial representations used or discussion on environmental sustainability. For a country going through such enormous economic development and cultural change many of us thought that a study of Korea through the lens of geography would have been a necessity. Was this lack of geography and sustainability discussion just an oversight or is it way down the list of priorities for modern South Korea? As an aside to this discussion is the fact that in the Korean countryside postal numbers are based on the year the house was built rather than its location! Does this fact further support the view that history is more important in the Korean psychie that the location of place and their apparent dis-regard of geography? Just a thought!
Again, more questions than answers requiring another visit to Korea in the future. In the meantime I have found the book by Jennifer Barclay: "Meeting Mr Kim, or how I went to Korea and learned to love Kimchi" as an excellent read. As well as being inspiring and amusing the book also gave a great account of the history and culture of Korea and answered many questions I had after my visit. A well worthwhile and enjoyable read!

South Korea: a unique study for Cultural Geography

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: The clash of the old and new.
Right image: Banging the drums in the Buddhist Temple.

Seoul, South Korea: N: 37º 01' E: 126º 36'

So what is different about Korea from a westernised country such as Australia? Has South Korean culture been lost in this frenetic rush for economic development and the associated demographic changes? When we travel to other countries as tourists it is often difficult to see beyond our own cultural norms and expectations because of limited contact with the people of the country. The great thing about the Korean Studies workshop was that we were able to mix closely with South Korean people (albeit University educated) and get an insight into what being South Korean meant. As enlightening was our frequent wanderings around Seoul and the fact that South Korea’s tourist industry is relatively small compared to other parts of Asia and hence we were often seen as a novelty (particularly out in the country on the field trip). Before making any comments on the characteristics of South Korean culture as a unique entity compared to other Asian countries, the following experiences and observations we (I say we because I had some great traveling companions who were with me most of the time and we frequently asked questions of each other as we observed what was going on around us) experienced on the trip will give an insight into the nature of modern South Korean. Most astonishingly, a South Korean culture which seems to be maintaining its cultural integrity despite the onslaught of modernization.


Experiences/observations

* The people are incredibly helpful. Time and again we were asked if we needed help and people went out of their way to take us to where we wanted to go.
* The calmness of the society. Unlike other parts of the world we heard no horns honking or road rage. A classic experience occurred in a lane when a vehicle knocked a meal from the tray a women was carrying on her head. No histrionics but calm discussion to resolve!
* The hand gesture of receiving with both hands and giving with one with the other touching the elbow is widely practiced.
* The honesty of the society was evident with merchandise often being left out in the streets overnight with no fear of thieving.
* The Korean smile was evidenced as you went about your business, whether at the university, school, streets or subway. The smile seems to be sincere and really is one of welcome.
* It was astonishing when on the subway train that perfect strangers would grab the grey haired members of our group and make them sit down. They insisted our members sit and they stood. Sometimes they were even older than the forced sitter! What was that all about? Respect for the grey haired aged foreigners? We really were quite bemused. On top of that one of the gentlemen who forced us to sit, then gave us all lollies. Not normal behaviours on the train in Australia, even to visitors!
* There is an incredible respect for education and teachers (teachers are quite well paid). When I spent time with the student’s family in Seoul the mother continued to address me as teacher rather than by my name. Observations at the university in relation to the interaction between the lecturers and students tended to reinforce this deferment to educators.
* Males seem to still have considerable influence over females in the society. Whether this is in status, privilege or just prestige I would need more time to determine. Again the obvious demographic evidenced preference for boys would tend to confirm that the society is still rather male-centric in attitude.
* The society has an amazing attitude to cleanliness. This is evidenced by the removal of shoes when entering a living space or restaurant. As well as a preference of sitting on the floor for meals, which is alive and well in the society, South Koreans insist on no footwear in restaurants. Even in some of the hotels and in the homes it was insisted that the shoes were removed. Linked to the cleanliness is the immaculate nature of their toilets. Not only are they all clean and pleasant, they are also decorated by flowers, pictures and even perfumes. The best toilets I have visited in the world!
* The society is remarkably organised. Everything seems to work with a minimum of fuss and all just happens. My experiences in the subway (amazing organisation) or in the hospital, everything was efficient and “fuss-free”.
* A weird aspect of Korea is that the shopping is different. No-one bothers you to buy, haggling over price seems to be uncouth and if you don’t buy there is no animosity. Again a very different experience for a visitor of Asia (if not most parts of the world)
* There seems to be great civic pride in the society. This is evidenced by the proliferation of beautiful statues/artwork everywhere in Seoul (every business seems to have an artwork to be proud of). Such civic pride is also evidenced by the lack of graffiti in South Korea and the provision of complex exercise equipment in parks and streets which would be vandalized in most western cities.

