Initiative sees Sudbury students learn through different types of play
Students at St. David Catholic Elementary School in Sudbury were taking part in an interesting bit of learning Monday: the cardboard sled challenge.
It's part of a national project aimed at broadening play-based teaching.
Five classes went head-to-head in a battle of building and racing the cardboard sleds, and if you think advance engineering wasn’t on the mind of these kids, think again.
“We did a net design to reduce the amount of seams in it,” said Grade 5 student Dharshan Shinoj.
“We also did a small paper prototype before we started so can make sure it’s a feasible design.”
“To make it go fast, we put tape on the bottom and we coloured it with crayons so it’s waxy and slippery,” added Grade 5 student Xander Pharand.
The project is part of a larger initiative with the University of Ottawa and the Canadian Playful School Network, which sees schools from across Canada take part in these play-to-learn activities.
Around 12,000 students from six provinces are taking part. Trista Hollweck from the Canadian Playful School Network said there are different types of ‘play’ they focus on to promote different types of learning.
“So there’s green, screen, machine and everything in between,” Hollweck said.
“Those are like the four modes we’re exploring. And so what we’re starting to see in terms of preliminary findings is how a lot of this learning through play is not stuck in one mode, that we use a variety of modes.”
Grade 3-4 teacher Lynsie Royer said they’ve been able to network with other schools.
“Bot just around the province, but around Canada, as well, and we’ve been able to share ideas with each other,” Royer said.
She said this type of learning gives students a chance to deepen their understanding of how play is an important part of skills development.
“(We) were not really thinking about the integrity of the structure and when we did the races they realised, oh wow, maybe we should have spent a little more time on that,” Royer said.
“So we’ve done a lot of work of working with failure this year and that is exactly how we learn.”
The study is looking at how the education system is in a transition period, with the hope that more curriculums will incorporate the playful network model.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.