Nurturing Global Citizenship Through ‘British Values’ (Book Release: Developing Quality PSHE in Secondary Schools and Colleges)

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

Today, a book titled 'Developing Quality PSHE in Secondary Schools and Colleges' was released. Within this book, I contributed a chapter on 'Diversity and Discrimination' through my work with Diverse Educators. The book also covers topics such as engaging parents/carers, sex education, and media literacy. My co-writers and I went through many drafts and rewrites of our chapter, and my part in particular about global citizenship and so-called 'British Values' had to be cut down quite substantially to fit in. So, to both celebrate the release of the book and to share my thoughts and findings that didn't make it to publication, here is my full draft before all the editing and cutting took place.

Geography on Vacation – Lake Hayward: Water, Air, Fire and Earth

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

It was good to absorb myself in more natural surroundings and get more-or-less offline for a week. It was worth the numerous mosquito bites! Lots of lovely family memories made; here are but a few through a geographer's lens.

EVENT NEWS: How to talk to children about the climate crisis (20 Sept 2023 19:00, Norwich Theatre Stage Two)

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

I am delighted to have been invited by Norwich Theatre to contribute to their Creative Matters: Climate Stories programme. My story, titled 'How to talk to children about the climate crisis' will be take place on Wednesday 20th September at 19:00, and will be a session combining performance poetry, prose and an informative talk.

The Anthropocene: Does Arrogance Outlast Decay?

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

Given the recent news about the calls from scientists to officially recognise that we’ve moved into a new geological epoch, the ‘Anthropocene’, it seemed like a fitting time to repost this blog and video that I wrote for US-based Odd Salon. It’s quirky, silly, but definitely gives you food for thought! Watch out for the giant zepellinoid, everyone!

Geogramblings

On Thursday 8th October (early hours of Friday 9th for us in the UK!) I had the honour and the privledge of finally, finally, giving a Odd Salon talk! Before I get to my talk… What’s ‘Odd Salon’, you say?

“Odd Salon has been bringing curious minds together for live salons over cocktails, encouraging both experts and amateurs to take the stage and explore extraordinary and unusual chapters from history, science, art, and adventure…”

Under normal circumstances, the quirky, weird, but very popular talks take place monthly in San Francisco and New York City. The crowd don’t just sit and listen, they are encouraged to get cordially rowdy and a little drunk. At the end of each talk, the speaker gives a toast to cap off the story. Visit Odd Salon’s YouTube channel to see recordings of the amazing presentations! If you like quirky and strange…

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#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs (The Power Of Geography Voice)

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

A piece of poetry performed at the Geographical Association Annual Conference 2023 TeachMeet titled '#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs (The Power of Geography Voice)'.

Decolonising Geography: A journey for #GAConf23

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

The theme for @The_GA #GAConf23 is #CollaborativeGeographies! So the @DecoloniseGeog educators group have collated sessions of interest. Check it out and share widely!

Qatar 2022: Controversial geographies And data

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

I'm a football fan. I'm an England fan. I'm an intersectional feminist. I've been dubbed a 'social justice warrior' (that's a badge of honour). I'm a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Needless to say... I'm conflicted. But I'm also a geographer, so that gives a hook and lens to tackle this (excuse the pun!). I … Continue reading Qatar 2022: Controversial geographies And data →

Teachers: we have climate-anxious youngsters, but can we do something about it

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

Geogramblings

Since that publication is now no longer available, it has been made available in full here (December 2022).

Why does an individual become a teacher, and what is their number one priority? Is it to pass on knowledge of something that they are passionate about? Is it to give youngsters the best possible opportunities to fulfil their potential? I can’t speak for every single teacher. However, from my own experience, is that while passion and aspiration-raising are significant parts of a teacher’s identity, nurturing and protecting young people is fundamental. This loco-parentis aspect of the job is called ‘safeguarding’.

Through various jobs in education, I’m pretty clued up on safeguarding practice and policy. When I combine this with my experience working in the climate science sector, it is very clear to me that climate change is a safeguarding issue. I have laid out my case via teachers conferences,

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Creative, sensitive and grounded in diverse perspectives: Why we need inclusive climate change education

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

This article was co-authored with Catherine Walker and Nerida Jolley. You can read the introduction here, and then continue with the rest of the article, for free, via the University of Manchester's website here. One of Maisy Summer’s beautiful images for the YPAC creative book How can climate change education address rather than exacerbate eco-anxiety, … Continue reading Creative, sensitive and grounded in diverse perspectives: Why we need inclusive climate change education →

Bonus Resources for Nat Geo Kids ‘Everything: Sustainable Energy’

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

National Geographic Kids Everything: Sustainable Energy is available now! Some ideas and concepts didn't make it into the final draft of the book, or they were edited in a way to make them more accessible to a younger audience (while the original is still very much useful for the older kids!). So to celebrate the official release date of the book, I offer up some 'bonus extras' for you!