Outside the Box Learning

‘ It was as though he was a head taller than himself’ - thanks for the reminder Mobile junk and nature playground.

“Your cubby looks great” said the teacher “but we are tearing them all down! It’s ‘RESET’ TIME!”. I was at a site, and one of the senior staff requested that before the break we should reset the yard, by pulling down all the structures, and letting the kids start afresh. I’ve heard that before around the traps. I wonder what pedagogical understanding fuels this yearning? I’ve never asked (next time I will). The pedagogical reason I have for not doing that is, child led play deepens the longer they are uninterrupted. Also, by allowing children the autonomy to direct their own play, I am showing them, how I respect their endeavour.
But my biggest pedagogical reason for not resetting is; Lev Vygotsky. He says, “in play, it is as though he were a head taller than himself”. Real play, the kind that Vygotsky, among others describe, is child initiated, child-directed and child led. That play is what makes a child greater than what they are. I love the idea of being greater than what you are. Once we add rules and design to their play, it still offers opportunities to grow, and learn, however it isn’t the rich deep experience the great theorist identified. Be free my minions. Free to play. Free to learn.

‘Curiosity is the best driver.’

The radical mid-century furniture she designed with her husband put Melbourne on the global design map. Now Mary Featherston says we need to harness natural curiosity of children, and change the spaces in which they learn. https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/desks-and-chairs-are-straitjackets-for-kids-says-rock-star-designer-20260514-p5zx3n.html?utm_content=feed&utm_term=metros_social_eds&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sydney_morning_herald&utm_source=Facebook =1779231998

During a clear out of old paperwork, I came across a post-it note that said 'Kath Murdoch-Split Screen Learning' (in bold and underlined) so today down the rabbit hole I went.

This is a 2013 blog post..but ever so relevant today. Whether it be learning outdoors, learning through play, project-based learing or deep inquiry...a focus on 'how' and 'what' is equally important.

Inquiring into the ‘how’…. — KATH MURDOCH One of the key principles of inquiry based learning is that HOW the learner learns is as important as WHAT they are learning about. Inquiry teachers talk a lot about process and the importance of learning to learn. It’s part of our discourse…but lately I have been wondering how much we REALLY va...

Thanks to the team at St Columba College for the invitation to guide professional conversations and deep thinking around playful learning, playful pedagogies, and improving outcomes for all children.

One of my wonderings of late framed some of this day....

What might we gain from actually eliminating the word play from a weekly timetable… and instead focus on increasing the amount of playfulness woven throughout the week?

When learning through play doesn’t sit in isolated “play” blocks, but instead becomes anchored in open-ended, playful approaches across the day, who stands to benefit? What are we trading off?

Learning intentions can still be clear. Teaching can still be deeply intentional. High expectations still matter. All of this can exist within rich, engaging environments that invite curiosity, collaboration, creativity, and thinking outside the box.

Play is an enabler of focus and attention. When engagement is high, outcomes for students are improved too.

I continue to wonder!

A big thank you again to the St Columba team for being willing to explore the questions, challenge assumptions, and keep reflecting on what meaningful learning can look like in schools.

This image shows a selection of loose parts used to create an image of 'Our Country', inspired by multimodal resources shared as inspiration.