Place Based Education

Olivia Davis, Katherine Pfleger, Yuhan Xie, Jingya Zhou

 Social Injustice

What do you want your classroom to feel like?

How is behavior handled?

Do the students get along with each other?

 Abstract

We focus on the use of Place Based Learning as an operational curriculum that

supports students learning within their community by keeping compassion, strong
relationships and engagement at the forefront. With our ultimate goal of creating
deeper, authentic relationships in mind.
 Theme

New urban public school

Grades K-3
Place Based Education
Partnerships
We want to benefit them and
the local community if they will
help support us financially
 Mission Statement
Immerse students in local community projects to nurture and set the
foundation for ELA, math, science and social studies
 Objectives

Develop critical thinkers with creativity by

solving self-identified problems seen in the
local community
Develop deeper, authentic relationships
with each other through the exploration of
the local community
Develop a sense/awareness of the real-
world and relevant issues.
 School Demographics
K-3 African American-- 64%

Urban--Public Hispanic-- 18%

100% free and reduced lunch Caucasian-- 12%

16% students with learning Other-- 2%

disabilities
 Place Based Education
What it is?

Learning takes place on-site, in the schoolyard or local

community
Parks, museums,....
Focuses on local themes, systems, and content
Experiences contribute to the communities vitality and quality
Supported by strong partnerships with local residents,
organizations, and businesses
Learning is interdisciplinary
Learning is grounded in the development of a love of one's
place
 Teachers

We want teachers who are excited for PBL and PBE!

We will provide:

An outreach coordinator
Local historian
Professional development/training program

Ive never worked so hard before in my life, but it has been so worth it. What these
students are learning and doing is real. This is real education. Ive always wanted to
teach this way, but never took the time. Teacher, Sustainable Schools Project -
place based education evaluation collaborative
 Funding/Sustainability
Does not need to cost more than Cincinnati Arts & Technology Center
traditional learning Local Colleges
Funding for special supplies and or GE Foundation
travel can come from partnerships
with local organizations and
businesses
Grants

How will we start partnerships?

 Environment
Cincinnati is home to many places
students can go to and learn from:
Bettman Nature Preserve
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
Krohns Conservatory
Alms park, Ault park and many others
Cincinnati Museum Center
Ohio River Explorer Program
Gorman Heritage Farm
PBL for students with disabilities
One of the big benefits of PBL is that it is naturally differentiated. Allowing
students to take different paths and explore different interest in a project

PBL is great for all students:

Deepens understanding
Multi-sensory instruction
Teaches skills in communication and collaboration
Alternate means of assessment
Engaging
 Engagement
Motivation

Asks more critical questions

Interest

Enthusiastic
The days of sitting in the classroom are done... When [the weather] gets nice, now
teachers dont say Can I go outside? They say to me Im going outside.Principal,
Dennis C. Haley Elementary, Boston, Massachusetts, CO-SEED
 Achievement

Outperform peers on all measures analyzed

Increase test scores

Growth mindset

Cohesive content
First-graders with more exposure to strong place-based education outperformed
their peers on all measures analyzed (Placed Based Education Evaluation
Collaborative 2008)
 Connections
Strengthen connections
With themselves and others
Create meaningful relationships
Collaboration
Conflict resolution

[Our daughter] feels like shes in a special placeTheres a real sense of we have a
mission, we have a purpose, we enjoy ourselves. And what we do really means
something, not just to ourselves, but to the world around us. Theres huge pride [in
the students] and in parents as well. Second grade parent (Placed Based
Education Evaluation Collaborative 2008)
 Behavior

Self-esteem

Conflict resolution

Problem solving

Pride and ownership in accomplishments

Improved behavior in class, greater pride and ownership in their accomplishments;
increases in self-esteem, conflict resolution, problem solving (Placed Based
Education Evaluation Collaborative 2008)
 Assessment

Observation

Engagement and relationships

Projects completed by the students

Pre and Post survey

Sources
Bull, Bernard. 6 Starting Points for Place-Based Learning. Etale - Education, Innovation, Experimentation, 6 Oct. 2016,

etale.org/main/2016/10/11/the-affordances-limitations-of-place-based-learning/.

Place-Based Learning: Connecting Kids to Their Community. Edutopia, 19 Apr. 2016,

www.edutopia.org/practice/place-based-learning-connecting-kids-their-community.

Smith, Gregory A. Place-Based Education. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education, 2017,

doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.95.
Questions?
Thank you!