So what can be made about this culture from these random observations? Undoubtedly the society is clean, calm, community based, respectful, pleasant and organized. As one of our lecturers quoted:
“Korea has an “us” culture
Korea is a great place to visit and my observations confirmed the “us” culture view but again various questions are posed by the cultural geographer.

Cultural questions

* Is the respect for education, males and educators based in Confucian traditions?
* Is the reference to Korean Jeong a reality? Is this Jeong still alive and well in South Korea? From my observations, seemingly so.
* With the likely influx of migrants (rapidly “ethnocising” society) to redress the low birth rates and sexual imbalance, will the traditions of the culture be maintained. Will the “us” culture be maintained.
* What will be the impact of rapid economic development on the South Korean culture? Will it be maintained with the onslaught of western values and culture?
* As a visitor one is always aware of falseness in smile and demeanor by those you come across. The pleasure shown by Koreans in being involved with visitors was overwhelming and hard not to be seen as sincere. Are Koreans as happy as they seem?
* What are the social controls in place to encourage people to maintain Korean cultural customs? In view of the low religiosity factor for Korean religion (religion often being the cultural glue for conformity), what is the glue which keeps the subtleties of Korean culture together. The cultural observations discussed in this blog are not social norms requiring law but rather the goodwill of the population to be Korean and be part of the “us” culture.
* What does it mean to be Korean? Are they proudly nationalistic and what is their attitude to people from other countries migrating to South Korea? I found it hard to answer this question in my time in Korea. Is their desire to be Korean homogenous and pride in their “Koreaness” a healthy scene? Apparently there have been only 5 refugees admitted into Korea in recent years. Begs the question, how difficult is it for a non-ethnic Korean to settle in the country? Even the international brides being allowed to enter Korea to redress the sexual imbalance tend to be ethnic Koreans.
* How difficult is it to be a Korean woman and reach the heights of Korean society? Is it a male-centric society, being difficult for Korean women to be leaders in the society?
* With education being so important is the society an “edutocracy” with the only way to advance and be respected is to be highly educated. Or does money talk as in all societies.
* Is there a difference in the “Koreaness” of the people between Seoul and the countryside?

Again, these are just questions, not meaning to be judgmental on Korean culture. What the questions do show is that South Korea is a fascinating study for the cultural geographer, with more questions of a cultural nature posed than answered after a quick visit to this beautiful country and people.

Development pressure cooker

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: Road infrastructure intersects with the beauty of the South Korean landscape.
Right image: Seoul from the top of the Samsung building.

Seoul, South Korea: N: 37º 01' E: 126º 36'

The unique demography of South Korea

It is a remarkable that a country that was totally devastated 50 years ago following the Korean War is now a bustling nation developing at an unprecedented rate. This development has been particularly noteworthy over the past 30 years with South Korea regularly appearing near the top of many of the important development indicators. In the last post the nature and quality of the education sector was highlighted. In this entry I want to focus on the fascinating demographic impact of the compressed rapid development of the Korean economy and society. During our visit we were frequently made aware of Korea's rating on the world stage and how the country intends to continue to develop and expand as a force in the economic world. The economy of South Korea is a highly developed free-market economy that is the fourth largest in Asia and 15th largest in the world. South Koreans enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world and have a high life expectancy and a high level of economic freedom. South Korea has one of the smallest gaps between the rich and the poor in Asia. South Korea boasts the world's highest broadband internet access per capita. In 2007, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked South Korea's IT Industry Competitiveness among the top three in the world. South Korea's economy relies heavily on exports and it is among the world's top exporters. It is home to many well known global conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai-Kia, LG and SK. In 2007, the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group became Asia's second largest car company and one of the top five automakers in the world. Who would have believed in 1990 that Samsung would overtake Sony as an economic operator.
What I wish to focus on in this blog are the ramifications of such development for Korean society. Such ramifications are evidenced in demographic terms when we look at birth rates, age-sex ratios, urbanisation, homogeneity of the population, religious observance and liberalism. The demographic statistics listed below are not remarkable in themselves but what is unique is how rapidly South Korea has demographically changed since 1980 in particular. As a demographic case study it is unique.

