Experience & Education

The Pedagogy of Play Podcast Companion

Welcome to The Pedagogy of Play book companion! In this little teaser episode, we tell our origin story as a project and give you an overview over what to expect from this podcast. 
 

A Playful Introduction

In this episode, we offer an overview over the ideas contained in this (audio) book, share with you why we wrote the book in the first place, and why we think a pedagogy of play is the right frame for our ideas.
 
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.

Picture of Practice: Debating the Nature of Facts

In this episode, join Firdous Ismail Karolia's 10- and 11-year-old students at Nova Pioneer Ormonde in Johannesburg, South Africa, as they engage in a playful two-part lesson on informational texts.
 
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.

Chapter One: Why Do Educators Need a Pedagogy of Play?

This episode begins with definitions of five key terms: play, playful, learning, playful learning, and culture. We then focus on our first question of why educators need a pedagogy of play and the six core principles that constitute our answer.
 
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.

Picture of Practice: Facilitating a Student-Composed Schedule

Explore student-composed schedules in this episode featuring science teacher Ole Jørgensen and co-facilitator Lene Christensen from the International School of Billund in Denmark. Discover the "What if?" that prompted a two-week break from traditional timetables for 11–15-year-olds. Hear about student reactions, challenges, and insights that reshaped learning dynamics and autonomy in the classroom.
 
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.

Chapter Two: What is the Relationship Between Play and Learning?

In this chapter we take a step back from classrooms and schools and focus on the relationship between play and learning, providing a three-part explanation of how play supports 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.

Picture of Practice: Creating a Restaurant

In this Picture of Practice, we follow the journey of 9- and 10-year-olds at Colegio Unidad Pedagogica in Bogota, Colombia, as they embark on a year-long exploration of restaurants, leading to the creation of their very own.
 
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.

Chapter Three: What Does Playful Learning in Schools Look and Feel Like?

An essential step in promoting playful learning is clarity about what you are trying to promote. Although playful learning is universal, it is also culturally specific. In Chapter 3, we address the question of what playful learning looks and feels like. Our answer is shared in what we call “crosscultural indicators of playful learning.” We describe the research through which these indicators were developed and expand common notions of what playful learning involves.
 
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.

Picture of Practice: Exploring Soil Types and Plants

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.

Picture of Practice: Investigating Policing

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.