Diplomats Know

We often quote our friend and Class of 1942 Distinguished Speaker Harm de Blij, who said during a visit to BSU that "Geographic illiteracy is a threat to our national security." Who would know this better than America's top diplomats? As reported in the December 2011 issue of NCGE's Perspective, Secretaries Schultz, Baker, and Albright recently called on Congress to provide more support for geography education.

In addition to calling for geography to be funded consistently with other core subjects in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the three diplomats (who had worked under the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, respectively) also urged passage of the Teaching is Fundamental Act. As they rightly point out, the ESEA includes Geography as one of ten core disciplines, but inexplicably funds only the other nine. As increased attention is focused on the importance of highly-qualified instruction in core disciplines, it is particularly important for Congress to close this funding gap. As this attention is even more specifically aimed at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines, the former Secretaries urge lawmakers to include geography in projects that promote STEM education.

Secretary Baker summarized the concerns of this illustrious and bipartisan group: "I witnessed firsthand how important it was that Americans understood geography and the world around them. Since then, as countries have become even more interconnected, that need has grown."

Another bipartisan group of geography supporters is mentioned in the same issue of Perspective. The National Geographic Education Foundation recently named its 2011 Legislators of the Year for their on-going support of geographic education.

Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) were names, along with Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) and Tom Petri (R-Wisconsin). For their commitment to providing high-quality geographic education and their understanding of the importance of this for student success, each legislator received a special home-state photography from a National Geographic photographer.

Finally, Perspective reports that 10,000 people have written in support of Geography is Fundamental. The Speak Up for Geography web site offers a number of ways to encourage even more support. The simple video below is part of the campaign.

We often quote our friend and Class of 1942 Distinguished Speaker Harm de Blij, who said during a visit to BSU that "Geographic illiteracy is a threat to our national security." Who would know this better than America's top diplomats? As reported in the December 2011 issue of NCGE's Perspective, Secretaries Schultz, Baker, and Albright recently called on Congress to provide more support for geography education.

In addition to calling for geography to be funded consistently with other core subjects in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the three diplomats (who had worked under the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, respectively) also urged passage of the Teaching is Fundamental Act. As they rightly point out, the ESEA includes Geography as one of ten core disciplines, but inexplicably funds only the other nine. As increased attention is focused on the importance of highly-qualified instruction in core disciplines, it is particularly important for Congress to close this funding gap. As this attention is even more specifically aimed at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines, the former Secretaries urge lawmakers to include geography in projects that promote STEM education.

Secretary Baker summarized the concerns of this illustrious and bipartisan group: "I witnessed firsthand how important it was that Americans understood geography and the world around them. Since then, as countries have become even more interconnected, that need has grown."

Another bipartisan group of geography supporters is mentioned in the same issue of Perspective. The National Geographic Education Foundation recently named its 2011 Legislators of the Year for their on-going support of geographic education.

Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) were names, along with Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) and Tom Petri (R-Wisconsin). For their commitment to providing high-quality geographic education and their understanding of the importance of this for student success, each legislator received a special home-state photography from a National Geographic photographer.

Finally, the

Crafting Globes

'Tis the Season describes some of the opportunities in geography education offered in the Bridgewater State University Department of Geography. In Dr. Vernon Domingo's class, what might look like fun and games is actually geared toward helping students explore and master certain geographic fundamentals, such as scale, place, and earth-system processes.

This semester, students in the class exhibited extraordinary enthusiasm and creativity -- a promising prospect for the next generation of geography learners! The globe ornament project was just one of many creative projects to have emerged from the class. Check the Geography Department blog over the next few days for more examples. 

Geography on InFocus

Dr. Jabbar al-Obaidi of Bridgewater State University is host of the Bridgewater Television 9 program InFocus. Recently, he hosted BSU geography professors Vernon Domingo and James Hayes-Bohanan, along with BSU geography alumna ('07) Laura Howard for a half-hour discussion of the importance of geography education, particularly in Massachusetts.

New Book on New England Landscapes

Geographer Blake Harrison and historian Richard Judd have worked together to edit a new book entitled A Landscape History of New England. Although I've not seen it yet, Michael Kenney's review in today's Globe suggests that this will be an invaluable resource for those who teach about the dynamic human and physical geography of New England.

I look forward to evaluating it for possible use in the land-management course I teach at Bridgewater State University, as it seems to complement a number of other titles I have been using in that course.

Another excellent resource on this subject is the Fischer Museum at Harvard Forest in Petersham, whose priceless dioramas capture the dynamism of New England landscapes over many generations of profound change.

Taking the Discussion Nationwide

 Bridgewater State University geography professors Vernon Domingo and James Hayes-Bohanan recently appeared on the CBS/WBZ radio program NightSide with Dan Rea. A couple of Massachusetts Geographic Alliance members were among the callers, though the phones were lit up early and calls came in from all over the eastern United States.

