The ICA is excited to announce the launch of our new play-based learning development programme, the Play Hub.
All the evidence points towards play as an essential tool for learners of all ages, but implementation often fizzles out after the early years. The Play Hub courses are a series of workshops designed to guide educators and school leaders in finding ways to bring play into the classroom and beyond.
With workshops covering everything from EdTech to play as an approach to leadership, the Play Hub will help beginners and experienced play-based educators to cultivate a playful mindset and break down dichotomies between work and play in education.
Laura James, who will be leading the Play Hub workshops, said: “Play is so often left behind in childhood, but it’s something that can help us throughout our lives. The Play Hub workshops have been designed to help educators view play, not as a trivial pastime, but as an approach to life.
“Teachers are often expected to lead from the top, but play can help us turn our students into self-led learners for life. Likewise, government-imposed curriculums and standards can drown out local voices, but a playful approach can help us to use these structures as a launchpad from which we can address our students’ specific needs. The Play Hub embraces paradox and celebrates contradiction to foster a dynamic approach to education and leadership.”
Highlights from the Play Hub workshops include:
• ‘Play is the Language’, a dive into the challenges posed by multi-lingual classrooms and how play can bridge barriers to language learning.
• ‘Play is Child-led’, which will explore how play can encourage child-led learning
• ‘Play is Reflective’, which will consider how play can be used to rethink assessment and capture learning authentically.
• ‘Play is for Change’, which has been created in collaboration with the Center for Theater of the Oppressed (CTO) in Rio, Brazil, focuses on the ways play is used by educators and activists to challenge injustice and build community.
Find out more information on the Play Hub courses or book a meeting by emailing laura.james@internationalcurriculum.com.
