The Brookings Cafeteria

“The American education system is not preparing all children to thrive,” say the guests on this episode, adding that many schools continue to operate according to an early 20th century “factory model” that aimed to mold students for the industrial economy. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Helen Hadani are co-authors of a new Big Ideas paper in the Brookings Policy 2020 series titled, “A new path to education reform: Playful learning promotes 21st-century skills in schools and beyond” In this interview, Hirsh-Pasek and Hadani explain what playful learning is and what it isn’t, what 21st-century skills are and why they are essential for our times, and how educators and school administrators can bring the playful learning approach to classrooms. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings and in the Center for Universal Education; and also Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University. Helen Hadani is a fellow also in Global Economy a