Many members and friends of MGA heard the program, but many others expressed regret at missing it. Not all segments of the Dan Rea show are posted online, but this one is now available, reflecting the importance the host places on the issue of geographic education.

Speak Up for Geography

We spend most of our time working on geography education with our own students, community members, and colleagues. We also have been spending a significant amount of time explaining why geography education needs to be better supported at the state level here in Massachusetts.

We should not neglect, however, the need to advocate for geography at the Federal level. Speak Up for Geography is a campaign to fund existing mandates for geography education. As with many online campaigns, this web site generates letters to members of Congress. In addition to sharing the link, it would be useful for geography educators to tell their own stories, and to let the senators and representatives know where, why, and how we are teaching geography in their home regions.

Getting to a Vote

Thanks to Senator Brewer and several co-sponsors -- including the Legislature's only geographer -- a bill now sits in committee that would greatly improve and expand geography education in the Commonwealth. As with any bill, "in committee" is exactly where the bill is likely to stay unless a groundswell of support is noticed on Beacon Hill in coming weeks. The Joint Committee on Education has many bills to consider this session, and any bills they do not act upon prior to early March will simply expire.

A core group of MGA members has gotten us to this point, by focusing on many details of the legislation and the legislative process. We had a very promising hearing before the Joint Committee in June, and we have followed up with key legislators and staff members. At this point, however, a much broader group needs to make their thoughts known about the bill and its provisions, and to ask that the bill be released from committee for consideration by the full legislature.

On our way to Beacon Hill, we met some great
folks from Sierra Leone, a country that teaches
more geography than we do!
 Read about it on Environmental Geography.

The provisions include expanding geography frameworks from their current inclusion at 4th grade (U.S.) and 7th grade (world). The bill specifies every grade, but any expansion beyond these two years would be a positive step. More importantly the bill would bring geography licensure back to the Commonwealth, after its unexplained disappearance a decade or so ago. The bill -- whose official language is actually quite easy to read -- would also require that geography be included as an MCAS subject, that a geographer be included on the statewide social studies framework committee, and that a Geography Week be declared each April.

It is very important that students, teachers, educators, and administrators communicate with the co-chairs of the committee and/or with individual committee members if they happen to reside in the appropriate districts. Constituents can also ask their own local legislator -- even if she or he is not on the committee -- to write to the co-chairs in support of SB 182. Several legislators have already done so -- please check to see if your local representative and senator are among them, and then contact committee members on your own.

The chairs of the committee are Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch. Other members are listed on the committee web page.

When we are all done, we hope to post a photo of Gov. Patrick signing the bill -- from inside EarthView!

Importance of Geography Education

Every day, we see new evidence of the importance of geographic education. A couple of recent examples are mentioned below; we encourage readers to watch for other stories that exemplify the value of geography in daily life, employment, international affairs, and other arenas.

My Geo-STEM article describes recent attention at the national level to the place of geography in STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). More recently, GeoWorld reported on the use of geotechnology to improve the efficiency of coffee processing in Rwanda. Using GIS to select better locations for coffee washing has played an important role in the dramatic improvement of the economy in what had been one of Africa's most troubled countries.

Geography Education Hearing

The Joint Committee on Education will be considering Senate Bill 182, a measure that promotes geography education in Massachusetts. As written, the bill would reinstate geography licensure, require geography at all grade levels, add geography to MCAS, and add geographers to the committee that oversees social studies education.

A public hearing on a suite of 26 education bills will be held in Room A-2 at the State House on Tuesday, June 14, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. SB 182 is item #25 on this busy agenda, so although it is important to show up, most of us will not have an opportunity to speak during the hearing. If you are attending the hearing with prepared remarks, please bring 15 copies, which MGA leaders will put into folders for the committee.

Facebook users may wish to use our hearing invitation to encourage friends and colleagues to attend. Since EarthView (our 20-foot, inflatable globe) was instrumental in fostering this legislation, we encourage supporters to bring more modest-sized globes to the hearing.

Whether you can attend the hearing or not, please contact your legislator and/or Joint Committee members to let them know your thoughts on this legislation.

Connecting Our World

Please see my post on Environmental Geography about Connecting Our World, a site dedicated to the promotion of international education. The organization has a lot to offer advocates of geography education.

Google Geo Teachers Institute

This September, Google is offering an institute for geography educators in two locations -- one in Washington, DC and the other in Lewiston, Maine.

The Google Geo Teachers Institute will highlight educational uses of Google's various geographic technologies, such as Google Earth.

Participation is free, but transportation and lodging are not covered. Attendees will be selected by August 15, from among those educators who complete an online application.

Details are provided on Google's LATLONG blog.

Singapore and Indonesia

Singapore - a city state of 5 million people - is an island off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, it is a fascinating place with futuristic high rise buildings and a bustling economy.

