Workshop on Discourses in Food Geographies (For Teachers)

Discourse with Secondary Geography Teachers on the Geography of Food

Date: 3^rd October 2009

Venue: National Junior College

Facilitator: Assistant Professor Harvey Neo (Geography Department, NUS)

Co-facilitators: Mrs Lee Hwa Phaik (Master Teacher) and GTA Committee Members

Discourse objective:

At the end of the discourse, teachers would acquire a more in-depth understanding of pedagogical content knowledge of the topic.

Discourse Outline:

Key themes from questions sent in from participants were:

Why the geography of food and not agriculture

Distinguishing food security, food stability, food supply

Intensity of food production – from Green Revolution to the Blue Revolution to GM Food and agri -businesses and organic food

Big ideas about the topic

How the topic is linked to the topic, ‘Development’

How to make the content relevant and meaningful

What hands-on activities would interest students, and how to apply it to students’ daily living.

How to teach for students to remember the content on Blue Revolution & GM Food

Suggestions for field trips for the topic, places within Singapore

Available video clips for the topic.

A total of 27 secondary teachers attended the Discourse.

Participants Feedback:

The session is useful as it provides a platform for us to clarify our doubts on some concepts.

Discussion with the other Geography teachers on “gray” areas – reassuring to check if we are on the right track! Thank you!

Greatest Take away - Linking all key concepts, drawing relationships between key ideas.

This was a small and conducive environment to discuss on the challenges encountered in teaching the topic

I have understood the big ideas behind the geography of food in terms of the reasons why the topic is being implemented in the syllabus.

Thanks for the sharing. I like the ideas to teach Geography of Food. Now I can go source for these resources.

Questions are answered too. And thanks to Prof Harvey for his knowledge and wisdom

Below are the photographs for the workshop on discourses in food geographies (for teachers) held on 3rd Oct 09 (0900-1200hrs) at National Junior College.