Page 242 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

216 J.D. Adams et al.

Jen: I have many years of teaching in place-conscious ways; however, I have just
recently come across place-based education as a theoretical (for research) and
pedagogical (for teaching) framework. Intellectually, it has been exciting for me to
pursue this strand of research and pedagogy because it allows me to merge my interests
in science teaching and learning, informal science education, and most importantly,
sociocultural considerations of how people learn and connect with places.

Defining “Place”

Jen: Karrow and Fazio’s description of project WormWatch reminds me of the
“placelessness” inherent in many science education initiatives. Like big box stores,
these initiatives are designed to be enacted in any geographical school/space without
any consideration of place. According to Karrow and Fazio, a project like WormWatch
would be richer if the ontological realm of place was considered in the planning and
implementation of the activities. They discuss Heidegger’s notion of Dasein or
being-in-the-world in relation to care, “we are caught up in a structure of care about
the world; we are not indifferent to it.” This makes me ask the question: What pre-
supposes place? What are the conditions that must exist in order for place to exist
and how is this relevant to thinking about PBE? While I agree with the authors that
“unless the ontological realm is considered such theory remains callow,” I think we
need to press this idea a little more – why is this the case? Are there other realms
of place that we are not considering as well?
Sheliza: I am sure many would argue that there are no definitive conditions that
“must exist in order for place to exist.” However, if we are to entertain the proposi-
tion that Karrow and Fazio advocate for, that is the consideration of an ontological
realm in PBE, perhaps we could assume that place comes to “exist” or “be” because
of the relationships humans (or nature) have with it. Place is theorized as a human-
created system of exchanges between culture and nature, or human beings and land,
or communities and environment. If place could be theorized as a part of a social-
exchange process, then an emphasis could be placed on how the relationships with
context create realities, meaning, and knowledge. Is it possible that this is how place
comes to being? Are localities or geographical and physical areas simply spaces that
are universal or global, until direct and personal interactions award them meaning?
Does that meaning then transform that space into a place? Discourses about place
versus space theorize place as a locality of difference, suggesting that the uniqueness
and personal realities of a space makes it a place. Doreen Massey stated that the
“local” is frequently invoked as the source of differentiation such that place is pos-
ited as one of the grounds through which identity is rooted and developed (Massey
2004, p. 7). It seems that we must consider how people define place, since their place
will be inextricably linked to them in intimate and personal ways, and thus how our
students are likely to describe their place (which will have influenced their sense of
being) when they engage in place-based approaches in their classrooms.
Miyoun: I agree Sheliza when you say place is inextricably linked to human beings
in intimate and personal ways. It is essential. It happens to everyone and it happens in