Demographic changes over the past 30 years

In 2009 South Korea has:
* a Total Fertility rate of only 1.08 (was 6.2 in 1960)
* an ageing population with 9.1% of the population over 65, projected to be 38.2% by 2050 (The % of the population over 65 was only 2.9% in 1960). South Korea has the most rapidly ageing population in the world.
* Unless a massive immigration program is launched in South Korea, the population will decline to 42.35 million by 2050 (presently the population is 48.3 million)
* an agricultural/fishing workforce of 7.9% (81.6% in 1958)
* a manufacturing and mining workforce of 17.2% (4.6% in 1960)
* a commerce and services workforce of 74.9% (13.8% in 1960)
* a life expectancy of 86.02 (only 62.33 in 1971)
* an increasing imbalance between males and females. 108 males to every 100 females.
* 46.9% of its population saying that they have no religion, 22.8% Buddhist. 18.3 Protestant and 18.3 Catholic. Of these only Catholicism is growing significantly.
* the highest % of high school graduates in the world (in 2009 it is 80% but in late 1990's it was only 40%)
* Labour shortage is inevitable because of the rapidly ageing population and the decreasing size of the economic active population (15-64 years old).
* a GDP/capita of US$20,000 (in 1960 was $60)

So what does this all mean for the South Korea of the future? Such a question is a great basis for a case study in a geography class. The answers are unknown but many questions can be asked and explored.

The questions!!

* Will the sexual imbalance be corrected by the importing of brides. If so, what will be the impact on this homogeneous society.
* How will the welfare and health infrastructure cope with the ageing population?
* With increased urbanisation how will the cities adapt and be sustainable?
* In such a traditional society what will be the impact of non-religious identification and materialistic society.
* How will South Korean society deal with diminishing population growth?
* Will there continue to be well paid jobs for the educated to realise their economic dreams.
* Will South Korea be able to maintain its manufacturing competitiveness against the industrial giant of China. If not, how can South Korea maintain it standard of living into the future.
* Will South Korea be able to maintain it liberal democracy and economic miracle with the growing demographic pressures of an ageing, low growth and sexually imbalanced population.
In short, is the economic miracle of South Korea sustainable and is the society created in such a pressure cooker about to handle the heat?
Again, the case study of South Korea has the potential to ask more questions than provide answers for the geographer.

South Korea: More questions than answers!

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: The message at Daeil Foreign Language School (Beautiful Dreams, High Hopes)in Seoul during a monsoonal downpour.
Right image: Classic view of a South Korean river.

Seoul, South Korea: N: 37º 01' E: 126º 36'


Questions to ponder
When searching for a country to study, the inquisitive geographer ideally wants to go beyond the mundane and investigate a place full of contradictions and complexities. From July 13th – 26th I was lucky enough to attend the Asia Education Foundation’s Korean Studies workshop in Seoul. What a great experience! The trip went way beyond my expectations and provided an amazing amount of knowledge and awareness of modern South Korea. However despite the copious lectures and input from tour guides on the field trip I was left with many questions about what makes South Korea tick. These questions relate to development, growth, relations with neighbors, education, environment and the culture itself. On the surface the country is beautiful, the economy seems robust, education is highly desired and the people friendly and happy. However the more time I spent in South Korea the more the questions grew in number. This blog sets out to pose questions about South Korean education, using information and experiences gleaned from my two weeks in the country. Future blogs will deal with Korean cultural sustainability, environmental perceptions, relations with neighbours and the rapidly changing demographics of Korea. In no way are the questions posed intended to be a criticism of South Korea but rather the observations of a geographer posing the question of what, where, why, what if and where next.

