Dr. Debora Basler Wisneski
- she/hers
- Langan Community Chair in Early Childhood Education
- Teacher Education, Professor
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