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Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.

The Case for Bringing Play Back to School

July 10 · 47 min · Season 2 · Episode 36 · 34.3 MB
0:00-47:36

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Global changemakers Renée Dinnerstein and Larry Leaven have a shared commitment to children when it comes to reviving choice time, inquiry, exploration, and play in schools around the world. Their inspiring anecdotes and creative out-of-the-box solutions through this S2E36 Schoolutions conversation, will help listeners immediately put choice time into action.

Episode Mentions:

This conversation is on YouTube too!

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Renée Dinnerstein and Larry Leaven
2:00 The educators who shaped their careers
7:00 Why play is disappearing from classrooms
9:30 What choice time actually means
12:15 Play vs. playful instruction
14:00 Starting the day with play instead of using it as a reward
16:50 Why choice time matters more after the pandemic
19:00 Choice time work in Hong Kong and China
20:40 Play across cultures: Rome, Italy, and beyond
24:20 Mixing classrooms to support English language learners
27:20 What teachers learn by observing play
30:25 Why choice time can't be measured on a spreadsheet
33:10 The choice time lab room model
36:50 Focusing on a few students each day
39:10 Building a choice time culture without full staff buy-in
42:25 Final call to action

Thank you to Renée Dinnerstein and Heinemann Publishing who are so generous to offer a PROMO CODE (CHOICE) to receive 30% off Renée's book: Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play, PreK-2
https://www.heinemann.com/products/e07765.aspx

Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.

🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise.

🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

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When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.