Dedicated to the Teaching of Geography in the State of Illinois
Our purpose is the promotion and enhancement of geographic knowledge in the schools and among the general populace of Illinois. To achieve this purpose, the Alliance maintains a strong grassroots organization of geographic educators from schools and universities, participates in educational reform at the district, state, and national levels. We engage in an active program of preservice and in-service teacher education, develop curriculum materials based on the National Geography Standards, and foster public awareness of the importance of geography in our society.
News
Earn professional development hours and graduate education credit with Population Education this fall!
Population Education is excited to announce that registration is open for our fall 2020 online professional development course for science and social studies educators of grades 6-12! You will be able to network and collaborate with other teachers on distance learning strategies this fall as you gain deeper knowledge on your the topics you teach. Discover student-centered learning strategies that use contemporary issues and real-world data to examine the social and environmental impacts of human population and engage in meaningful dialogue with educators across the world. The course is asynchronous, which means teachers can work at their own leisure and pace while still abiding by the pre-set submission deadlines. There are weekly discussion boards, journals, and a final project, all built to provide participants with meaningful feedback and materials to use within their own educational setting.
• The 8-week fall semester runs from October 12 - December 7, 2020.
• Choose to earn three (3) graduate education (ED) or science education (SCED) credits from Adams State University and/ or 45 professional development clock hours (4.5 CEUs) for completing the full eight weeks.
• The cost is $80.00 for CEUs only or $245.00 for CEUs plus graduate credit.
• The class will be capped at 30 participants, so don’t wait to sign up!
For more information and to register, visit https://populationeducation.org/online-course-registration/
What will the congressional delegation look like in Illinois and other states?
Following the 2020 Census, some states will gain additional seats in the United States House of Representatives, while others will see a decrease. Are you prepared to ask questions of the people responsible for drawing the new congressional district map? You will want to understand the history of migration in your state, essential elements of the apportionment and redistricting process, and geospatial technology tools that will inform that process. Resources designed to inform students and community members about these topics for all states are available through the GeoCivics website hosted at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Explore resources for each state (https://www.uccs.edu/geocivics/stateresources) and think about using GeoCivics materials as a lesson plan or to frame a community discussion. Click the link below to sign up for more information, or to be kept informed as the GeoCivics project moves us toward being ready for new electoral districts.
Events
2020 Geography Education in the 21st Century VIRTUAL Conference November 7, 2020 via Zoom
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC and the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University are excited to announce the 2020 Geography Education in the 21st Century VIRTUAL Conference, a 1-day conference for geography educators that includes a keynote and breakout sessions via Zoom.
This virtual conference is applicable for a wide range of geography educators including pre-service and in-service elementary school, middle school/junior high, and high school teachers and community college and college/university geography instructors and professors.
The conference theme this year is "Teaching Geography during the COVID-19 Pandemic" with conference sessions focused on digital learning tools and resources (e.g., websites, interactive maps, online GIS, and apps).
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Zoom
Cost: Registration is free.
Please check back early September for more information about the conference and to submit an online registration form.
Questions about the conference can be emailed to the Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC at iga@illinoisstate.edu.
2020-09-04T08:17:24.263-05:00
2020