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Dr. Drew's Play Workshops

0547.jpgCreating quality play experiences for children and adults using open-ended materials is the purpose of our Play Workshops. Participants engage in hands-on play activities that stimulate creative thinking from which they draw insights and new understanding about how people learn.

 

For adults who work with children, this is an opportunity to get reconnected and reacquainted with play and its ability to help construct, implement and evaluate new approaches to teaching.

 

Why Adult Play Workshops?

  • Develop more reflective teaching practices.
  • Deepen understanding of the teacher’s role in the learning process.
  • Become more knowledgeable about the purposeful use of materials and intentional teaching strategies
  • Gain insights to succeed in helping children develop essential concepts and skills in all content areas.
  • Develop strategies for building business partnerships to acquire additional open-ended materials.  
  • Enhance our vision as advocates to intentionally help families and colleagues understand the importance of play in the lives of their children.

 

‘Oh my goodness, this is what it is like for kids!...This type of training is essential for people who have gotten out of touch, who have forgotten who they really are and what they really value.’

Maria Chavez
National Board, Zero to Three
Family Development Program
University of New Mexico

 

Participants work together in collaborative teams, developing new collegial relationships and share their powerful new insights on how to put play back into practice.

Participants practice new ways of implementing play-based teaching, including strategies for expanding upon the interests of children and developing curriculum that emerges from creative play. Teachers practice documentation techniques that use technology as a way of extending and making learning more palpable.

 

“Adult play participants experience the joy and freedom of play which they can transmit to young children and their families. In this age of accountability, it is imperative that every child has the opportunity to grow and learn from play.”

Suzanne Gellens, M.S.
Executive Director,
Early Childhood Association of Florida

 

The group engages in guided discussion, sharing their experiences with colleagues, and relating them to learning standards and other important human development issues in early childhood education. The facilitators’ thoughtful coaching and questions stimulate reflective thinking and deepen analytical skills.

And...participants learn how to organize simple systems for networking with local businesses and industry to locate, collect and redistribute valuable reusable resources for creative learning. This practice of reusing resources has the direct additional benefit of helping to foster the environmental consciousness of children.

 

At the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) 2005 Annual Conference professional development block play session, National Public Radio (NPR) reporter Allison Aubrey interviews Rhonda Meyers who comments:

"I love having the time to remember why we must keep these activities for learning in our schools. I felt curious, relaxed and alive! My brain was engaged! I liked the way the Dr. Drew’s Blocks felt and I thought they have me thinking of new ideas because of their texture and shape. I need to sit more in our block area and watch and talk and learn what kids think."

 

Learn more about how to incorporate a play philosophy into early childhood classrooms and about becoming an advocate for play at ISAEPLAY.org.

The Institute for Self Active Education, founded by Dr. Drew, provides professional “play leadership” workshops as well as a more extensive Play Leadership Certificate Program. The goal of this unique and enjoyable hands-on play training is to promote and strengthen play-based learning as part of Developmentally Appropriate Practices within Early Childhood Programs and in families everywhere.