About The Project
With the support of the LEGO Foundation, the Active Playful Learning (APL) Project is bringing an evidence-based and integrated whole child approach of playful learning to elementary classrooms in a select number of states that better prepares our children for their dynamic futures.
A Partnership
The APL project is a collaboration between the University of Virginia and Loudoun County Public Schools designed to implement and examine an educational model that emphasizes active, engaged, and meaningful learning that is collaborative, iterative, and joyful.
With the success of pilot programs in the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Hampshire, Virginia joins the Temple University and its implementation in California, Texas, and Illinois as one of the four locations where this study is being conducted.
What the Active Playful Learning Project brings to your school
APL
Implementation
Type
Self-paced
Coaching-based
Professional Development
4-6 hours, flexib
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APL Resources
Digital resources, reflective videos, forum
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Classroom Materials
Selected by teachers based on their APL goal, to support implementation
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APL coaching
Bi-weekly in person meetings (observations + debriefing sessions)
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Coaching
Through bi-weekly coaching, the APL program helps teachers move their current practice toward the six pillars of APL using a strengths-based and collaborative approach. Coaches partner with teachers in ways that recognize and support teacher agency and the importance and power of joy in teaching.
The APL Coach actively engages with and supports teachers during coaching sessions. Coaches can support teachers by co-planing activities, working with them to model collaborative skills to students in the classroom, and supporting APL activities that teachers are implementing.
Self-paced APL
Through professional development and APL self-paced resources and tools, APL self-paced teachers can work with autonomy on their implementation of the APL approach. Teachers will receive online resources as well as classroom materials to support their implementation of the APL pillars, classroom practices and development of the 6Cs.
Participating teachers will be accredited between 30 - 90 PD credits for their participation in the APL project activities.
Teacher testimonial
With transparency, when first hearing about APL my initial thoughts were, "Hmm...my classroom structure is already full of play; how is this going to help"? The saying is true, "there is always room to grow"! Utilzing APL Practices and The 6cs, I was able to add deeper rigor and engagement to my lessons. APL also taught me how I could use resources I already have in another way that enhanced active play. My classroom continues to be active, engaged, social, iterative, joyful, and meaningful...just on a new level!
Thank you APL Team!