Creating Powerful Geography: a toolkit

Creating Powerful Geography a toolkit for spatial learning

Karl Donert, President EUROGEO, Director: European Centre of Excellence: digital-

[email protected]

Why is geography relevant?

203/05/2023

Geo- is everywhere

http://www.geo-cube.eu

http://www.eurogeography.eu/

http://www.eurogeography.eu/

Geography Toolkit

• Spatial Learning• Sustainability• Geography and the

Citizen• Futures


Spatial Learning: using maps

London crimes 2012-2013

Some spatial questions

London crimes 2012-2013

• Spatial location –where?• Orientation – where in relation to?• Process –what is taking place?• Systems – how is it being affected?• Surroundings – how does it connect beyond?• Making decisions – what solutions?• How can I make a difference?

Spatial learning

Spatial terminology

Geography Toolkit


Citizen• Futures


Sustainability Dimension

Sustainability =• Complex, dynamic and geographical• Political, social, economic and

environmental• Critical issues – poverty, climate, energy,

oceans • People = resilience and adaptation

Providing crucial links between nature and society

Nature: Physical equations Describe processes

Society: Decisions on how to Use the Earth´s resources

Sustainable Development Goals

Geographic (geo-)media

International Year of Global Understanding http://www.global-understanding.info

http://www.global-understanding.info/

http://www.global-understanding.info/

Geography Toolkit


Citizen• Futures


Spatial Citizenship – Connecting Society with Geo-Media

Geography and the Citizen

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Competences and spatial citizenshipGryl I, Jekel T and Donert K, (2010), GI & Spatial Citizenship, In Jekel T, Donert K, Koller A and Vogler R, Learning with GeoInformation V, Berlin, Wichman Verlag

Spatial Citizenship

Theoretical approach and core dimension of Spatial Citizenship

preconditions for SPACIT focus on web tools technical skills knowledge about variety

counter mapping communities in web2.0 expression, communication,

negotiation deconstruction hypothesis construction awareness about life-

world consequences Gryl & Jekel (2012)

Spatial Citizenship

Theoretical approach and core dimension of Spatial Citizenship

preconditions for SPACIT focus on web tools technical skills knowledge about variety

counter mapping communities in web2.0 expression, communication,

negotiation deconstruction hypothesis construction awareness about life-

world consequences Gryl & Jekel (2012)

Spatial Citizenship

SPACIT teacher training course free materials available from

http://www.spatialcitizenship.org

http://www.spatialcitizenship.org/

SPACIT summaryConstructivist

• we actively construct our own citizenship• SPACIT stresses active participation and interaction

Intercultural• considers diversity – in ideas, values and behaviours

Built on dialogue• negotiation – communication - appropriation of space• empowerment to participate in the debate about the sort

of future society we need to createTechnological – digital geo-media and the citizen

Donert K (2008), Examining the relationship between Citizenship and Geography Education, 73-92, in Lambrinos N and Reliou M (Eds.), European Geography Education: the challenges of a new era, Arlington, W Virginia, National Council for Geographic Education

What sort of technology?

What sort of technology?

Geography Toolkit


Citizen• Futures


Educational futures (Hicks, 2012 )

Do we have the power to decide on what kind of future society we want to create?Geography education needs to:• develop critical thinking skills to accurately assess our

present situation • stimulate creative thought on which alternative futures we

want• equip citizens to make choices on the basis of accurate

informationHicks, D. (2012). The future only arrives when things look dangerous: Reflections on futures education in the UK. Futures, 44(1), 4-13.

Powerful imagery

Read the world

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Geospatial integration challenges and considerations: reflections on data dashboards https://t.co/NGYvCuQdiW

Economic Value of Geospatial Data (Arup Dasgupta, 2013)

Dusgupta A (2013), Economic Value of Geospatial Data: The great enabler http://tinyurl.com/nj9fbj2

Geography as powerful knowledge (in the Anthropocene)

Geography encourages,• ‘world knowledge’: deep, descriptive and explanatory • the development of the relational thinking that

underpins geographical thought• a propensity to think about social, economic and

environmental futures (Lambert, 2013)

Lambert, D. (2013). Geography in school and a curriculum of survival. Theory and Research in Education, 11(1), 85-98.

GeoCapabilitieshttp://www.geocapabilities.org

Karl [email protected]

@karldonert@eurogeography