Place-based learning is an innovative approach that engages students in their community. By integrating their physical local environment, culture, and landscaping, students learn through participation in service projects to help them gain a better understanding of their place in the world.
This transformative teaching method helps to foster a sense of community and engagement among students. Here you’ll learn about the concept of place-based education, its advantages, how it can help support personalized learning, along with the real-world applications that may help to transform traditional teaching methods.
What is Place-Based Education?
Place-based education (PBE) is a teaching method that uses the local community and environment as the foundation to teach concepts across the curriculum. Instead of learning through examples, students learn through hands-on activities right in their own community. Through the course of their studies, students take part in a variety of real-world activities that offer deep and personalized learning that are both meaningful and relevant to their lives. Place-based learning turns communities into classrooms.
Benefits of Place-Based Education
There are many benefits to place-based learning experiences. Some of these benefits not only impact students and teachers but can also have an impact on families and the community as well. Here are a few of the advantages.
Supports Student Learning
Studies have shown that place-based education can lead to improved academic performance. According to a report from the Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative. It can also increase student engagement as well as students’ enthusiasm for learning. One study noted that teachers using this model observed their students becoming more involved with their environment after participating in hands-on activities. Another study reported students surpassed the district averages in math and science.
Increases Environmental and Cultural Awareness
This approach can help students better understand their local environment and cultural heritage. By involving students in engaging local projects, students will gain knowledge and skills and develop a sense of responsibility to their community and environment. These skills and connections can then influence students’ attitudes toward their community, promoting a commitment that may last a lifetime.
Improves Social Skills
Place-based education can enhance social skills and give students a sense of responsibility by involving them in collaborative community projects. Since these projects require students to work together, they learn vital skills such as communication with others, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. Through these experiences, students see how they can make a difference and make a positive contribution to society.
Helps Make Real-World Connections
Utilizing this teaching method has been effective in helping students make connections between what they are learning and the real world, making learning more impactful. For example, a history lesson that explores a local historical site can help students understand and connect with their community’s history. Through this method, students will begin to see that each subject they are learning is integral to the function of their community in one way or another.
PBE Enhances Personalized Learning Experiences
Place-based education (PBE) is flexible, making it easy for teachers to tailor learning experiences to student needs and interests. This personalized approach to learning allows teachers to design lessons that are engaging and motivating to students based on their individual curiosities and/or career aspirations. For example, if a student is interested in architecture, they would study local buildings and learn about the history of the buildings in their art and history classes.
If a student is interested in the ecosystem, they may observe and study local wildlife in their science class. By focusing on individual interests, students gain insight into possible professional fields they may want to pursue as well as learn about real-world issues that will help deepen students’ understanding of the world around them.
The Real-World Applications of Place-Based Education
Using your local surroundings and community as a classroom can transform your student’s learning. Here are some real-world examples of place-based education in different settings.
Urban Settings
In an urban setting, PBE may focus on urban planning, sustainable development, or social issues. Students may engage in projects like building a community garden, which can help them understand topics about environmental science and vegetation. Students can also better understand the social implications of areas with limited access to nutritional food.
Rural Settings
In a rural setting, place-based education may focus on natural and agricultural resources. Students might work with local farms to learn about sustainability and how to keep the environment healthy. They may help with projects that manage natural resources or learn how farming affects the ecosystem. These projects will help students understand the close links between their communities and their environment.
Indigenous Communities
Place-based education can be extremely impactful for indigenous communities because students will gain a deeper understanding of their local indigenous knowledge and traditions. By learning traditional skills and languages, students will gain a deep respect and understanding of their cultural history which can help enrich their own identity.
Place-based education helps students better understand and appreciate the world around them. By focusing on the local environment and community students aren’t just doing better in school, they are caring about their local communities, understanding different cultures, and feeling the social responsibility of being in society. This innovative teaching method has proved to get students to think deeply and become more actively involved in their community leading to a more engaged and informed generation.
