Career & Technical Ed
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
How to Design a Learning Commons
Learning in a multipurpose space can be a challenge if the space is not designed properly. In this article, we shed light on six crucial design elements for creating learning commons where students thrive.
Equity & Access
Design for Belonging
Dr. Susan Wise shares an excerpt from her book, "Designing for Belonging," written to inspire educational leaders to change the culture of their schools and organizations for the better.
Difference Making
Community is Learning: How The Act of Learning is Rooted in Neighbors, Family and Place
Aaron Schorn shares what shaped his learning journey from childhood influences to his love of nature, people and community.
Personalized Learning
Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke: In Working, One Learns
Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke is a youth-focused vocational training, educational, and community-based nonprofit in Hāna, Maui. Through core programs and initiatives, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke empowers and nurtures students and graduates to become caretakers and leaders of their communities.
Place Based Education
Inclusive and Homelike Bathrooms
As social-cultural conceptions of privacy, gender, race, and identity have evolved, anxieties and challenges have been illuminated related to the design, use, and interactions associated with public restrooms. Randy Fielding and Cierra Mantz shares more in their latest post.
Personalized Learning
Stop, Look, and Listen: Kilo
Jonathon Medeiros shares how he explores the places he lives with his students to fuel learning through curiosity and wonder.
Place Based Education
Learning Suites: A First Step in Overcoming Isolation in Schools
Physical isolation presents a barrier to the kind of authentic learning we often desire in 21st-century schools. Learning Suites are part of the solution to break out of isolated learning environments.
Equity & Access
Five Strategies for Designing Schools to Support Educators
In many ways, the factors that spur teachers to change jobs or thrive are similar to those influencing employees in a corporate environment. Research can help develop facilities that attract and retain teachers, reduce stress and support the aspirations of educators.
New Pathways
Rethinking Urban Education: Tacoma Public Schools of Choice
In Tacoma, WA, there is a small network of three specialized high schools providing a wide range of students with an entirely unique high school experience. This blog post looks at how these schools are rethinking education in an urban environment.
Place Based Education
The Multilayered Benefits of Writable Surfaces
Writable Surfaces is one of the most popular design patterns at SchoolPatterns.com. Nathan Strenge shares a short story from his teaching days that highlight its multilayered benefits.