ABSTRACT
Teachers' distinctive histories, knowledge and values are central in the design of place-responsive pedagogies. Pedagogies can be designed to engage students in different disciplinary blanket roles as an artist, or historian, or creative writer, or entomologist, or amphibian expert. Deciding on the specific place for exploration and storying can be influenced both by local issues as well as the interests of teachers and students. Connected teachers have a commitment to growing their own ecological identity and their interest in local places, even if such places appear to be nondescript or ordinary. The designers wanted students to feel like they were making a difference in the world through their actions as part of a larger project, and so the blanket role was needed to embody the idea. "Story Tracker" was finally chosen as the blanket role because it captured the spirit of the Council's request for students to collect and share stories in their school and across the community.
