Resources

We are Proud to work together with Early Childhood Educators. Our Play Knowledge Exchange Event was held in February 2026 at MacEwan University. Educators Love Letters To Play Resource came to life as a result, emphasizing collaborative learning and relationship-building, centring the voices of practitioners, families, and scholars to explore experiences, challenges, and inspiring practices that support children’s play across diverse contexts. To download, please click here:

Educators Love Letters To Play Resource 

In this podcast, the PolicyWise team and Dr. Cankaya discuss how play looks different across cultures and why educators need to observe closely to determine when children need uninterrupted time, new materials, or a little more guidance.  

Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of what children are learning through play and practical ways to observe, support, and extend play without taking over the experience. To listen, please click here:

Sparking Conversations Podcast: Exploring How Play Builds Young Minds

On this MacEwan University's Research Recast(ed) episode, Dr. Ozlem Cankaya explains how loose parts play can shape children’s development. Her research focuses on how loose parts, such as building blocks and cardboard, can support children’s cognitive growth through play. To listen, please click here:

MacEwan University Research Recast(ed): Loose Parts Play with Dr. Cankaya

On this MacEwan University's Research Recast(ed) episode, Dr. Natalia Rohtyn Martin discusses the challenges these students face and ways we can support them. To listen, please click here:

MacEwan University Research Recast(ed): Understanding physical fatigue and social-emotional support for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and how to support educational assistants. 

Fatigue is not synonymous with tiredness. When one is tired, sleep helps. Fatigue results when cognitive, emotional, or physical attentiveness is required for prolonged periods. In this educational video, Dr. Rohatyn-Martin discusses how to understand fatigue in Deaf Education practices. To watch, please click here:

Understanding Fatigue in Deaf Education Practices