David Sobel
"I propose that there are healthy ways to foster environmentally aware, empowered students. We can cure the malaise of ecophobia with ecophilia –supporting children's biological tendency to bond with the natural world." - David Sobel [2]
David Sobel is an education writer who has helped in developing the philosophy of place-based education. He has written extensively on the topic in books and numerous articles. He is currently a Core Faculty member and Director of Certificate Programs at Antioch University New England.
David T. Sobel is the director of Teacher Certification Programs in the education department and director of the Center for Place-Based Education at Antioch University New England in New Hampshire.
Prior to 1997, he served as the chairperson of the department for a dozen years. He was one of the founders of The Harrisville Children's Center and has served on the board of public and private schools. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice and has served as a correspondent for Orion Magazine.
David received his bachelor's degree in English from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, and his master's degree in elementary education and child development from The Prospect School Teacher Training Program in Vermont and Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, NH.
His published books include Children's Special Places, Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education, Mapmaking with Children: Sense of Place Education for the Elementary Years and Place-based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities. His articles examine the relationship between child development, school curriculum and place-based education. He was the winner of a 1991 Education Press Award. [3]
David is currently director of Project CO-SEED (Community-based School Environmental Education). This project creates partnerships between communities, school districts and environmental organizations in an effort to collaboratively improve schools and support community development.
David's exploration and documentation of the natural interests of children are the foundation for much of his work. He says that he became a teacher because "I liked being responsible for designing adventurous encounters for others."
He has served as a consultant with school districts, foundations, environmental organizations and the National Park Service to assist educators with curriculum development, program planning and evaluation from a learner-centered perspective.
David has two children and enjoys mountain biking, adventure travel, landscape history, play area design, cold water swimming, and heating with wood. [4]
Professional overview
Sobel received a B.A. in English from Williams College and a M.Ed. from Antioch New England Graduate School.
David T. Sobel was a co-founder and director of The Harrisville School from 1972 to 1975 and has served as a publicly elected school board member in both Nelson and Harrisville, New Hampshire. He has served as a staff development and science curriculum consultant to schools in New Hampshire and Vermont and has been a guest speaker and workshop leader for a variety of school and environmental organizations. David was also a curriculum coordinator for Yankee Lands: A Land Use Curriculum Project from 1980 to 1983. He was a core faculty member in the Education and Environmental Studies Departments at Antioch New England Graduate School from 1977 to 1986, chairperson for the Education Department from 1983 to 1997, and has been the director of Teacher Certification Programs from 1997 to the present. Sobel was Project Director for Know Nukes Institute from 1982 to 1987.
David currently serves on the editorial board of the Holistic Education Review and is the author of Children’s Special Places and many other articles on children and nature.
Professional Affiliations
Grand Challenge 3: Cutting Edge STEM Content in K-12 Classrooms, University of New Hampshire NSF project Advisory Board, 2007. Doctoral Committee for Science Education Doctoral student at University of New Hampshire, 2006–present. Ashuelot Valley Ecological Observatory, Keene, NH, Board of Directors, 2006–present. Place-based Education Initiative in Michigan Advisory Board, Great Lakes Fisheries Trust, Lansing, Michigan, 2006 to present. Four Corners Outdoor Education Center, NSF project Advisory Board, 2003–present. Orion Magazine, Field Correspondent, 2000-2006. Harrisville, NH School District, School Board member, 1993-1996 Holistic Education Review, Editorial Board, 1992–present The Teacher's Lab Inc., Brattleboro, VT, Advisory Board, 1987-1994 Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Education Committee, 1992–94 Monadnock Children's Museum, Founding Board Member, 1987-1989 Monadnock Media, Shutesbury, MA, Advisory Board, 1987-1990 Nelson, NH School District School, School board member, 1977-1983 Marine Extension Education Program, UNH Sea GrantAdvisory Board, 1982-1983 Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Amherst, MA, Advisory Board, 1981-1982 Children's Performing Arts Center, Keene, NH, Board of Directors, 1982-1983 New England Environmental Education Alliance, Board of Directors, 1980-1982
Place Based Education
"If we want children to flourish, says educator David Sobel, we need to give them time to connect with nature and love the Earth before we ask them to save it." David Sobel [5]
Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances students’ appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens. Community vitality and environmental quality are improved through the active engagement of local citizens, community organizations, and environmental resources in the life of the school.
Books
- Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators (Stenhouse Publishers, 2008) ISBN 1-57110-741-X
Public discussions of global climate change and other threats to the planet are making children more aware of environmental issues. As increasing numbers of kids come to school wishing to take action, educators want to know how to teach in a way that fosters a love of nature and an understanding of the complexity and seriousness of these issues.
In Childhood and Nature, noted educator David Sobel makes the case that meaningful connections with the natural world don't begin in the rainforest or arctic, but in our own backyards and communities. Based on his observations of recurrent play themes around the world, Sobel articulates seven design principles that can guide teachers in structuring learning experiences for children. Place-based education projects that make effective use of the principles are detailed throughout the book. And while engaged in these projects, students learn language arts, math, science, social studies, as well as essential problem-solving and social skills through involvement with nature and their communities.
