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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 1h

Ben Bishop and I wrote a Teaching Geography article on a similar theme: this is why we argue that a strategic approach to disciplinary literacy that makes the most of KS3 can be so valuable!

drpreece.home.blog/2022/10/02/g...

Geographical Literacy – a reflection

Literacy is the ability to communicate in all forms for all purposes. If we are literate, we have the reading, writing and oracy skills and knowledge needed for success in life. As Geographers, th…

drpreece.home.blog

Reposted by Dr David Preece

Ed Hawkins @edhawkins.org · 13h

A request for weather interested volunteers!

Met Eireann would like to rescue millions of weather observations taken in Ireland over many decades that are still stuck on paper. #WeatherRescue

Anyone can help: www.zooniverse.org/projects/met...

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 1d

I think sometimes it happens in some moments - e.g. on coach trips, or maybe at D of E or other spaces where the distractions from e.g. tech/screens are deliberately not present?

Reposted by Dr David Preece

Steve Brace @stevebracegeog.bsky.social · 1d

Which aspects of #Geography have improved/or not since 1990?

This @geographicalassoc.bsky.social review, by Dr John Hopkin, of draws on @ofstednews.bsky.social inspection evidence over 30 years to highlight change, challenge & continuity within geography.

Read ⤵️
geography.org.uk/standards-in...

Standards in school geography, 1991–2023 - Geographical Association

The new GA Research Report considers findings from a series of Ofsted reports on standards in school geography going back to the 1990s...

geography.org.uk

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Reposted by Dr David Preece

Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 2d

When high pressure dominates the UK weather, many expect crisp blue skies and sunshine.

But as seasoned forecasters know, especially in the colder months, high pressure can bring something quite different: Anticyclonic Gloom.

But what is this weather pattern? www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/wh...

Blog post graphic titled "What is Anticyclonic Gloom?" from the Met Office, dated 13 October 2025. The background features a misty landscape with layers of fog over hills and trees, creating a calm and atmospheric scene.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 3d

I think there's been some guidance and conversations about this in schools. I think internal systems (e.g. copilot) rather than external ones (e.g. ChatGPT) are slightly lower risk... but I think it's still a less confirmed/solid guidance space!

Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 3d

Would that not perhaps a little bit breach GDPR? If you are sharing details of a student's performance etc. with a cloud-based system?

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 3d

Even that, I'm not sure some of the infrastructure at system level has changed. We still have 11-18 secondary, key stages, transitions, exams etc., for instance. We might have tweaked some delivery platforms and methods, or revised some bits, but has it fundamentally disrupted *everything* in ed?

Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 6d

I love The West Wing - and there's some brilliant episodes in there about social security reform, tax reform etc. and Rawl's veil - but fundamentally, system changes never get the time they need politically.

I can't think of examples where a whole system has been changed and redesigned - anyone?

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 6d

When we look at the macro scale of education, it fundamentally looks like it did 60-70 years ago in terms of stages and levels - but the world and participation have changed radically.

The same is true for things like grid infrastructure, rail, or the NHS - it's patchwork change on a system.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 6d

Few governments, IMHO, will ever have either the will, political capital or time/space in the legislative agenda to address changes in a systemic way.

Almost all of our major national infrastructures have been evolved, tinkered and tweaked piecemeal, often from foundations that aren't true now.

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Reposted by Dr David Preece

Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 8d

Noticing the nights drawing in? 🌙

October brings a big shift with most of the UK losing over 2 hours of daylight this month!

Do you enjoy the cosy evenings or miss the longer days?

Map of the UK showing daylight lost during October by region. Northern areas like Lerwick lose about 2 hours 40 minutes, Stornoway 2 hours 30 minutes, Aberdeen 2 hours 20 minutes, Glasgow and Newcastle 2 hours 10 minutes, Manchester and Birmingham 2 hours, and southern areas such as London and Plymouth about 1 hour 50 minutes. Background uses colour bands to indicate daylight loss.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 10d

It will be interesting to see how sharply the other parties use the local government/council experience as attack lines in the lead up to national conversations.

Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 12d

This is amazing! How wonderful! Best thing I've seen on here in weeks!

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 12d

Appreciate I've been away from BlueSky for a little leave, but OH MY GOD YOU HAVE KITTENS AND THEY ARE ADORABLE!

Ahem.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

I've been inspired by so many teachers and geographers, and I hope I have done them justice. I'm excited (and really nervous!) to see what people make of it - and I hope it helps teachers on their journey through this wonderful subject and community that I've had the privilege of being part of.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

Huge thanks to contributors who trusted me with their stories, including Abdurrahman Perez-McMillan, @mildthing99.bsky.social, @theislandgeogr.bsky.social, @geogramblings.com, Karen at Discover the World, Joseph Milton, Kelly Daish, Alice Moy, Clare Proctor, and Catherine Fitzsimons for editing it!

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

The book stands on the shoulders of giants at @geographicalassoc.bsky.social the brilliant @rgs-ibgschools.bsky.social team, and great thinkers like Margaret Roberts @ensermark.bsky.social David Gardner @stevebracegeog.bsky.social @ahamill.bsky.social @geography-emma.bsky.social & Vicki Poutney.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

I wish it was landing in a world where these topics were not quite so heavy for teachers and their communities.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

The series aim is to provide an insight in to practical, evidence-informed ideas to help geography teachers through their career - whether that's in lesson & curriculum planning, thinking about fieldwork, options and careers embedding, or grappling with contested issues and representation.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 13d

Delighted and grateful that Secondary Geography in Action is now published and on sale with @hachettelearning.bsky.social as part of @teacherhead.bsky.social's "In Action" series.

www.hachettelearning.com/geography/se...

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 16d

I once marked an A Level paper where five of the six essay questions were blank.

Final page had a note, saying "Dear examiner, I didn't want to do this today, but my teachers said I had to, so I've sat here. Sorry you had to mark this".

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Reposted by Dr David Preece

Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 17d

It's a cold start for some of us, did you need to scrape frost this morning?

These are the lowest temperatures recorded last night in each of the home nations of the UK 👇

A map of the UK showing the minimum temperatures recorded on 29th September 2025 in each of the four nations in the UK.
Scotland: Minus 3.6°C in Altnaharra
Northern Ireland: 0.2°C in Katesbridge
England: 0.2°C in Shap and Chillingham Barns
Wales: 0.2°C in Sennybridge

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 23d

Could have been designed for SEN reasons (e.g. specifying font for readability, colour palette for same plus col blindness), min text size for accessibility reasons.

I've seen it done to comply with new Gov standards on accessibility from Sep 25 onwards.

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Dr David Preece @doctorpreece.bsky.social · 23d

What are you hoping to achieve? Breadth and New? Scholarship and depth? Above and beyond, or extension of curriculum content?