Teaching, Play, And The “Horizontal Chalkboard”

Imagine this: a familiar classroom chalkboard taken off the wall and placed horizontally on the floor. This is now a platform. Without a “front of the room,” participants move around the surface, write, erase, and respond to one another.Presented by NYPL’s Center for Educators and Schools at MoMA PS1, this play-based workshop will take place within the Homeroom: La Escuela___ exhibition, which brings together pedagogies as artistic practice from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The centerpiece of the exhibition, Horizontal Chalkboard by artist Miguel Braceli, reimagines a familiar classroom surface as a shared space for gathering, dialogue, and experimentation. Using chalk, movement, conversation, and principles of play-based learning, participants will transform the chalkboard into a literal site for thinking. Through simple, improvised games, teachers will be invited to step in and play alongside one another to explore questions about the role of the teacher, shared experiences, and hopes for the future of education.This program welcomes educators of all grade levels and subjects interested in collaborative learning, experimentation, and playful ways of thinking together. No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to participate.For more information about NYPL’s Center for Educators and Schools, visit us online and subscribe to our monthly newsletter—plus, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X! For any questions, reach out to [hidden] More Info below.