Geography

Google Forms - automatic assessment and feedback

In Key Stage 3 Geography, students are assessed twice during each topic. The iPad has been successfully integrated into the mid topic assessment cycle and has delivered a wide range of benefits. Students complete a knowledge-based quiz through Google forms, these include a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions. Students who complete the assessment receive a mark instantly. In addition to this, the students receive personalised feedback tasks that are linked directly to their individual performance. We have found that student engagement with this assessment format is very positive.

The automated nature of the assessment reduces teacher workload and frees up valuable time that can be invested in content creation. In addition, the data collected enables the teacher to quickly observe whole class understanding and rapidly identify student misconceptions and students who could benefit from further support or challenge.

Impact of using google forms

Google forms in geography.wav

Listen to our students talk about the impact of using Google forms as an assessment tool in Geography.

Socrative

Both Socrative and Quizlet live demonstrate how iPad has been integrated into the teaching process. Socrative provides an instant assessment of whole class understanding through low stakes quizzing. The beauty of this application is that it can be both pre prepared or created ad-hoc in the classroom. It allows us to check the understanding of concepts at key hinge points in the lesson. We can then use this to act upon misconceptions instantly or use it to inform future planning.

Quizlet

Quizlet Live promotes collaborative learning, it requires deeper thinking and engagement. Quizlet Live promotes communication and teamwork between students as they work towards a common goal. This is a massive positive as students can share best practice and understanding. The team scores reset if a question is answered wrong, as a result, I have noticed that students take more care when answering questions. This has been a great way of integrating technology into collaborative learning.

Assemblr - Augmented Reality in the classroom

Geography is a subject that is full of fascinating concepts. Visualising these concepts through imagery is essential in helping students access the curriculum. Assemblr redefines how we can bring these concepts to life. This application allows us to show students 3D augmented reality versions of geographical features such as waterfalls and tsunamis. This provides a highly engaging environment that sparks curiosity and conversation around the topic. Whilst Assemblr doesn’t contain every geographical feature, we find it works successfully as an engagement tool.

We have also used Assemblr with a group of students who were tasked with designing solutions to climate change that could be implemented on our school site. The students were able to create augmented reality models that they could impose on the school site around them. It was amazing to see the students demonstrate their ideas at the 2020 BETT conference.

Fieldwork - Electronic Enquiry Process

Fieldwork is an essential aspect of the Geography curriculum with students required to complete two separate fieldwork days. As part if the fieldwork enquiry process, students traditionally create a write up that is compiled into a folder. We have trialled the use of electronic fieldwork write ups with Year 11 students. The students already manipulated and analysed their collected data on their iPads so this was the next step in consolidating all of their work into one organised document.

Students were able to adapt quickly to working electronically. The template we provided gave prompts and encouraged students to add audio files, these allowed them to talk about aspects of the fieldwork whilst it was fresh in their minds. By having the fieldwork write up in one place and shared with us it made it easier to access and prevented it being misplaced by students.

iPads removed the traditional need for a trip to a computer room. This prevented any unnecessary disruption and logistics that may have affected student learning.

Munro Alice - PHYSICAL FIELDWORK.pdf

Physical Fieldwork

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More than just an Atlas...

Geography is synonymous with maps and atlases. They are fundamental in understanding the places and spaces that we study in Geography, iPad has enabled us to take this to a whole new level. Our experience of Geography as students, involved using atlases to interpret the human and physical world around us. The world is a fast changing place, however, and atlases can fast become outdated. Applications such as Apple Maps and Google Earth are widely used by the Geography department. They give students a chance to explore and visualise places that we have studied. We have found that students have greatly benefited in our recent coastal management topic by being able to readily access maps of Happisburgh and Sea Palling.

earth.nullschool.net

This web app is a geographer's paradise and it fascinates our students. It displays ‘live’ data with everything from wind patterns to ocean currents, air pollution to wave patterns. This data is an amazing way of providing students access to dynamic and interactive resources, which enables them to observe the concepts we teach in action. This innovative technology redefines how we are able to teach geographical concepts to students. It inspires students to deepen their understanding with the data at their fingertips. On occasion, we have been able to teach students about tropical cyclones that are happening in real time. This app captures students' imagination and has inspired all of the Geography staff at Tomlinscote.

Future Weather Forecasters

In the examples above, students were encouraged to create a document for Home Learning, to share their understanding of weather forecasting. Traditionally students would either send in a PowerPoint or write up their forecast in their books. These examples highlight a creative and innovative approach and has enabled the learning to reflect a more traditional forecast viewed on the TV. The impact on learning has been that students understand the processes and intricacies of weather forecasting, therefore deepening their learning experience.

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