Mapping Students' Lives: Children's Geographies, Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The relatively new field of children's geographies builds on the theoretical foundations of human geography, critical geography, and spatial theories to examine the places and spaces children inhabit and create. This article reviews four major themes in children's geographies relevant to education: exclusion and agency, the social construction of childhood, children's geographies across the globe, and children's spaces beyond the classroom. Children's geographies' unique perspective on the spatial experiences of young people offers new ways to understand issues in education theory, pedagogy, and practice.

Acknowledgments

Anna Gahl Cole is a former secondary science and language arts teacher. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the department of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. Her research explores the intersections between children's geographies and place-based education.