Competitive education

The educational scene in South Korea is highly valued but also highly competitive. Education is closely linked to South Korea's remarkable development and is seen as a necessary component of South Korea's future. As a result South Korea has some of the highest Program for International Assessment (PISA) scores in the world for literacy and numeracy. Many believe that Korea's attitude to education is determined by the countries confucious traditions and is firmly embedded in the national psyche and society as a result. Students are at school from 8am till 10pm at night (sometimes even later!). Even in the holidays students attend extra schooling to cram for the exams. There are many private tuition firms making a killing from the demand for extra tuition and academic success. Only now are academics and the Korean Government starting to see that this may be exploitation of the young and a potential problem.

The questions!!

* What sort of pressure is this putting on the young people of South Korea?
* Is such a system of exam centred learning creating a creative society?
* Is such a pressure cooker for young people healthy and is it sustainable?
* Will young people eventually challenge such a competitive environment or are Korean young people resilient enough to survive in such a system of education?
* Where will it stop? Can the treadmill of academic endeavour be slowed down?
* What social controls does the system use to ensure conformity and observance of expectations?


Considering the complexities of these questions in relation to education alone, the study of Korea has the potential to be a rich and challenging case study for geography classes. Korea and its amazing development over the past 30 years provide a unique opportunity to study an economy, environment and society going through massive changes over a very short time. This compressed development is not only unique but will continue to be newsworthy in future years. It is inevitable that with its dynamic socio-economic-political nature, South Korea will be frequently in the news. Such currency will provide teachers with a country that will provide plenty of newsworthiness as well as a country worthy of Australians knowing about and understanding in the Asia-Pacific region. Korea and it study will provide plenty of rich multi-dimensional questions for the inquisitive geographer to explore. I hope to pose these questions in future blog entries.

Actioning Geography

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Images: From within the Royal Geographical Society building, Kensington, London: The heart of Geography.


Adelaide, Australia: S: 34º 55' E: 138º 36'


Geography for the 21st Century
It is an interesting time for geography in Australia with the growing profile of geography as a result of the work of the National Curriculum Board. As mentioned in a previous blog, the Australian Geography Teachers' Association (AGTA), has been pro-active with other Australian geography associations/societies in ensuring that geography has been identified as a discipline to be developed as part of phase 2 of the National Curriculum due to be implemented in 2012. To support the work of the National Curriculum Board, AGTA, the Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG) and the Royal Geographical Society (RGSQ) in October 2008 established the 'Towards a National Geography Curriculum'(TNGC) project. On June 30th 2009 the TNGC project handed over to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) their report. This report, by leading geography educators in Australia in consultation with geography teachers across Australia over the past six months has been written to inform ACARA about the views of geography educators prior to the commencement of their work in developing the National Geography Curriculum. The report is a synthesis of the latest geographical educational research across the world, Australian curriculum documents and views gleaned from geographers at forums across Australia in 2008/09. The report has attempted to provide a coherent view on a geographical definition, procedural knowledge, pedagogical approaches in geography, curriculum structures, conceptual understandings in geography and implementation strategies. In 2009 ACARA is planning to develop a Position Paper on geography, appoint an advisory panel and curriculum writer and conduct consultation forums.
AGTA looks forward to this work and the opportunities the process provides to increase the profile of geography via the development of a national geography curriculum for 21st Century Australia.
It is interesting that what we are going through at the moment is similar to what geography in schools has recently undergone in the United Kingdom. When I was London in April this year I was privileged to spend a day at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London. As well as enjoying the company of Dr Rita Gardner and her team I also learnt in detail about the efforts of the RGS to re-invigorate geography in the UK via their Action Plan. The Plan includes:
1. Chartered Geographers
2. Geography Ambassadors
3. Key Stage 3 resources
4. Virtual fieldwork and local learning
The website ‘Geography Teaching Today’ has been developed as part of the Action Plan for Geography to provide a single point of web-based communication and information sharing.
The UK Geographical Association is leading on other areas of the Action Plan.

