Teaching geography, and Africa

Did you ever have to take blank map quizzes when in school? I did, including filling in countries and capitals, and states and capitals--in junior high.
That gave me a sense of where I was in the world, and also probably spurred my wanderlust. That, along with the fact that Dad always had maps pinned to the walls and we subscribed to the National Geographic.
When I started teaching International Media a few years ago, I was astounded at the lack world knowledge of my upper level college students. Especially after one student identified England as Germany. So I instituted blank map quizzes--continent by continent and regions. No, they don't have to know all of the countries, but we discuss those that they should know, based on current events, news, and media significance. 
I know, I know, that is old-fashioned rote memory. There is still room for it in "modern" politically correct, buzz-word, acronym dominated trendy education. I'm a geezer who tries to stay current with technology and trends, and pretty much a non-traditional teacher. But there still needs to be some basic memorized stuff.
So far, they've done well this semester, and we've covered the Mideast,  South America, SE Asia, Asia and Europe. Coming up is Africa, and I'm trying to instill in them the size of Africa as well. You can follow all of this on the class blog, Clarkinternational.
And here's the study guide on the blog today. Did you realize the Sahara is bigger than the U.S?

Africa is really, really big

The Sahara is bigger than the U.S.

'I've never had a geography course'

"I've never had a geography course."
So said a senior in my International Media class this week, after I gave them a blank map quiz on Asia, and posted another of Southeast Asia for next week...mistakenly putting it on this blog, instead of the class blog, ClarkInternational.
We started with the Mideast, then South America, Europe and then to Asia. Next on tap will be Africa.
One student said he'd last had geography in eighth grade. I don't understand. I'll admit, with the breakup of the Soviet union and independence of many African Nations, I don't know all the countries, but I sure know most of them, and especially all those who are in the news.
It tells me something about our education and politics that students no longer know basic geography--we are becoming more isolated  and provincial as we are being more affected by the rest of the world.
I'll admit, filling in a map doesn't make you less provincial and ethnocentric. Only travel will do that, but still, howcab to function in this world without some grasp of "Where"?

"How can you function in this world without some grasp of 'Where'?"

One of the students quipped, asking for a map of the United States. I shot back, "Ok, and also name all the capitals." They balked.
I learned all that stuff in seventh or eighth grade when it mattered a whole less than it does now. Come to think of it, I think I'll give the students a blank map of the U.S., without state borders, and make them draw them, label them and name the capitals.
I'll admit, I also grew up in a home with National Geographic maps on the walls, and have been fascinated with maps ever since. They hint of places I can only dream of, of places I want to go, of faraway places and peoples and stories.
You don't get that perspective of a big world with a GPS system or a computer...especially if you don't know where countries are in relation to each other.
I know, I'm a dinosaur, and the students probably get amused and talk about me, when I start telling them about why Korea split, or Vietnam and a brick from the Hanoi Hilton that is in Oklahoma City (few know what the Hanoi Hilton was). But that is precisely why I incorporate these map quizzes in my International Media class. Thus the map of Southeast Asia.

Evening on the Great Plains

Evening, 5 by 7 watercolor, 140# d'Arches

Driving in the country today, unseasonably cool 87 degrees, I didn't see this, but with the windows down and the lush greens of summer, on the edge of the Great Plains in central Oklahoma, I know evening is coming to places like this. Free, open, alone, big skies and people. We are children of our geography.

Turning the world upside down, questions on media

One of the joys of teaching upper level students is being able cause them to think, to be aware of the differences in the world, by asking questions centered around what we used to call "current events." So it is with my International Media class, where 24 students have to adopt a country and present to the rest of the class how its media reflects the culture and government.
Before then we concentrate on how press systems differ, and the only textbook is the New York Times, which we get free every day. It's full of items that show the interaction of media and every day international life.

This map of the world turned "upside down," (which is ridiculous since there is no up or down in space, but only how we're trained to look at it) formed questions for discussions about Eurocentric, ethnocentric, xenophobic," etc. last week. 
I've created a blog for the class, Clarkinternational where assignments are made, and students respond. Tomorrow's assignments  are all questions about two events--the U.S. security leaks, and the Syria crisis.
One post is "Authoritarian government in the U.S? and it asks this question: "Why is this American journalist, Barrett Brown,  in jail? Jailed Texas journalist Is it justified? Does this make the U.S. government authoritarian in spite of the First Amendment? Comment today."
The other post, "Syria and international media"  asks three questions: Find two sources today about the impact of international media on the crisis in Syria, and post below.  Why is President Obama using TV?TV and foreign policy . Why are journalists being kidnapped in Syria? Kidnapped journalists .
By the way, I think you'd be interested in some of the countries we'll hear presentations on, in addition to all the English-speaking countries, there will be Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Mozambique, Bhutan, Kenya, and others.

Oh, I give in to old-fashioned learning too. Students have to identify most of the countries in the world, continent by content, on blank maps I give them. It's called "geography." We can't have "globalization," if we don't know where England is.

So what do you think?

London's moved!

Talk about continental drift!
Talk about the need to require geography in college.
Did you know the English have invaded Germany for once, and renamed Berlin as London?
Yep and the UCO paralympic group is going to need to learn to speak German.

Check the image on the UCO website: