Putting the "Play in Literature"
However, I must note that a lot of play based texts are written in the context for only young K-5 students. Sometimes, this is frustrating as the importance of play seems to become less important as students grow. I think it is still important, after all, play inspires creativity and that is what books are. Books are universes that the author has invented themselves and those universes were enjoyed by others
so deeply, that they become staples of our culture. (Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Kissing Booth...joking on that last one) Reader's Theater- A decent way to get students into live reading.
Involving content strategies, as talked about in this weeks readings "Classroom Strategies" by Buehl is one way that play can be really effective. By allowing students to live and to experience their own world in a playful inquisitive way, we help them activate their prior knowledge while further inspiring asking questions that form to meaningful comprehensions. Allowing for play in the classroom is a way to let students gain knowledge about how to best learn-without the teacher being the one who gives them that information. Play Provocations- this article is a bit more in depth.
What I want to know more...besides like everything... is this...
-How to best implement play in middle school/high school?
- What genres of literature allow for more play and how?
-How to combat possibility of falling behind on curriculum when implementing play?
-What ways will play lead to better intrinsic learning?
I think that play-based learning would be very impactful both in student's learning in the classroom along with an overall change in perception of schools themselves. I think many students become bored in class and school because it doesn't actually cater to their learning. By putting students in a place of power, they are allowed to be in charge of their own education. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteAs an elementary teacher (and now as a mom), I have always seen the value in play. I have a three-year-old son and one of my favorite things is to watch him play independently and see what he does and what he learns on his own through play. As a first grade teacher, my students always had a little bit of "free choice" time at the end of the day on Fridays and it was incredible to see how they used classroom materials for free play! Until reading your blog post, I never really considered the importance of play in older adolescents. It's even making me think of the importance of play in adulthood and the workplace. This is a fascinating topic! I'm intrigued to see what you come up with! - Nicole O'Connor
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great inquiry topic! It is so important to use play based learning even after elementary school. There's no reason why we have to take the fun, interesting stuff away from students once they hit their adolescent years. No one wants to sit in a lecture day after day, not even adults. I'm excited to see what research you find! -Grace Armstrong
I think I might be the only person in the world that enjoys lectures! ( When they're well done at least) Of course, as a student of Social Studies, I get to cheat a little because its like being told a story by someone who is hopefully good at telling stories. I have to remind myself that other people don't necessarily like my lectures as much and to shut myself up every once in a while and let the students drive the learning. In my time as a camp counselor, most of our learning comes from activities that are rooted in play, and sometimes literally plays. I've seen some crazy understanding and learning come from cutting elementary students loose to come up with a story to act out on a particular subject. I get the feeling that I am going to really enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa! Thank you for this post. As a theatre educator, I am always looking for ways to teach through play. One of the best examples of this is a Process Drama lesson plan. Usually, Process Drama involves students learning skills through the exploration of a story. I'll try to attach an article on Process Drama to this comment, just in case you wanted to check it out! I also resonate with your question on finding a way to incorporate play into the middle and high school classroom. This is something I'm also curious about and hope to continue to learn. - Lizzy S.
ReplyDeletehttps://artsintegration.com/2018/01/01/process-drama/
DeleteI love this approach and framing based on play. Your text set can gather a variety of texts that may not involve play in themselves but may be well-placed within a gamified structure. Edutopia has several article on gamification that may inspire some ideas as you begin looking for texts:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.edutopia.org/article/gamifying-your-class-john-mccarthy