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.

This second edition of the Handbook of Urban Education offers a fresh, fluid, and diverse range of perspectives from which the authors describe, analyze, and offer recommendations for urban education in the US. Each of the seven sections includes an introduction, providing an overview and contextualization of the contents. In addition, there are discussion questions at the conclusion of many of the 31 chapters. The seven sections in this edition of the Handbook include: (1) Multidisciplinary Perspectives (e.g., economics, health sciences, sociology, and human development); (2) Policy and Leadership; (3) Teacher Education and Teaching; (4) Curriculum, Language, and Literacy; (5) STEM; (6) Parents, Families, and Communities; and (7) School Closures, Gentrification, and Youth Voice and Innovations. Chapters are written by leaders in the field of urban education, and there are 27 new authors in this edition of the Handbook. The book covers a wide and deep range of the landscape of urban education. It is a powerful and accessible introduction to the field of urban education for researchers, theorists, policymakers and practitioners as well as a critical call for the future of the field for those more seasoned in the field.

Place-based education is on the rise. Tired of “teaching to the test,” educators are looking for authentic ways to connect their curriculum to real life. The place-based approach brings students into their communities to learn necessary content and skills by working to meet the needs of local agencies and organizations. Students are more engaged because they know they are doing real work, teachers are reinvigorated by creating exciting learning opportunities, and the school takes on a more active role in the community. At the heart of this process is the place itself: the land, the history, and the culture. Bringing School to Life: Place-Based Education across the Curriculum by Sarah Anderson offers insights into how to build a program across the K-8 grades. Anderson addresses key elements such as mapping, local history, citizen science, integrated curricula, and more. Additionally, Anderson suggests strategies for building community partnerships and implementation for primary grades. This book goes beyond theory to give concrete examples and advice in how to make place-based education a real educational option in any school.

This book explores how virtual place-based learning and research has been interpreted and incorporated into learning environments both within and across disciplinary perspectives. Contributing authors highlight the ways in which they have employed a variety of methodologies to engage students in the virtual exploration of place. In the process, they focus on the approaches they have used to bring the real world closer through virtual exploration. Chapters examine how the resources of the urban environment have been tapped to design student research projects within the context of an interdisciplinary course. In this way, authors highlight how virtual place-based learning has employed the tools of mapping and data visualization, information literacy, game design, digital storytelling, and the creation of non-fiction VR documentaries. This book makes a valuable contribution to the literature, offering a model of how the study of place can be employed in creative ways to enhance interdisciplinary learning.

"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 examines a range of practical developments that are happening in education as conducted in urban settings across different scales. It contains insights that draw upon the fields of urban planning/urbanism, geography, architecture, education and pedagogy. It brings together current thinking and practical experience from German and international perspectives. This discussion is organised in four segments: schools and the neighbourhood; education and the neighbourhood; education and the city and finally, education and the region. Contributors cover a wide range of contemporary and significant socio-political aspects of education over the last decade. They reinforce emergent thinking that space and its urban context are important dimensions of education. This book also underscores the need for more research in the relationships between education and urban development itself. Current urban planning does not fully connect our understanding in education with what we know in the spatial and planning sciences. Accordingly, this release is an early attempt to bring together a growing body of integrated and interdisciplinary reflection on education theory and practice.

This significantly revised edition will help prospective and new city teachers navigate the realities of city teaching. Now the classic introduction to urban teaching, this book explains how global, national, state, and local reforms have impacted what teachers need to know to not only survive, but to do their jobs well. The Third Edition melds new insights and perspectives from Daniel Jerome—New York City teacher, social justice activist, and parent of color—with what Lois Weiner, a seasoned teacher educator, has learned from research and decades of experience working with city teachers and students in a variety of settings. Together, the authors explore how successful teachers deal with the complexity, difficulty, and rewarding challenges of teaching in today’s city schools. Book Features: A highly readable exploration of the moral, pedagogical, and political complexity of teaching in urban schools. Research-based advice combined with real-life examples of the problems city teachers face.Challenges associated with teaching in multi-ethnic and multi-racial settings.Critical examination of how the altered landscape of education has changed teachers’ professional obligations. “FINALLY, a book about urban teaching from two experienced professionals who intimately know and respect the art of educating in urban America!” —Keith Benson, teacher, New Jersey “Professor Weiner helps us understand how to teach in ways that show our concern and do not oppress our students.” —Jeanette Morris, teacher, East Orange New Jersey School District “Dr. Weiner offers an enlightening scope into the lives of urban educators. The author's honest and riveting perspectives on hot-button topics surrounding our profession will be appreciated by veteran educators and student teachers alike.” —Shanika Allen, 8th-grade math teacher, Trenton, NJ “Dr. Weiner skillfully blends experience and theory in this practical A–Z guide for novice and seasoned urban educators alike. A brilliantly captivating read for a new generation of urban-bound teachers navigating the uncertainty of urban public education policies and practices.” —Nevart Nay, veteran teacher, formerly of Union City School District, NJ. “As a teacher of color who has taught for 3 years, in charter and public school settings, I found the advice, anecdotes, and presentation of the realities of urban teaching to be candid and honest.” —Annie Tan, special education teacher, City of Chicago Public School District