Program

Place-based Education

~Using the pond behind the school to teach ecosystems.

~Interviewing local lawmakers to understand the political process.

~Visiting a local business to facilitate an understanding of supply and demand.

Place-based is the belief that teaching happens most effectively through use of the local culture, politics, art, environment, economy, geography etc.... creating a concrete context in which students can build connections to the content being taught. It emphasizes the idea that knowledge spirals and builds upon itself to build a greater global understanding. Grounded in the philosophy is the notion that experiential learning and activating the learners' prior knowledge facilitates an optimal learning experience.

In a society globalized by the Internet, television, various print media, and trade, we often lose sight of what is immediately around us. We take our local environment for granted, allowing ourselves to be unaware of simple things that effect our everyday lives, such as where our food comes from. Fortunately many have realized this disconnect and have put forth great efforts to study and mend it at the greater social level, specifically in education. Gary Snyder the famous poet, philosopher and environmental activist has addressed this concern through volumes of work. In his book A Place in Space he suggests, “Knowing who we are and knowing where we are intimately linked.” David Orr, Gregory Smith and other educators actively promote “place-based” education, which is described as “grounding education in local phenomena and students’ lived experience.

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Harmony    .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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