To support the work with the National Geography Curriculum, AGTA is also involved in other initiatives which will provide opportunities for geography teachers and students to be involved in the renewal of geography in Australia. As well as the National Geography work the coming months will see AGTA:
1.Continuing to support the work of the RGSQ with the Australian Geography Competition initiative and the World Olympiad.
2.Geography promotions
a.Competition/s
b.Big Week Out
c.AGTA Awards
3.Websites
a.Geo-Careers website
b.Teacher orientated AGTA website
4.Professional Development and resources:
a.AGTA Conference
b.Key Skills publications
c.Geographical Education
d.Geographia newsletter
5.Making links with National and International Geographical Education bodies
a.Membership of NEF/SSI/IAG/AFSSSE/IGU/IAG etc
b.Formal relationship with other geography associations i.e RGS, HKGS
6.Introducing 21st Technology into the geography classroom
via workshops and Industry liaison with the Spatial Science Institute,
7.Geography Teaching Standard project with Melbourne University
8.Beginning Geography teacher programme
(Primary teachers and those between pre-service and experienced)
9 Marketing Geography
a.Australian Geographic liaison
b.Jon Dee’s 'Do something' initiative

The inquisitiveness of Geography

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: Freeways of London.
Right image: English country scene - Suffolk..

Adelaide, Australia: S: 34º 55' E: 138º 36'


Why is it so?

When discussing why geography is important and the reasons it should be part of the school curriculum, the words inquisitiveness and curiosity are often mentioned. An individual will study any subject because of interest and fascination in learning but the concept of inquisitiveness runs very strongly through the history of geography. From exploration and discoveries to map making geography requires a strong desire to ask questions and find out what is (where and how) and why is it? This is not to say there are many other reasons for studying geography but the inquisitive angle of geography seems to be a core requirement for the geographer. Geography covers a wide range of learning and hence has a wide appeal to a diverse group of students. Various attempts to classify geographical knowledge and endevour into themes or branches have been undertaken over the years. These themes provide ample opportunity to cater to the needs of individuals. For example the area of geo-tourism will attract a very different individual to the one interested in geomorphology. Whilst studying people travelling around the globe is very different to learning about rocks and landscapes, what links these individuals together as geographer's is their inquisitive geographical approach when they study or work in their chosen area. This inquisitive approach involves asking key geographical questions such as:
* What is where?
* What is the distribution and shape of what is there?
* Why is what is there there?
* What surrounds what is there?
* Why is what surrounds there there?
* What is the distribution and shape of what surrounds what is there?
* What are the reasons for the distribution and shape of what surrounds?
* What are the interactions between what is there and what surrounds?
* What are the interdependencies between what is there and what surrounds?
* How and why has what is there changed or is changing in nature, distribution and
shape over time?
* What is the future projection for what is there and what surrounds?
* other pertinent geographical questions to the area of geographical endevour!!

Whilst sounding a little confusing, the key to geographical inquisitiveness is to answer such questions in relation to places and spaces. This spatial inquisitevness is at the core of the geographical approach and is what drives explorers, adventurers, researchers, writers and hopefully teachers. This inquisitivesness in the classroom should be the driving force of inquiry teaching methodologies (pedagogies) which pose questions to the students and invite them to use their geographical knowledge and skills to find answers or possible solutions. Giving students the answer without inviting inquiry only goes towards crushing student inquisitiveness and makes the subject no different to others. Geography must embrace an inquiry approach so as to model what geography is all about! Asking questions and seeking answers by exploration of place and space. Spatial technologies are the great enabler for this approach. Spatial technology and the associated data and visualisations can provide the geographer in the workforce or the student in the geography classroom with information on places and patterns/trends across space that can answer the geographical questions developed.

The natural inquisitivenes of students when studying geography must be fed by asking the questions; what? where? why?, when? how? what if? and so what? when studying any of the geographical areas/themes.

What makes Geography Geography??

Spatial Worlds website

Melbourne, Australia: S: 37º 47' E: 144º 58'


Left image: The Melbourne CBD
Right image: The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

The headset of the geographer

With the context for the National Geography Curriculum presently being developed, the question, "What makes Geography Geography?" is being constantly posed by those coming to grips with the fact that geography is to be introduced in schools from R-12 across Australia in 2012. As a geographer I feel confident in discussing what makes geography different to other disciplines and indeed unique in the curriculum. However, to actually explain the nature of geographical study to the non-geographer is quite a challenge. As I have found out through the "Towards and National Geography Curriculum" project there is even disagreements on this question amongst geographers themselves. In this posting I will have a crack at trying to delineate the uniqueness of geography. In this day of spatial technology and spatial literacy, clarity on this question is essential. In fact, what are the linkages between geography and the world of the spatial scientist? Are geographers spatial scientists, or is the science word to be avoided? It is interesting that in the National Curriculum Board's Shaping Paper for Science, they refer to systems, interdependence, patterns, inquiry methodology, sustainability, climate change, biodiversity and digital and spatial technology. These are all concepts/topics/tools covered and used in geography! So is geographer all that different to Science in its approach? Naturally the answer is no but how then is it different? In the science document there is no reference to geography as a linking discipline and hence makes one wonder if the Science world is also not aware of the nature of geography and how it can compliment other disciplines? Interestingly the sparse mention of spatial variation and geography in the National Curriculum Boards Shaping Paper for history paper, a discipline traditionally closely allied with geography.

