If you’re passionate about becoming the best teacher you can be, sign up for this 5-week “micro practicum” training course. You will put what you learn into practice in your classroom, working virtually and in virtual teams, and supported by a trained coach. Participants must be self-motivated, self-directed and committed to completing all assignments to complete the 5-week course.

Educators working in low-resourced settings can qualify to take the course for only R300 (a R3,000 value)!

• Earn a certificate documenting 10 hours of professional development with Harvard’s Project Zero, which is IB Category 3 PD-approved

• Attain a deeper understanding of the ideas of playful learning

• Explore ways to facilitate playful learning with students, whether that be online, in a classroom, or in hybrid learning contexts

• Create a brief plan for playful learning in the teacher’s classroom, try it out, and receive feedback from Project Zero instructors and coaches, who are experienced teachers in playful learning research and practice

Project Zero describes the course below:

Play is central to how children learn: the way they make sense of the world; the way they form and explore friendships; the way they shape and test hypotheses about their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environments. Yet incorporating play into a classroom or formal school setting isn’t a straightforward endeavor, as the nature of play and the nature of school are often at odds.

Course Description In this mini course, participants will consider some core principles and practices of playful learning. Through hands-on activities, illustrations from classroom practice, and experimenting with playful learning and teaching tools, participants will explore ways to bring more playful learning into their contexts. Key questions will include: What does learning through play look and feel like? How can a shared understanding of learning through play enhance a learning experience? How can educators create conditions in which playful learning can thrive? Discussion will consider the opportunities and challenges of incorporating play into the classroom and will draw on teacher-researcher practices developed through the Pedagogy of Play research initiative at Project Zero and partnering educators in Denmark and South Africa.

Course Structure The course is team-based and registration is for teams of 3-5 people. We recommend that team participants work at the same school or organization; however, this is not a requirement for admission.  All participants should be prepared to learn about some of the core principles and practices of playful learning and try out at least one playful learning approach in their own contexts. Project Zero researchers will instruct the course and educators experienced in playful learning will serve as coaches for each team.