Debora Wisneski

Biography

Dr. Wisneski is the John T. Langan Community Chair of Early Childhood Educatoin. She is co-editor of the text "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, storytelling and story-acting, peace education, guidance of young children, mindfulness

Research Interests

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

Service Summary

Wisneski is the past- president of the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and serves on the following board of directors: The Rose Theater, Spielbound, Educare of Omaha, Why Arts?, and the Education Rights Counsel. She is also serves as chair of the Teacher Education Department Advisory Committee and UNO's UCRCA committee.

Awards and Honors

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

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

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

Department, College, and University

TED Advisory, Committee Chair, 10/01/2015 - 10/31/2015

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

Spielbound , Board Member, 08/01/2013 - 08/31/2013

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