Foundation Degree (FdA) Early Years students have been given a unique opportunity to listen to guest speaker, Greg Bottrill, author of the globally bestselling 'Can I Go And Play Now?' and 'School and the Magic of Children', for three interactive online sessions exploring the magic of children and our role as educators within it.
Greg is passionate about the critical importance of childhood and play, and is also an advocate of education done with children, not to them. He believes that play is the DNA of childhood and that education systems can and must embrace it within their visions of teaching and learning.
Greg said: “Collaborating with the College has been a fantastic experience especially because the lecturing team is so committed to shaping educators who are passionate about play and childhood. Being given the opportunity to share my early childhood education philosophy with the students gave me an insight into just how the College has inspired them to question, be genuinely reflective, and have high aspirations for themselves as well as the children they teach. It’s been great to see the College give confidence and wisdom to the next generation of educators and long may this continue - childhood needs them more than ever.”
The three sessions were a unique opportunity to discover Greg's thinking, ask him questions and go on a mini journey that accentuated the content of their studies:
Session 1 looked at the Mindset needed to see the value of play and childhood.
Session 2 sketched out the Map that will shape the student’s adventure into the magic of children.
Session 3 explored interactions, the student’s role within play and why they too are the play as much as the children.
