I hope you’re enjoying LA! Be sure to join us for the GSAG Business meeting (including new officer elections) tonight at 7:30, followed by a pub/social crawl.

Tales from the neoliberal university: stories that challenge the corporatized institutional experience of education

(Carrie Mott)

Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 8:00 AM – 9:40 AM  in Santa Barbara B, Westin, Lobby Level

Panelists will present 1000 word anecdotes about classroom teaching experiences, which speak to the possibilities for pedagogical subversion in the context of neoliberalized and corporatized educational institutions.  These brief “tales from the neoliberal university” will ideally introduce common struggles and hint at moments of possibility within otherwise constrained contexts.  This non-traditional forum will feature a reading of these stories, followed by what we hope will be a rich discussion including input from the people who have offered to read their tales, as well as audience members.  Through this open discussion forum, everyone present will be able to offer thoughts about how to constructively and positively bring critical pedagogical approaches to fruition. We are interested in all stories of classroom experiences amid difficult institutional contexts

particularly situations that reflect engagement with pedagogy as contestation, struggle, and/or resistance.  However, we are particularly hopeful that we will receive submissions from people who have brought radical perspectives into introductory classes, recitation sections, and/or courses with very large numbers of students.  These tales will serve as a starting point for the bulk of the session, which will be oriented around collective and constructive discussion involving everyone present.

The U.S. at Large: Putting Geographic Education to Work

(Larry Kleitches - Texas State University-San Marcos)

Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 10:00 AM – 11:40 AM in Malibu Parlor 3058, Westin, 30th Floor

What is the cultural, social, and intellectual life of the United States of America and how does it shape our country on a world stage that is constantly changing? How is this life reflected in everything from Internet, television, film, literature, and art, to history and politics? Many students have been found to be lax in their knowledge of geography, especially the historical and cultural geography of the U.S. This deficiency has also been a shaper of people’s opinions of the U.S.’s standing in the world, impacting their grasp of global affairs. Papers being sought for this session, sponsored by the Geography Education Specialty Group and the Cultural Geography Specialty Group and co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Affinity Group, will discuss what has already been done in the classroom to improve knowledge of U.S. geography (preferably, but not limited to, historical and cultural geography), or new ideas about what could be done. From this understanding we as geographic educators will determine how to productively communicate our findings on an intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary scale about knowledge of U.S. society at large and its place on the world stage. The end game is for our students to be empowered and equipped to work on their own investigations.

Internships and Work-Based Learning as Career Preparation

(Joy K. Adams - Association of American Geographers, Mark Revell - Association of American Geographers)

Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 2:40 PM – 4:20 PM  in San Pedro, Westin, Lobby Level

Practical experience drawn from or within the world of work allows multiple opportunities for developing transferable skills such as collaboration, social and communication skills, leadership, and project management. In addition, these “real-world” experiences can provide interns with insights about the types of professional tasks, projects, organizations, and career paths for which they are best suited.

Geography in the Americas: Making the Most of Student Exchanges for Research and Study Abroad 

(Patricia A. Solís - Association of American Geographers, David Salisbury - University Of Richmond)

Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 4:40 PM – 6:20 PM  in San Bernardino, Westin, Lobby Level

How can I take advantage of the opportunities for studying geography abroad in another country in the Americas? What do I need to know about how to design and conduct geographic research in another country in the Americas? Where do I find resources to help me get there and help me succeed? How should I prepare to get the most out of my study abroad experience? How can I successfully adjust to a different educational system and learning context? What institutions in the US and Latin America offer exchange programs for geographers?  Panelists include US students (graduate and undergraduate) who have studied and/or conducted research in Latin America, Latin American students (graduate and undergraduate) studying in the US, and directors of student exchange programs for geographers across the Americas.
This panel continues a long running set of sessions organized at AAG Annual Meetings that focuses on a theme of importance for facilitating collaboration among geographers and geographic institutions across the Western Hemisphere under the title of Geography in the Americas.

Graduate Student Affinity Group Business Meeting 

Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM in Grand Ballroom Salon 3, The LA Hotel, Level 2

Followed by Graduate Student Pub Crawl.