Pedagogy

Place-based education provides students with more personalized instruction. This type of education utilizes students’ community as a means to make instruction more meaningful (What is Place Based Learning, n.d.). Instruction is centered around the location in which the class lives. Instead of teaching solely about the history of a country or state, teachers can narrow it down to a particular region (What is Place-Based Education, n.d.). Education is more meaningful for a child when they are able to make a personal connection. Therefore, giving students the opportunity to learn more about their community and use that information to complement their instruction is highly effective. It is useful in both extending the standards in various subjects, as well as educating students on the history of the place that they live (What is Place-Based Education, n.d.). Overall, there are many aspects of a community that are important for students to know and appreciate.

With place-based education, students are encouraged to utilize community members and experiences. According to the Professional Learning Board, this form of instruction involves acknowledging the needs and interests of our community. In other words, teachers could give students the opportunity to address issues present in the community. Students could come up with ways to solve or work towards improving such problems. In addition to addressing issues, students could use community members as a valuable resource in learning more about them (PLB, n.d.). Taking advantage of the personal experiences of community members could be very beneficial in teaching students how to view experiences from other people’s perspectives.

Place-based education is a unique way to connect students’ community to the national standards they are expected to learn. This ensures that students are still learning exactly what they are expected to learn, but from a more relatable background. The Professional Learning Board highlights that students can become better citizens and respectful contributors to society. Giving students the chance to learn about content through experiences and characteristics of their community, makes their education both more meaningful and long-lasting.