So what makes geography unique? To clarify this I thought it would be interesting to list the features of geographical education that I consider makes it what it is!

Geographers are interested and inquisitive about the:
* bio-physical (natural) environment and the built environment of humanity
* inter-actions within and between environmental systems
* interdependencies and intricacies of environmental interactions
* spatial variation evident across space and the reasons for the variation
* patterns and trends that can be identified when viewing spatial changes and environmental phenomena over space
* changes in land patterns and landuse over time
* processes which create landscape features and phenomena
* visual representation of places and their distribution over space

The way the geographer looks at the world though a geographical lens is what makes geography geography.
The advent of modern spatial technologies has put in the hands of geographers an array of tools which enable the geographer to visualise and describe the world geographically beyond our imagination only a few years ago. In this blog I will continue to present the latest spatial technologies which make geography one of the most exciting disciplines in the world when we are trying to visualise, describe, explain and analyse the world around us. The geographers headset is unique and needs to be clearly articulated if we expect good geography to be taught in our schools. The question needs to be asked, is the writing of a national geography curriculum going to improve geographical education in schools? The answer can be only yes when we develop professional learning strategies that enable non-geographically trained teachers understand what makes geography geography. It is not about the content of geography to be taught in the classroom but the headset of the geographer.

Great for Pirates! Real time never ceases to amaze

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left Image: The Conola(called Rape in Europe)fields of Flanders.
Right image: The Riqueval Tunnel at Bellicourt, Picardie, France. Built by Napoleon in 1811 and still in use.

Adelaide, Australia: S: 34º 55' E: 138º 36'

Spatial technology sites never cease to amaze me with their power of communication and ability to visually represent what is happening now in the world. This is particularly true of real time sites which are great for the teaching of current affairs. A great example of such currency are two sites I have recently come across which relate to shipping around the world and piracy. Piracy is a hot topic on the international scene and a topic which continues to enthrall. Maybe the interest in piracy relates to those stories we all read or watched in our childhood about buccaneers. Regardless of the reasons, piracy on the seas is a real issue with associated security issues, under-development of countries, trade and trade routes and the rights of the haves to go unimpeded with their wealth.

1.Tracking shipping around the world (a gift to pirates!!)
This is an amazing site which shows the marine traffic on the oceans in real time. Not only does it show the location, type and travel direction of shipping but also the speed, image and name of the boats. Have a play with the site and you will find much more spatial information for analysis (i.e.why concentration of shipping, routes and shipping lanes etc). A great example of the power of spatial technology to inform and analyse.
This site is particularly topical considering the pirate issue on the high
seas at the moment.

2. Live Piracy map: A gift to the anti-piracy efforts!
As a follow up to the shipping map, here is a Google Map link on pirate attacks in recent years (International Chamber of Commerce Commercial Crime Service). The attacks are shown by date, type of attack, ship type, ship name and location with a crime report for each. Some interesting comparisons over time.

What a great way to combine current affairs, development studies, economic geography,international law of the sea, media spin and spatial technology. All in real time with temporal comparison!

The spatial and war

Spatialworlds website

Picture descriptions:
Left image: Using telescopes in the trenches at the Newfoundland Memorial site.
Right image:Using modern spatial technology on the battlefield.

