Views & Opinion Less is more Comment by ALICIA BLANCO-BAYO, Early Years Teacher, Kirkham Grammar School


Once up on a time there were children who enjoyed playing. Yes, they did. They played with all kinds of things. It happened when children were exposed to everyday life in its simplest form, when children had access to basics and were able to travel to imaginary worlds created at times when small things really did matter. A big box could turn into a pirate ship and grandma’s wooden spoons became swords. Grown-ups accepted that children kept themselves busy playing with things that were no longer useful in the adult world or which perhaps were useful in both worlds. The learning behind those imaginary experiences meant so much more than that. It had an impact on the way children developed socially and emotionally and not just that, it kept communities together.


It is again fashionable to talk about play. After a number of years having to follow policy documents created by people who very often did not understand play, those promoting child- initiated play are finding a place in the world of education. It is riveting to discover how government policy documents such as the Early


Child Matters in 2005 and the Childcare Act in 2006 were put together as a result of some very influential strategies that have had great impact on the development of all current policy in the field of early childhood education. Is current policy based on the observation of children’s experiences when there were less expectations? Is this what’s happening, are we exploring how children flourished with less?


We only need to refer to the times when life was less complicated and children were children for a lot longer than they are allowed to be today. Isn’t what we call today child-initiated play what children did when it was acceptable to grow up with fewer things? Aren’t the many examples of how to be creative and using their own initiative taken from those simple experiences children were exposed to when life was less complicated? This confirms the fact that we are valuing the type of play that came from using whatever was available during times when children did not have access to so many ready-made toys.


In the past two decades, it has been redefined and named in a variety of ways;


deconstructive play, spontaneous engagement and child-initiated learning amongst others. Perhaps this has occurred in an attempt to show that play is in-line with modern times. Perhaps it is so we reflect on current practice to analyse that if children are given fewer ready-made toys they will have to think for themselves a lot more. When I observe how children react in a setting where the type of resources available are basic, I realise that planning can occur whilst children initiate play by themselves. The more opportunities to think independently we offer children, the more confident they will become when faced with new situations. Isn’t that what used to happen when children were allowed to play outdoors with sticks and mud, and getting dirty was part of being a child?


There are many practitioners working towards simplicity in play today which is demonstrating that by allowing spontaneity back into our classrooms, children continue to be excited about learning. Therefore, since meaningful learning can happen through excitement all that we need to remind ourselves of is that “less is more”.


Opinion: Closing the technology gap


between life and learning Comment by RM Education’s Education Consultant, former teacher and Digital Change Management Specialist MARK HOUSE


At some of the schools I visit, it baffles me when pupils tell me that they’re ‘going to IT’ or when teachers wheel out a trolley full of laptops which are kept in the cupboard for most of the time. In most PC labs, the desks are positioned around the outside of the room with pupils staring at the wall, which doesn’t reflect the reality of how technology is used in modern life. We already know that most pupils have access to devices and technology and are continuing their learning outside of the classroom via a myriad of channels. And conversely, if we look at the workplace we’re preparing our pupils for, the ‘going to IT’ concept couldn’t be more far removed from the reality of any modern office or workplace.


That’s why it’s going to become increasingly vital to synch up the two and help pupils learn in the same way they live; pupils should be able to pick up a device any time in every class, in the same way they might pick up their smartphone at home, jump on their laptop at work or fire up an iPad to deliver a presentation.


Some schools have pedagogical concerns around this more joined-up approach, as they don’t want pupils using their devices all day. But I’d


March 2017


suggest that this shouldn’t necessarily be the case; the modern school bag should include a PE kit, text books and a Chromebook or similar device, and that device should only be taken out when it’s appropriate to the lesson.


Over the next few years, we’re going to see classrooms look like a very different place; instead of an IT room with a PC on each desk, we’ll see schools with superfast Wi-Fi, superfast connectivity and fantastically well trained teachers with the confidence to say; “Ok class, take out your Chromebooks for today’s lesson”.


Learners will be more engaged because they’re comfortable and familiar with the latest technologies, and the classroom environment will become much more collaborative because pupils will be using their devices to work on projects together in and out of the classroom.


Ultimately, this will create a generation of learners who can transition smoothly into their future careers because they’ve got the right skills. And when we look at the fact that this future classroom can be achieved without a big financial outlay, the future is bright for all of us.


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