Place Based Curriculum
The article I read about place based education described the benefits of place-based curriculum using the Maori people in New Zealand as an example. The author suggests that it could be particularly beneficial for the indigenous people around the globe, not just the Maori. He also suggests that all communities and schools could benefit from such a system.
Penetito describes four characteristics of PBE in his article. PBE is: specific to the geography, ecology, politics and other dynamics of a specific place, multidisciplinary in the sense that it promotes team teaching within the community, it could include a participatory action as a learning component and it connects self with place and with community. In essence, PBE teaches the values of the student’s specific community and encourages/requires them to become involved. It encourages critical thinking about the socio-economic issues within their community because, “in order to change something, you have to get people to think about it.” (Penetito p. 9).
He also uses the examples and stories within his article to prove his point. One of which was referencing the medicine wheel and the sacred tree belonging to the Maori culture. They were designed to convey and teach a life process and rather than being accepted as a different way of teaching by the west, it was deemed primordial. Teachings of medicine wheels and other sacred objects and traditions could be very relevant to indigenous communities and using PBE, such teachings could be incorporated into schools.
The next steps to continue in this direction would be to find articles describing the role of PBE in Canada as this one was more focused around New Zealand. I also believe it would be useful to look into the long-term effects of PBE or what the impacts would be once the students who experience PBE go to university or change schools/communities.Would it be advantageous? It’d also be interesting to see if PBE would help immigrants feel more welcomed or at ease within their new community. These are all topics and questions I’d like to further explore with my research.