From Singapore it's on to Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands. We took a great 3 hour train ride from Jakarta to Bandung with the train going between incredibly terraced padi rice fields.

Viewing the world from different perspectives

As I live and travel through southeast Asia, I am reminded of how a geographer views the world - the earth is seen as a a globe and one can stand at different places around the globe to view it. We value the idea that we have a planet of varied cultures, peoples, and viewpoints. This strikes me forcefully when I watch television here in southeast Asia and as I read local newspapers - the world is seen here in significantly different ways from how it is seen in Framingham or Westfield, or Scituate. Following Middle East events on the BBC or Al Jazeera television compels one to consider that the perspectives presented on CNN or CBS are not the only ones that exist and that have validity. This is an important issue for geography teachers as we work to help our students better understand our planet, its people and places. We should not hesitate to seek alternative views on world events and present these to our students for this is where true learning can take place, as we analyze not one perspective, but differing viewpoints on the same event or place.

This issue was brought home to me very dramatically when I visited the "Museum of War Remnants" in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. The perspective on that war is very different from the one that Americans normally see and have accepted.

     

Here is a link to a site that has some photos of the museum exhibits.

http://downtheroad.org/Asia/Photo/3Vietnam_Pictures/3War_Remnants_Museum.htm

And the impact of Agent Orange on present generations is something that people outside Vietnam give very little thought to. Here in Vietnam, it is a daily weight, impacting health in disfiguring ways.

A reminder that one of the tasks of the geography teacher is to look beyond the surface and explore how and why particular issues are viewed differently and seen as important in varied parts of our planet. 



Travels in Vietnam

Spending a few days in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) leaves many images in your mind - mostly of a bustling, energetic city. The hundreds of thousands (millions?) of motorbikes are a sight to behold; and there are no traffic rules!

And then there is the Mekong Delta - an area of 15,000 sq miles (larger than Massachusetts) and with a population of about 18 million, most of whom are involved in fishing and farming.

The delta is a geographer's delight with all the issues of physical geography (stream action, erosion, precipitation, and of course, temperature) intersecting with cultural adaptations, using local knowledge to create a thriving region. This is a common scene on the delta, taking agricultural produce (rice, vegetables, coconuts) to market.

With so much to take in, this scene of kids swimming in the Mekong, reflects the commonalities that all share.

Another Domingo Update

Vernon Domingo shared a few more photos and observations with BSU colleagues; some of them are now posted on the BSU Geography blog.

Globe in Globe

Last Monday, members of the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance joined with EarthView and geography students from Bridgewater State University to show the world to legislators. The university students and a group of remarkable young geographers from Quabbin Middle School provided instruction to visitors and legislators, young and old. In addition to capturing the attention of many legislators and visitors, the event was further publicized in the pages of the Boston Globe, thanks to several staff writers and staff photographer David Ryan.

Globe staff photographer David Ryan

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

At Angor Wat, Cambodia one stands  in awe of the vaste temple complex that was built in the 12th century. Angkor Wat in Khmer means "city temple". At every turn you can the blending and co-existing of Hindu and then Buddhist cultural features.

I've just spent a great weekend on a homestay program, living in the home of a Malay family in the agricultural north of Malaysia. The state of Kedah is known as the "rice basket" of Malaysia. In this photo, I'm standing on a real working padi field. Also tried my hand at rubber tapping - Malaysia used to be #1 in rubber production.

           Vernon 

Japan Resources for EarthView

The EarthView team is, of course, using EarthView this week to help students better understand the earthquake and tsunami that have struck Japan. For all our EarthView followers, we have posted a tsunami article that includes a few relevant maps and links.

Melaka, Malaysia

I've just spent a great weekend in Melaka (or Malacca), a town famous for its location in the Straits of Melaka where many ships make their passage from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.  
This settlement was initially occupied by indigenous people, pre-cursors to todays Malays. Then starting in 151, they were colonized and conquered first by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch and then the British. The Europeans were attracted by Melaka's location in the pivotal strait and by the possibilities of trade. Together with Gujaratis, Arabs, Chinese, all left their imprint on the cultural landscape.    

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I've arrived in Kuala Lumpur, largest city in Malaysia and am enjoying exploring the city. This is a bustling place with, with the city having a population of 1.6; the metropolitan area is home to 7.2 people (Malaysia has a population of 27 million). I had a great day going on a tour of the city and trying to understand its diverse demography. Malaysia consists of 53% Malays, largely Muslim and 22% Chinese (Buddhists and Christian).

Travels to Southeast Asia

I will be on sabbatical this semester, spending time in Southeast Asia. My base will be Malaysia (at the university in Kuala Lumpur) where I will be researching drinking water policy and accessibility. From there I will travel to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia, to see their physical and cultural geographies. I will post photos and comments as I am able to and I invite you to comment and raise questions about these fascinating places. I will be back in the U.S. around the middle of May.

   Geographically,

        Vernon Domingo