This book brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to creatively engage with place in the context of pedagogy. Beginning with an exploration of traditional place-based forms of education, such as outdoor education, travel courses, and courses on sustainability, the authors go on to expand our popular notions of place, including the classroom, the campus, our interior selves, and our digital ecosystems. This reconsideration of place-based education represents not only an engagement of prior literature on pedagogy and place, but also a re-imagining of the role that place might play in education. Authors stretch the notion of place, arguing for a holistic approach to disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, bringing into focus an array of contentious issues in philosophies and methods of teaching for multiple academic disciplines and their many intersections.

This book focuses on the interdisciplinary incorporation of place-based learning in faculty teaching strategies at the New York City College of Technology. Contributing authors highlight their creative use of the unique urban environment of Brooklyn, illustrating the integration of urban resources into student research projects and activities in the context of an interdisciplinary course. Beginning with a reflection on the interrelationship between learners and nature, built and virtual environments, contributors then examine the experience of students and faculty in interdisciplinary projects in architecture, the geosciences, economics, computer science, the humanities and medicine. The volume concludes with a synthesis of best practices from these projects, focused on virtual place-based learning. This scholarly book makes a valuable contribution to the literature, offering a model of creative employment of urban spaces to enhance experiential interdisciplinary learning and demonstrating the potential educator application in diverse urban institutions elsewhere.

"Place: it's where we're from; it's where we're going. . . . It asks for our attention and care. If we pay attention, place has much to teach us." With this belief as a foundation, The Power of Place offers a comprehensive and compelling case for making communities the locus of learning for students of all ages and backgrounds. Dispelling the notion that place-based education is an approach limited to those who can afford it, the authors describe how schools in diverse contexts—urban and rural, public and private—have adopted place-based programs as a way to better engage students and attain three important goals of education: student agency, equity, and community. This book identifies six defining principles of place-based education. Namely, it 1. Embeds learning everywhere and views the community as a classroom. 2. Is centered on individual learners. 3. Is inquiry based to help students develop an understanding of their place in the world. 4. Incorporates local and global thinking and investigations. 5. Requires design thinking to find solutions to authentic problems. 6. Is interdisciplinary. For each principle, the authors share stories of students whose lives were transformed by their experiences in place-based programs, elaborate on what the principle means, demonstrate what it looks like in practice by presenting case studies from schools throughout the United States, and offer action steps for implementation. Aimed at educators from preK through high school, The Power of Place is a definitive guide to developing programs that will lead to successful outcomes for students, more fulfilling careers for teachers, and lasting benefits for communities.

This book explores the community of practice at New York City College of Technology engaged in interdisciplinary team teaching. Professors report on their high-impact practices when they combine the assets of different disciplines. Chapters feature examples of the innovative curriculum resulting from a true interdisciplinary system, including place-based learning. The book also discusses questions of validity and measuring the influence of high-impact practice within interdisciplinary co-teaching.

A comprehensive look at the promise and potential of online learning In our digital age, students have dramatically new learning needs and must be prepared for the idea economy of the future. In Getting Smart, well-known global education expert Tom Vander Ark examines the facets of educational innovation in the United States and abroad. Vander Ark makes a convincing case for a blend of online and onsite learning, shares inspiring stories of schools and programs that effectively offer "personal digital learning" opportunities, and discusses what we need to do to remake our schools into "smart schools." Examines the innovation-driven world, discusses how to combine online and onsite learning, and reviews "smart tools" for learning Investigates the lives of learning professionals, outlines the new employment bargain, examines online universities and "smart schools" Makes the case for smart capital, advocates for policies that create better learning, studies smart cultures

Ecopedagogies showcases a range of creative approaches that educators across multiple disciplines use to empower students to access and engage with nature, an increasingly important consideration in a post-COVID world in environmental crisis. The volume includes chapters written by scholars from the environmental arts and humanities, literature, writing studies, rhetoric, music, religious studies, environmental studies and sustainability, sociology and anthropology, physical education, and outdoor education. Each author walks the reader through the details of how their ecopedagogy works, identifies potential challenges while also detailing how to address them, and explains the rewards to students, instructors, and more-than-human nature that they have witnessed through the use of these approaches. The contributions represent diverse types of academic institutions, offering broad applicability to instructors, including community colleges, private liberal arts colleges, and large state, regional, public, and private universities. The book explores a series of key questions about how educators can facilitate meaningful learning experiences with the natural world, inside and outside the classroom, and it looks at how to foster inclusivity, navigate problems with access, and explore intersections with environmental justice. As a practical guide, the book delivers a well-provisioned toolbox containing exercises, activity guides, and assignments for those teaching environmentally focused college courses.