What is Place-Based Learning?
As a student, I think we've all asked ourselves the question, "When am I ever going to use this?" That question fuels the idea behind Place-Based learning. According to promiseofplace.org, "Place-based education (PBE) immerses 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 emphasizes learning through participation in service projects for the local school and/or community."
The purpose of place-based education is to make the learning and the curriculum relevant to what's going on in students' lives. This week in class, we had to search pinterest for pins related to this type of education. Below are the links to my pinterest and the website I found regarding place based learning:
The website I found was created by a woman who moved from Texas to South America. She homeschools her children and incorporates their environment into the curriculum. One example I found on the website was the children visited Incan ruins. This trip tied in History as well as Geography. It is important to incorporate the environment into lesson plans because it helps create consciousness on the subject of environmental issues within individuals.
It is extremely important to educate individuals to be aware of our environment. After watching The Story of Stuff, I realized that the only way we are going to save our environment and create a new system that takes care of the environment is to create individuals who are aware of their environment. Place-based education is a great way to start educating students to take care of the environment, Just like the homeschooling mom in South America teaching her children about the Rainforests, teachers in Africa, America, England, etc. can be teaching their students how to take care of their vastly different environments.
Our world is absolutely gorgeous. Through place-based education we are able to make curriculum relevant to our students as well as teach them how to take care of their environment. As educators, we are teaching our future. Someday, the kids we educate are going to grow up to be presidents, lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, etc. By creating environmentally aware children, we are creating a better future for ourselves. Our world is on the fast track to devastation if we do not find a balance within the consumer-based system our world works on now.
Whether its at the beach or in the woods, every students deserves the type of education that is relevant to their lives and futures. Place-based education is the best way to teach students that calculus can be used outside of the classroom. It is also the best way to teach students to be environmentally aware, securing a better future for themselves as well as us, the people who educate them.
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