Amiens, Belgium: N: 49º 53.506' E: 002º 18.561'

Mapping our ANZACS
For many years we have spoken about how GIS technology is a product of military necessity. Whilst this is true for modern spatial technology, the historical importance of maps and spatial skills became very obvious to me when I visited the battlefields of France and Belgium in April this year. As part of my job I am fortunate to be involved in organising the South Australian Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize. This prize involves 6 students being selected to visit the battlefields of Europe and enact commemoration ceremonies at the graves of soldiers they have investigated. As part of the tour a military historian traces the last days of the soldier's life and this is where the skills of mapping and spatial thinking became so obvious. Despite not having GIS and GPS, the military strategist and commanders of the Great War needed high level spatial skills (and geographic naturally) to interpret maps and landscapes. Questions they would have frequently asked when looking at their maps and observing the landscape would be: where is the highest point, what is the line of sight for a location, where would a bombardment land, what is the aspect and gradient of a slope, what is the vertical exaggeration of the topography, where are the transport routes, how can we get water supplies to the soldiers, where are the natural barriers, what is the shortest route etc. The interesting thing is that these life and death spatial decisions were carried out with just maps,telescopes and basic aerial photography. How many lives could have been saved with the accuracy of modern spatial technology! Or would they? Even the best locational intelligence needs good decision making by commanders!
One of the thrills I had when in London at the Royal Geographical Society the same week was to view the original Gallipoli maps used by the British and Turks. The detail of the maps and contour intervals used by the Turks and British was startling and highlighted the importance of appropriate map making and usage. For example the Gallipoli landscape looked more gradient friendly on the British map with larger contour intervals than the smaller contour intervals of the Turkish map. If I was an Australian soldier using the Turkish maps I would have realised very quickly that the cliffs were imposing and next to suicidal for attacking (if they could read the map in the first instance!). With these thoughts in mind, maybe one can say that an army marches on its spatial knowledge as well as its stomach!
As you can see in the photographs above the students were required to read original battlefield maps as they followed the journey of the soldier to his death. A great example of the integration of history with geography in the field. Although difficult for the Australian geography classroom to get to France to undertake the fieldwork, such techniques could be a useful virtual fieldtrip for a combined history and geography class. Why not use the following website resources to research a fallen soldier and get some World War 1 maps for the activity.
Soldier records at:
http://www.awm.gov.au/database/biographical.asp
http://www.awm.gov.au/research/
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission at http://www.cwgc.org/ for details on the European war cemeteries and graves in France.
World War 1 maps at:
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/maps/
http://www.worldwar1.com/maproom.htm
http://www.firstworldwar.com/maps/index.htm

Increasingly maps and spatial simulations are being used to explain chronological events. Here is one on the progress of World War 2 in Europe.

Some neat OER websites for Geography

Spatial Worlds Website

Picture descriptions:
Left image: The participating teachers at the Brussels OER workshop.
Right image:Brussel streetscape.

Brussels, Belgium: N:50º 52' E: 4º 22'

One of the great aspects of being involved in the OER intiative was that a huge range of innovative resources were presented. Here are just a few to have a go at!
Physical Geography
Geography games
World Demographic Clock
Environment
Designing an habitable planet
History and DNA (I know it is not Geography but really neat as a site)
Historical maps
Earthquakes
Outer space and geography
The breathing Earth
Lifestyle and the environment
Mapping worlds differently

It is worth looking at the http://creativecommons.org/and well travelled initiatives related to Open Education Resources. Considering more and more teachers are using websites in their teaching today there is a need to start working on some type of quality control to ensure that the websites support good pedagogy in the classroom. Naturally this is true for geography as well. For example when looking at a website do you consider the following to make sure it is OK for your quality teaching and student learning?** If it was a book I am sure these questions would be foremost in your review.
Is the website:
o Culturally appropriate
o Gender appropriate
o Current
o Agenda of the developer- bias
o Credibility
o Authentic
o Interactive
o Advertising Free
o Attractive
o Engaging
o Easy to navigate
o Relevant to curriculum (even if not designed specifically for a given curriculum or for any curriculum)
o Adhere to W3C Accessibility
o Modular
o Content independent of structured
o Language Independent or Multilingual
o Remixable
o Easy to download and save
o Stored as a file type that is readily accessible with generally
available software
o Cross Browser Compatibility
o Cross Platform Compatibility
o Accessible outside of login
o Unlikely to be blocked by firewalls
o Degree of Openness (eg Rights)
o No cost to use
o Labeling
o Indexed for Searchability
o Time Limitations

** These criteria developed at the April 2009 OER workshop in Brussels.

All good questions and need to be reviewed before the website is used as a teaching tool.