Re-play: understanding human potential one video at a time

Anji Play was born from educators stepping back, observing play, and realizing how little they actually understood about what play meant to children. Video reflection emerged as a key practice for untangling this conundrum, and on September 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM Pacific we launch our first episode of Re-play: Understanding Human Potential One Video at a Time — your chance to witness the power of this practice first-hand, share your questions and discoveries, and enter your name to be considered as a guest for an upcoming episode.

For our first episode, experienced infant and toddler educator Kelly Rowe, early and special education expert Dr. Jessica Branch, and author and former director of the Barnard Center for Toddler Development Dr. Tovah Klein will join Anji Educator Jesse Coffino on Zoom and Instagram Live for a one-hour deep dive into video reflection. Zoom participants will be able to participate by sharing their own reflections as they follow along with the group.

Zoom participation is free, and space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

More about video reflection:

Over the last two decades, teachers in Anji County and around the world have collaborated to develop a simple protocol for reflecting on videos of play that challenges our assumptions about what we know, what children are doing, and how our environments and our stance as educators impact the trajectory of the child's potential. What these educators have also found is that this practice is fun, empowering, and sustainable as a powerful form of continuous, embedded professional development.

There is so much to discover in watching and reflecting on videos of children deeply engaged in open-ended environments. By removing ourselves from the moment of play, where our reactive minds and the responsibilities of our guardianship often obscure our powers of observation, we open ourselves up to a world of insight, discovery, and joy. Engaging in this practice with colleagues allows us to gain new perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and appreciate diverse viewpoints about the children in our care and children generally. When we watch and reflect on videos of play, we deepen our knowledge of materials, environments, teacher practices, and what children are truly capable of.

Episode 1 Participants:

Kelly Rowe is a Child Development Master Teacher with over three decades of experience specializing in infant and toddler development. Her learning Stories have been featured in Learning Stories & Teacher Inquiry Groups: Reimagining Teaching & Assessment in Early Childhood Education. As an Early Head Start teacher with Kids' Community in Placer County, Kelly helped pilot the Anji Play curriculum for infants and toddlers, championing child-led, joyful learning.

A thought-leader in the area of guiding parents and children through the tumultuous early years when the foundation for self-esteem, identity, and self-confidence is laid, Tovah P. Klein, PhD, is a child development psychologist and researcher and the recently retired Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development in Manhattan. She has appeared on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, and FOX Business, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Parents, Slate.com, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and countless other publications as their go-to toddler expert. She is author, most recently, of Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty. Visit her at HowToddlersThrive.com.

Jessica Branch is an associate professor and coordinator of Early Childhood Special Education at Murray State University. With a Master’s in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Early Childhood Special Education, she believes her greatest teachers have always been the children she works alongside. Jessica has served as an inclusive preschool intervention specialist and preschool special education administrator. She currently continues to support children, families, and educators through consulting and summer PlayGroups. 

Jesse Robert Coffino is an author, educator, translator, and father based in Northern California. For the past decade he has worked closely with the educators of Anji County, China, translating and documenting their practice, training teachers, coordinating visits, and collaborating with researchers and architects to expand children’s access to True Play. He is currently building a play-based school in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is most at play when dancing, singing, working on cars, and riding a brakeless fixed-gear bicycle in city traffic. He has written numerous articles on Anji Play, and has spoken at institutions ranging from Harvard and MIT to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and BRAC.