Debora Wisneski, Ph.D.

John T. Langan Community Chair in Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Play-based learning, early childhood education, teacher education

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Areas of Expertise

Play-based learning
Teacher preparation
Early childhood education
Early childhood curriculum
Community and classroom research

Biography

Debora Wisneski is a professor in teacher education in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Her research examines how educators and communities can support children’s learning through play. Wisneski leads a team of educators and researchers at UNO in early childhood teacher preparation and play projects.

Projects include Omaha Urban Thinkscapes, the redesign of infant/toddler playscapes with Educare, RDG and BCI Burke playgrounds, the creation of the UNO PLAY Lab, and the Playful Learning and Community Engagement (PLACE) faculty group. She is the past president of Childhood Education International, The Association for the Study of Play, and Education Rights Counsel.

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Media Coverage

Kaneko's new exhibit urges you to dive in and 'Play'. (2015, June 2). Omaha World-Herald.

Featured Publications

Curriculum in Early Childhood : Reexamined, Rediscovered, Renewed. File, N., Mueller, J., Wisneski, D.. (2012). Routledge.

Understanding Research in Early Childhood Education: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. File, N., Mueller, J., Wisneski, D., Stremmel, A. (2016). Routledge, 1, 198.

The Critical Place of Play in Education. Wisneski, Debora. (2015). US Play Coalition.

A collaborative infant-toddler outdoor play environment project. Wisneski, D., Kuhn, M., Dinkel, D. American Journal of Play.

Featured Presentations

"We're not fighting! We're saving"; Debora Wisneski at TEDxMiamiUniversity. [TEDx Talk]. (2012, Oct. 22).