The pressures of test preparation, standards, and curriculum frameworks often reduce the study of nature and the environment to a set of facts and general concepts. However, as Childhood and Nature demonstrates, linking curriculum with an engagement in the real world not only provides students with the thinking skills needed for whatever test comes their way, but also helps them grow into responsible citizens and stewards of the earth. [6]
- Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities (Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, 2004) ISBN 0-913098-54-X
The most comprehensive review of place-based education – its pedagogy and its practice – yet to appear, by the author of the highly influential book Beyond Ecophobia. Through academic research, practical examples, and step-by-step strategies drawn from classrooms throughout the United States, Sobel celebrates teachers who emphasize the connection of school, community, and environment. Place-Based Education uses the local community and environment as the starting place for curriculum learning, strengthening community bonds, appreciation for the natural world, and a commitment to citizen engagement.
"Place-based education requires imaginative teaching, coalition building, strategic thinking, and community oriented, hands-on learning. Sobel's life work is a brilliant blend of these essential qualities. His book is a superb compilation of research, theory, and practice. It is compellingly and warmly presented. Sobel nurtures the reader, engendering confidence, inspiration, and care." —Mitchell Thomashow, President of Unity College & author of Ecological Identity and Bringing the Biosphere Home
"Literally a landmark book, Sobel’s book belongs in the hands of every teacher in this country as a practical and inspiring guide to combining field and classroom in educating students. He offers a wealth of practical experience as well as documentation of how students and communities profit from place-based education. Parents and educators of all kinds will cherish Sobel’s work." —Ann Zwinger, teacher & author of The Nearsighted Naturalist and Downcanyon
- Mapmaking with Children: Sense-of-Place Education for the Elementary Years (Portsmouth, NH: Heineman, 1998) ISBN 0-325-00042-5
The current crisis in geography education has spawned several new books on mapmaking, many of which advocate either recitation and drill or a conceptual top-down model that ignores children's interests. Mapmaking with Children presents an inspired alternative. Maintaining that there is no substitute for hands-on experience, David Sobel places the initial emphasis on local projects—projects that begin in students' own backyards and communities, projects that provide a sense of place.
As Sobel explains, "In the beginning, children's maps represent their experiences of beauty, secrecy, adventure, and comfort. With these affective endeavors as a foundation, I then gradually start to focus on scale, location, direction, and geographic relationships. The development of emotional bonds and cognitive skills needs to go hand in hand in my approach to developmentally appropriate social studies and geography." To that end, his book identifies each stage of development, presenting relevant theoretical issues and several appropriate projects.
In the beginning, students stay close to home, mapping their known world. Gradually, they move on to their neighborhood, developing a sense of place, scope, and perspective. Eventually, once students are older, they explore the nation, the world, even the solar system, creating raised relief maps and contour maps to develop visual literacy and spatial reasoning skills. Vivid illustrations of the students' work are provided throughout to let you observe each stage of development.
Mapmaking, as Sobel uses it, has relevance across the curriculum. In addition to appealing to social studies teachers, this book will be of interest to science teachers, language arts teachers, and math teachers looking for new ways to invigorate the curriculum.
- Children's Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood (Tucson, AZ: Zephyr Press, 1993) ISBN 0-913705-81-0
An examination of the secret world of children that shows how important special places are to a child's development.From the ages of five to twelve, the middle years of childhood, young people explore their surroundings and find or construct private spaces. In these secret places, children develop and control environments of their own and enjoy freedom from the rules of the adult world. Children's Special Places enters these hidden worlds, reveals their importance to children's development and emotional health, and shows educators, parents, and other adults how they can foster a bond between young people and nature that is important to maturation.
- Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education (Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society, 1996) ISBN 0-913098-50-7
Articles available online
- Beyond Ecophobia, Yes!, 2 November 1998
- Suddenly a Waterfall... Synergy of Learning
- An Interpretive Lunch Synergy Learning
References
- ^ http://www.antiochne.edu/employeedirectory/david-sobel/
- ^ http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/education-for-life/803
- ^ http://www.stenhouse.com/html/authorbios_265.htm
- ^ Stenhouse Publishes (2013) David T. Sobel. Stenhouse Publishers
- ^ http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/education-for-life/803
- ^ http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9114&r=&REFERER=
Antioch University New England (2012). David T Sobel Antioch University New England Webpage
Sobel, David. (2012) Place-based Education: Connecting Classroom and Community, Antioch University New England. Place-based Education
Stenhouse Publishers. (2013), David T. Sobel. Stenhouse Publishers
External links
- David Sobel: Lighting Up Minds to the Wonder of Their World (article at Edutopia.org)
- "Saving Presents: The Re-emergence of Dreamtime and Playtime in Childhood" article in Whole Terrain Vol. 9
Byron Fellowship Educational Foundation
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