Place Based Education
Place-Based Education (PBE) is anytime, anywhere learning that leverages the power of place, and learning space – not just the power of technology – to personalize learning. We’ve recently released a new book, The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education, which focuses on how PBE is an immersive learning experience that “places students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences, using these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.” PBE is also a natural complement to Personalized and Project-Based Learning, providing a way to connect these efforts to students’ local environment for engaging learning that leads to more engaged citizens.
Place Based Education
A Student’s Perspective on Urban Place-Based Ed
By Elizabeth Irvin. A senior at Sidwell Friends Schools gives her perspective on urban place-based education.
Network Effect
Network of Place-Based Community-Connected Rural Schools Receive Grant to Expand
Small community-connected schools sharing resources in networks & leveraging local learning opportunities may be the solution to the rural education decline.
Personalized Learning
Get Kids in the Community and Change the World
It has become apparent that basic literacies are no longer enough. Students must find ways to apply, own, and direct how literacy and problem-solving skills are used. A look at place-based education and how it's doing just that while also building capacity for citizenship.
Future of Learning
School Design that Combats Nature Deficit Disorder
By: Ashley Flores & Lida Lewis. There can be a healthy balance struck between media intake and real-world engagement. This balance is much more likely to happen through intentional design. The good news is that there’s a simple design prescription for what ails: nature. “Biophilic design” focuses on bringing elements of nature—from literal plant and water features to more analogous and referential approaches—into our built environments.
Place Based Education
Learning Leadership Skills Outdoors: Place-Based Ed in the Puget Sound
By: Roberta McFarland. Students in the Waskowitz Environmental Leadership & Service program participate in place-based learning experiences that help them develop leadership skills as well as choose their next steps for college and career.
Place Based Education
Place-Based Professional Development in the Water Systems of California
By: Stacey Rafalowski. Whether it’s a student excursion or an educator expedition, bringing the excitement of discovery and the thrill of first-hand experiences to learners helps to engage, inform, and expand the classroom into the real world in a deeply empowering way.
Place Based Education
How to Give Students Future-Ready Skills Through Community Service
With community-engaged projects, students learn to solve problems, think creatively, manage uncertainty, and most importantly, how to coordinate and work with others. According to The World Economic Forum, these are the same top 5 future skills needed for 2020.
Place Based Education
A Place-Based Micro-School in the Heart of D.C.
Whether at the early childhood or the high school level, we see that leaders are listening to their students and developing responsive microschool models. Have a good learning idea? Try it with six kids tomorrow.
Place Based Education
Every School Needs a Garden
When our school opened in 2008, we knew we wanted a garden. Since then, I have come to believe quite ardently that growing food is an important life skill, as it is a perfect way to teach students how to use wherever they're at for rich learning experiences.
Personalized Learning
5 Tech-Free Classroom Innovations, and Ideas for Getting Started
We don’t need unlimited funding or fancy high-tech toys to innovate our practice. Often, we just need to think differently. Here are five simple tech-free innovative learning experiences that will help you and your students think differently.