Michael Duffin's Talk

Michael Duffin's talk on place-based education relates to our program at Casey in many ways, but also displays how our participatory design process is different and not as successful as we had hoped. Within our program we use team teaching by having the CU students participate in the teaching of sustainability and green design to the middle school students. I feel that we could improve on this and have the CU students take more responsibility in teaching the middle school students and also to allow more freedom for the middle schoolers to decided what they want to do and learn. The examples that were shown by Michael of place-based educational success stories were student initiated and directed. The students took a problem that was present at their school and within their community and took the initiative to learn more about this particular problem and then set up ways to alleviate them. This is not how our program began and I feel that because of this there is a lack of student participation, involvement, and agency. The Casey students have begun to show a greater interest in our projects, but I do not feel that they have ownership over them or a great say in the learning methods.

Our program does center on environmental issues and we do address certain aspects of community and creating a sense of place, but there is not outside participation from the larger community and the students have not had the opportunity to engage parents and community members. Because our program is focused around the design for the new middle school, we are not addressing issues of why and how environmental degradation affects some people more than others, especially those of lower socio-economic standing along with people of color.

Although our program is centered on the environment and in particular the surrounding areas of Casey, I feel that we have not fully achieved the benefits of place-based education. There needs to be more hands-on activities, along with a greater understanding and exploration of the local community and its natural surroundings. The students need to have more agency and individual students skills should be harnessed and built upon.

Stevi