» Geography Teachers' Association of SA Inc.
GTASA Annual General Meeting Friday 27th May 11
AGM 2010 Minutes
2011 President’s Report
GTASA Annual General Meeting Friday 27th May 2011
President’s Report
The last twelve months have been a challenging time for Geography as the full impact of the New SACE model is felt. Many of you will no longer be offering Geography at Stage Two due to the reduction in the number of subjects studied despite there still being students opting for it as schools make decision on subject offerings based on financial budgets rather than educational outcomes. There has been a clear level of frustration communicated to us by Geography teachers across the state, and there has been attention from the media about this issue not just in the context of geography but for the Humanities subjects as a whole. We can only continue to keep the pressure on educational administrations, get involved in the Australian Curriculum consultation and lobby our local MPs. It is up to us as members of our professional association to take action as - Geography needs you!
The Executive
The Executive has been stable for the last 12 months. However we are delighted that Carolyne Ryan has once again agreed to a second year as Conference Convenor for 2011. She has worked with enthusiasm and energy with the Conference Committee to develop a quality event for you all here today. Many thanks to Carolyne as she completes her role and looks forward to new challenges next year.
The 2010 Executive members are Rita Shepherd (Immediate past President) Sandy Stuart (Vice President), Alexandra Piggott (President), Peter Melnyk (Treasurer), Lisa Pope (Secretary ), Andrew Coleman (Journal Editor to end of January 2011),Chris Senior (Life Members), Simon Miller, Malcolm McInerney, Mark Manuel (AGTA Conference Convenor for January 2011), Carolyne Ryan (GTASA Conference Convenor), John Butler (RGSSA Liaison), Andrew Penny, Clive West, John Coop, Kate Johnson, Julian Cousins, Deb Lasscock, Fran Slater, Ross Johnson, Chris Graves, Greg Way, Paul Ridge. As a group they bring a range of experiences and knowledge to the Association, they volunteer their time and intellectual property to promote the subject and support the members. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their tireless efforts in the last twelve months and encourage any of you to think about joining us to support your subject and your colleagues.
I would also like to acknowledge the work done by Andrew Coleman over the last few years as the SA Geographer Journal editor. He is stepping down from this role and I would like to thank him on your behalf for producing a well-structured and useful publication.
Professional Development Activities
Another successful Year 12 Night was hosted by
The presenters were:
Professor Graeme Hugo/ Dr Dianne Rudd – current population trends
Dr John Tibby-Alternate water resource
The primary focus of the Association this year was the 2011 AGTA National Conference which ran 10-13th January. The entire GTASA executive was involved in some way and it was a huge success. There were over 230 participants, making it the largest National Conference for many years. All the evaluations of the conference were incredibly positive and everyone enjoyed themselves. Many thanks to Mark Manuel for his hard work in delivering such a successful event.
Awards and scholarships.
In 2010 the Wilkins Prize was again a popular competition. The winners were:
This year’s prizes have gone to the following:-
Junior Years R-5 Isaac Gordon Coromandel Primary School Contact teacher: Sean Murphy
Middle Years 6-9 Lauren Hutton, Brodie Maul, Elisa Trotta, Lauren Schwartz
Youth Environment Team
Contact teacher: Jeany Winter
Senior Years
Contact teachers:Rita Shepherd, Sandra Lange
The GTASA once again coordinated the Eden Prize and the winning entries were:
O 1st Prize of $1250: Ben Richardson,
O 2nd Prize of $750: Jacka Maddison, Lot
O 3rd prize of $500: Levi Bailey,
DD Harris Scholarships were awarded to Rachel Denton and Ben Whyte
Website
The GTASA website is an important conduit of communication with members. Thanks to Malcolm McInerney, information is updated regularly. Those who join the email list receive information on useful teaching resources, websites and upcoming events. I encourage those of you who have not yet done so, to register at the website for this service.
Products
A CD with the last two stage two exams and suggested answers have been developed for sale here at the conference. Plans are underway for a Primary School focussed map kit and another secondary level map kit.
The Status of Geography
As alluded to in my opening paragraph, Geography in
GTASA is affiliated with The Australian Geography Teachers Association which is the peak body for geography teaching in
While we face some challenging times ahead I believe there are positive signs and we need to continue to keep our subject in the news. Our Association exists to service the needs of our member and to promote excellence in the teaching of geography and I believe we have succeeded in that mission in the past 12 months.
Alexandra Piggott
May 27th 2011
