Geography Teaching Today

There are a range of ideas and resources on developing ICT opportunties in a meaningful context. Here we feature the use of stop motion animations

Geographical Animations

Stop motion animations offer students at all key stages the opportunity to be creative, enhance their ICT skills and co-construct geographical meaning through discussion before, during and after the animation process.

Such animations are most effective when students have sufficient subject knowledge to be able to explore, create and discuss critically the geographical processes and outcomes they are presenting.

Animations provide a context for students to discuss audience and purpose. e.g. consideration of different genres relating to voice-over to be used with the same animation. Opportunities are also created for students to challenge and question animations in terms of their accuracy, geographical flaws, and particular perceptions of place, space and identity presented through such models. Finally as a medium for learning about sensitive geographical issues and events students are able to discuss whether animation should be used when exploring events such as the Asian Tsunami.

What is presented here is the outcomes of the workshops; the richness of the dialogue between all the students, PGCE Students and teachers involved is what we hope these will inspire you to seek in your animations.

These examples of short animations present work of PGCE students from the University of the West of England and school students from schools in Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol and North Somerset.

See the related article ‘Animated Discussion’ in Teaching Geography – Summer 2007 for more ideas of how to use animations in the classroom. Teaching Geography subscribers can login to download the article for free.

Mark Jones (PGCE Geography Tutor, UWE)   
Paul Rycraft (Senior ICT Instructor, UWE)