Coleen O'Connell
Professional Title: Instructor
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:
Environmental education; health, science, and public policy; applied ecology
Area of Work and Concentration at Lesley: Ecological Teaching and Learning
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:
Ecological Perspectives of a Bioregion; Becoming a Critically Reflective Practitioner;Foundations of Ecological Literacy; Pedagogy of Ecological Teaching and Learning; Action Research: Special Topic in Ecology
Education: M.S., Lesley University; B.S., South Dakota State University
Representative List of Recent Publications / Exhibitions:
Spicer, C. (2009). Editor. Lifted by the Heart. O’Connell, C. and Carl, L. “Education an Extraordinary Journey.” Amherst, MA: Circumstantial Productions.
Brown, M., Treadway, C. (2009). Editors of Anthology. Held In Love. O’Connell, C. “Lilacs” p. 16. Mt Shasta, CA: Psychosynthesis Press.
Recent Presentations
O’Connell, Coleen, Tiananow, Sharon, Blake, Tricia, and Snyder, Susan. (October, 2010). Finding the Spirit in Environmental Education. Pecha Kucha Presentation at the North American Environmental Education Association Annual Conference in Buffalo, NY.
O’Connell, Coleen and Lynam, Abigail. (May, 2010). An Integral Model for Teacher Education. Prescott College Sustainability in Education conference. Prescott College, Prescott, AZ.
O’Connell, Coleen. (May, 2010). Life Cycle Assessment as an Ecological Consciousness Tool. Maine Environmental Education Conference, Chewonki Foundation EE Center, Wiscasset, ME.
O’Connell, Coleen (March, 2010). The Bioregional Quiz as a Place-based Education Introduction. MA Environmental Education Conference, Worcester, MA.
Coleen’s teaching and scholarship have been focused on expanding the definition and underlying notions of Environmental Education to be that of Ecological Teaching and Learning integrated across the curriculum. She is focused on changing the code for education such that education becomes the practice of educating for ecological global citizenship replacing the present system of educating for global consumerism and competition. Sustainability, systems thinking, deep ecology, intentional communities, and traditional indigenous knowledge are key concepts woven into her teaching practice.
M.S. in Ecological Teaching and Learning
oconnell@lesley.edu