Reimagining Education by
Learning Through Play
The role of education is to prepare students for future success, but in an ever-changing world with new jobs and industries springing up all the time, how can we make sure children have the skills they need for careers that might not even exist yet?
Who would have thought that jobs like Podcaster, Drone Photographer, Sustainability Manager…
…VR Designer, Esports Coach or Genetic Counselor would exist 20 years ago?
The reality is that much of how kids are taught in schools today is built on the post-industrial priorities of 60 years past, not on what forward-thinking companies need from candidates to thrive in the 21st century. Sure the technology used in classrooms has come along leaps and bounds, but rote learning and memorisation still makes up a big part of the learning experience.
Skills like critical thinking, problem solving, teamworking and self-awareness can be difficult to foster this way, but they are cultivated naturally when Learning Through Play!
Learning Through Play is a philosophy that emphasises the importance of play in a children’s development, but not just because kids want to have fun – it’s a crucial way for them to learn and acquire the cognitive, social and emotional abilities that traditional classroom learning experiences struggle to address.
That doesn’t mean important subjects should be thrown out of the window in favour of building with LEGO (although there are a lot of us who might prefer it!), but that we should eagerly find ways to combine hands-on activities with curriculum guidance to create powerful, long-lasting learning outcomes.
At STEMBricks.co.uk, we love LEGO Education because it combines the concept of Learning Through Play with cherished LEGO elements and fun, curriculum-aligned lesson plans that educators can use out of the box to deliver transformative learning experiences in STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) without the steep learning curve that prevents other teaching aids from making an impact quickly.
Because LEGO is so widely recognised and loved, teachers see it as a toy even when we show time and time again it can really do some complex stuff. This is the difference between SPIKE Essential and Prime, and other products on the market designed to teach coding and engineering concepts to school children – Many educators see the circuit boards, wires and microchips and feel out of their depth, but when it’s LEGO, everyone can play!
A holistic approach to learning goes beyond ensuring children can remember and recite information on predetermined topics and instead focuses on developing the whole child. The LEGO Learning System supports this in a number of ways:
Social development
Children work in groups to solve problems together. Some will be natural builders, whereas others will prefer reading and giving instructions or the coding aspect of SPIKE Essential and SPIKE Prime. Whichever role in the team they like most, it creates an opportunity to collaborate, compromise and communicate in order to achieve a shared goal – just like we do everyday in our own jobs!
Emotional development
During play, children learn about their strengths, weaknesses and how they respond to different situations. Because kids naturally see LEGO as a toy, it takes away the stress that can come with these encounters and gives them a safer environment to express their emotions in more constructive ways, adapt and grow with confidence to tackle the next challenge.
Physical development
We all know building with LEGO can feel fidgety – pulling bricks apart and putting them together in different ways to make something new – but in a world where kids spend more time tapping on screens than holding writing or drawing, this presents a great way for young children can develop their fine motor skills, hand eye coordination and dexterity.
We believe that everyone should have the chance to play, regardless of background and whether LEGO Education is used to deliver fun learning opportunities or not. What’s most important is that children from all walks of life can realise that Science is exciting and Engineering is fascinating, so they are encouraged to continue studying STEAM subjects and pursue careers they are passionate about with the skills they need to be superstars in their field.
We just think LEGO Education is the best tool for the job!
