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Debora Wisneski

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Dr. Debora Basler Wisneski

  • she/hers
  • Langan Community Chair in Early Childhood Education
  • Teacher Education, Professor

email:
dwisneski@unomaha.edu
office:
RH  406A
office phone:
402.554.2783
department phone:
402.554.3512
fax:
402.554.3881

note:
This profile is pulling in data from Digital Measures. Postings on personal websites or social media do not indicate that the individual is speaking on behalf of UNO.

General Information

Biography

Dr. Wisneski is Professor in Teacher Education and the John T. Langan Community Chair of Early Childhood Education. She is co-editor of the texts "Curriculum in Early Childhood Education: Re-examined, Rediscovered, Renewed" (2012) and "Reconsidering the Role of Play in Early Childhood: Towards Equity and Social Justice" (2018). She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri-Columbia, both with an emphasis on early childhood education. She received her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Austin.

Teaching Interests

Play, early childhood curriculum, leadership in ECE, qualitative research, guidance of young children

Research Interests

teaching and learning through play; play environments; collaborative school, community and classroom research

Service Summary

Wisneski is the past- president of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and The Association for the Study of Play (TASP). She serves on the following board of directors: Educare of Omaha, and The Rose Theater and Education Rights Counsel.

Awards and Honors

John T. Langan Professorship in Early Childhood Education, Leadership - 2013

John T. Langan Community Chair in Early Childhood Education, Leadership - 2018

2020 University-wide Departmental Teaching President's Excellence Award, Teaching - 2020

Full Professor , Leadership - 2022

Joe L. Frost Award for Distinguished Research, Scholarship/Research - 2022

Pacesetter Award , Service, Community - 2023

Education

BS, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood Education, 1993

Other, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood Education, 1998

Ph D, University of Texas, Austin, TX, Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood Education, 2005

Professional Development

Community of Practice: Research, Interdisciplinary Play Research Group, 09/01/2016 - 05/01/2017

Community of Practice: Research, Interdisciplinary Play Research, 09/01/2017 - 05/01/2018

Scholarship/Research/Creative Activity

Selected Publications

File, Nancy, Mueller, Jennifer, Wisneski, Debora. 2012. Curriculum in Early Childhood : Reexamined, Rediscovered, Renewed., Routledge.

File, Nancy, Mueller, Jennifer, Wisneski, Debora, Stremmel, Andy . 2016. Understanding Research in Early Childhood Education: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods, Routledge, 1, 198.

Wisneski, Debora, Nicholson , Julie . 2018. Reconsidering the Role of Play in Early Childhood: Towards Equity and Social Justice, Routledge, 1st, 320.

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

Wisneski, Debora, Kuhn, Miriam, Dinkel, Danae. A collaborative infant-toddler outdoor play environment project., American Journal of Play.

Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits

Exhibition, To Grow Up Healthy and Free: The Child's Right to Play, 03/01/2018 - 04/02/2018

Service

Department, College, and University

TED Advisory, Committee Chair, 10/01/2020 - 10/31/2020

Faculty Senate, Committee Member, Faculty governance, 01/01/2020 - 01/31/2020

UCRCA, Committee Chair, responsible for encouraging and stimulating campus-wide researchefforts. It shall implement this responsibility by determining procedures for the allocation anddistribution of available research monies based upon criteria determined by the Committee.The University Committee on Research and Creative Activity shall make its recommendationsfor allocation of research monies to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and CreativeActivity, 09/01/2018 - 09/30/2018

Professional

Association for Childhood Education International, Officer, President/Elect/Past, Chair Board of Directors: Determining mission & set policies Set overall program from year to year & engage in long range planning Establish fiscal policy Provide adequate resources for the activities through direct financial contributions and commitment to fundraising Select, evaluate the executive director Develop & maintain communication link to the community promoting the work of the organization , 01/01/2012 - 01/31/2012

The Association for the Study of Play, Board of Directors of a Company, Board of Directors MeetingsConference planning , 01/01/2020 - 01/31/2020

Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association, Editorial Review Board Member, Manuscript Reviews approximately 2 per year, 10/01/2012 - 10/31/2012

Community

Celebrating Young Children Conference , Chairperson, 01/01/2016 - 01/31/2016

Educare of Omaha, Board Member, 11/01/2013 - 11/30/2013

Education Rights Counsel, Officer, President/Elect/Past, 11/30/2017 - present

The Rose Theater, Board Member, 09/01/2015 - 09/30/2015

Media Contributions

Internet Publication, CNN Money, http://money.cnn.com/gallery/pf/jobs/2013/03/07/jobs-stress-pay/index.html, 03/07/2013

Newspaper, Omaha World Hearld , Omaha World-Herald – “Inside Kaneko's new 'Play' exhibit” – quotes Debora Wisneski, Associate Professor – POE in Teacher Education at UNO and the course’s instructor, as it reports on this playful exhibit., 06/02/2015

Consulting

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), New York, NY, 04/01/2012 - 09/01/2012

Government, New Hampshire, 07/01/2018 - present

General Information

Biography Teaching Interests Research Interests Service Summary Awards and Honors Education Professional Development

Scholarship/ Research/ Creative Activity

Selected Publications Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits

Service

Department, College, and University Professional Community Media Contributions Consulting

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