Chapter 13

 

As a graduate student studying education, much of my knowledge comes from my text. I have learned a great deal about Geography instruction and its pedagogical value from the final chapter. My conclusion from my examination of the chapter is that Geography instruction is well structured with a variety of tools. For example, there are 5 themes of Geography which can be studied individually to construct the student’s understanding of the study of Geography. If we apply the cooperative learning model which was the focus of my graduate study during this term, we will discover that an instructor can apply the JIGSAW method here. Each individual in a base group would be tasked with learning one of the 5 themes in an expert group. Then, when each student returns to their original base group, they can share what they have learned. As an educator in training, I believe the themes of Geography are an excellent centerpiece for a cooperative lesson.

Of course, there is a plethora of effective lessons outside the cooperative model such as mapping your own community. I believe such a task would cause students to learn about their community as a bonus to learning the different parts of a map. By having students create a map, it requires the 2 highest steps of Bloom’s metacognitive pyramid; creating and applying. Therefore, a project such as mapping the community could be a good way to end a unit about the Location theme of Geography. Tools such as keys, compasses and scales support teaching these concepts. These tools can be incorporated in other teaching strategies outlined in the text such as a treasure hunt. As a graduate student, my journey this term began with a scavenger hunt. As I reflect on that experience, I found it fun and engaging. I had to use my metacognitive thought and knowledge of Social Studies to solve the puzzles and clues. A Geography treasure hunt would challenge the student’s ability to apply knowledge to fulfill their task.

As an educator in training, I believe it’s one thing to memorize information for a limited length of time and it’s another to put that information to work. Using knowledge is the best way to foster real learning. Putting the student’s Geography skills to work further develops and reinforces their level of understanding. The same is true for an athlete who practices their workouts and drills each day. The more the athlete practices, the better he/she becomes at their sport. To conclude my argument on this point, application of skills is not only an accurate assessment of the student’s knowledge, it is also a way to develop it.

The text highlights a creative cross-curricular method for teaching Geography using literature and mapping skills. The example provided in my graduate text uses the Wizard of Oz story as the centerpiece of a mapping lesson. I believe students would truly enjoy this since it involves their creativity to map the significant landmarks in the story. In addition, cross-curricular lessons such as this one, are great solutions to the time problem that looms over Elementary teachers like a dark shadow. Instructors often run out of time trying to cover all their material stipulated in the state curriculum. Cross-curricular lessons solve this by incorporating multiple disciplines at once. In my study as a graduate student, I have been taught to avoid assigning homework. But what if homework is another answer to the time problem. The obvious problem with homework is that a teacher can’t be available to answer questions. On the other hand, the good news is that technology addresses that problem. Technology allows students to communicate better than ever before with their classmates and the post-COVID world will make it even easier.

The COVID19 Pandemic has been an enlightening time for teachers and budding educators such as myself. The chaos and disorder have caused educators to adapt by using tools such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Pear Deck interactive slides, Nearpod and so much more. These are not going away with the defeat of COVID19. Rather, they will remain tools for Geography teachers to use to teach each of the previously mentioned lessons and more. Technology will evolve these conventional lessons and I can’t wait to see what comes of it.