Chapter Four: How Can Educators Support Playful Learning in the Classroom?

It is time for another team meeting. Jen, Mara, and Sav are back to discuss the role of adults in the learning space. What does it entail to take risks and role model? Why is messing up helpful sometimes? And how can documentation help in all of this? Playful Participatory Research Guide   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast  

This week, it is time for a little Pedagogy of Play team meeting. Team members Mara Krechevsky, Jen Ryan, and Savhannah Schulz sit down to talk about some common questions and puzzles around playful learning in school. For example, how do you balance play and learning at school?   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast

In this episode, we offer concluding thoughts on how to bring playful learning to all learners. We identify potential challenges when promoting playful learning, along with some “What if” possibilities for addressing them. We also explore the idea of more than one way as a key ingredient for considering how to bring playful learning to more classrooms and schools.   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In this Picture of Practice, we dive into the vibrant world of Jodi Krous's 3- and 4-year-old class at the Eliot School in Boston, USA. Every day, her young learners engage in storytelling/story acting, a unique approach adapted from Vivian Paley's methodology. Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In this Picture of Practice episode, we visit three online classrooms in Columbia during lockdowns due to the COVID epidemic. We first follow a kindergarden class embark on a journey to understand shadows, sharing their creative interpretations and building on each other's ideas. Next, we step into the digital dance studio where 3rd Graders learn Colombian Dances – moving to the rhythm of different regions and engaging in a virtual celebration of tradition. In the third classroom example, we hear from Middle School Voices discussing government policies and societal challenges during uncertain times.   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

How can you support playful learning in the classroom, staffroom, and beyond? In this episode, we share five schoolwide practices, with accompanying strategies for fostering a school culture that enables playful learning to thrive: Build shared understandings about playful learning Leverage school structures like curriculum, assessment, and the physical environment to support playful learning Provide professional learning opportunities that center learning through play Foster playful community connections Lead playfully   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In this episode, join Marina Benavente Barbón and Carolina Ayala, teachers at the International School of Billund in Denmark, as they navigate the challenges of enforcing numerous rules on the playground for their class of five-year-olds. Faced with constant restrictions, they question the impact on children's play and learning. Tune in to discover their bold decision to conduct an experiment: What happens when there are fewer rules on the playground?     Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In Chapter 4, we discuss creating classroom cultures that support playful learning. We describe five core teaching practices that promote playful learning across grade levels and content areas and introduce the process of documentation. Documentation makes playful learning visible in order to shape and deepen learning.   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In this Picture of Practice, we delve into the story of high school students at Codman Academy in Boston, United States. Guided by humanities teacher Blair Baron, the episode unfolds an exploration where 17- and 18-year-old students confront issues of race, inequality, and injustice, focusing on the complexities of policing in America. Drawing inspiration from Blair's blog and interviews with Codman Academy faculty, we explore how the classroom becomes a space for deep inquiry, challenging conversations, and meaningful connections.   Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.

In this episode, follow Kabezwane Chezi and Ntombifuthi Chiloane at Esikhisini Primary School in Pretoria, South Africa. Join a Grade 2 lesson on soil types where Kabezwane incorporates song, dance, and a creative contest, promoting a playful approach to learning about sand, clay, and loam. In Grade 4, Ntombifuthi takes a different route, encouraging students to explore the parts of plants firsthand. Discover how these educators bring joy and curiosity to the classroom, cultivating a love for learning that extends beyond textbooks and traditional methods.     Show Notes are available at www.savhannahschulz.com/podcast Get the book  Visit the Pedagogy of Play website © 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. The Pedagogy of Play book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International. The work is published by Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.