Nicole Vickerman, World Geography team leader

Digest: What is one of your key motivators in teaching world geography?

Nicole: Innovation, especially in a course where it is so important to stay current. In 2003, I was invited to be one of two geography teachers in my district to co-write an online world geography course for Plano ISD's eSchool program. The goal was to maintain the rigor and content from the classroom in a course to be taught totally online. We were one the first courses in the state to offer a geography course without a text book. Creating an online course challenged me as I have rarely been, and some of the ideas I developed for the online course have made their way into my classroom.

Because of the success of the online geography course, I have been asked to be one of three instructors to write another new course for our district, this time to train online teachers. The OTCC (Online Teacher Certification Course) will be used to train effective online instructors. We are in the early stages, but we hope to find innovative ways to put the teacher in the students' shoes - something all teachers need to experience again from time to time.

Digest: In what ways do you expose students to current events?

Nicole: The World Affairs Council, one of the single best resources for geography teachers, has taken me to tour a mosque on a program about Islam, hear and talk with Thomas Friedman and participate with my students in a genocide and Darfur forum last spring. Because of their extraordinary programs, I started a Junior World Affairs Council chapter in 2007. Pulling together students to discuss current events and global issues has far exceeded my expectations. In preparation for the World Quest contest, the students created presentations on topics as diverse as water issues, globalization and the EU at 50. We have planned visits to see the Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas and attend talks by Fareed Zakaria and the Ambassador of Pakistan. Students return from events energized and informed. As a sponsor, helping my students take ownership of global issues and develop practical leadership skills in the process is my proudest accomplishment.

Turkey

Turkey is on the list of Nicole's magnificent teacher study travels.

Digest: How do you teach your students about the many people in the world?

Nicole: One of the ongoing themes we discuss is the impact of physical geography on people and people on the environment. Students create population distribution maps to look for trends and exceptions. People tend not to live in deserts, and so why was Las Vegas one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. until recently? Asking geographic questions and applying the concepts around the world is a key skill and central to my course.

One of the most exciting ways to see the earth and interrelationships that impact the planet is Google Earth. I have developed a series of scavenger hunts for students to complete using this amazing tool. They are engaged and often take ownership of this resource to help them in other assignments.

Another example of a lesson related to physical geography consists of case studies describing the climate and culture of specific places but without the names. The students must draw conclusions about how a certain climate such as mountains, deserts, coasts, plains would impact culture. They match the physical description with a cultural description, and in the second part of the lesson they attempt to match this with the correct location. Some examples include the concept that small, scattered islands create diversity as in Indonesia or that harsh climates lead to limited population as in the Outback of Australia.

Digest: Why is geography a critical component of high school study?

Nicole: I tell my students that this is the most important course they will take in high school. Nationally one in five jobs is tied to international trade, and in the Dallas area it is one in four. I love this subject, and I hope my enthusiasm is contagious to my students. I think good citizens know what is happening in the world, and so in addition to including current issues in each unit of study, we discuss specific current events several times a week.

As team leader for geography, I work hard with our teaching team to ensure that our coursework is continually updated and improving, and each summer I analyze the overall framework based on key concepts and effective strategies for improving students' skills.

Read Nicole's letter of recommendation from the Dallas World Affairs Council.

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