Here we’ve collated some highlights and links from our recent live chat exploring the advantages and challenges linked to learning through play. To read the discussion in full, click here.
Don Ledingham, education blogger and director of education and children’s services for Midlothian Council
Over the years I’ve become a whole convert to the early years’ approach, where children are encouraged to profit through play and active learning. It has been interesting to observe this approach percolate throughout the primary school, where play is now often used productively with older children.
Yet after I consider the secondary school curriculum, the notion of using play as an technique to promoting learning is uncommon and, in some subject areas, completely unknown.
The secondary school curriculum has evolved right into a set of formal learning outcomes that regularly lead the instructor to adopt a strategy where they’ve complete control over the character of the training process, the standards in which success could be measured and the duration of the educational experience. Here is driven by a tacit expectation that ‘good’ teaching requires explicit goals and formalised learning steps.
But play was used productively in secondary schools. As an instance, secondary teacher, @kenny73, told me on Twitter his class used sand trays and water to encourage students to simulate coastal actions.
He said: “i used to be very clear that I wasn’t searching for a definitive answer to anything, but I did want students to watch and record their findings before attempting to link to actual coastal landscapes. The liberty allowed students to only try things their very own way, experiment and doubtless make some different conclusions from mine, but some similar ones which they are going to ultimately keep from a memorable lesson. There are such a lot of pieces and links we are able to pick up from this in future lessons, no matter if the educational was messy, with a distinct structure and an unusual strategy to explore the hot topic.”
To read more of Don’s views and concepts, visit his blog here.
Teresa Cremin, professor of education on the Open University
The US researcher Sternberg argues that as children go through school, they quickly learn the way the system works and suppress their spontaneous creativity. This does not happen, however, at home, on digital platforms or out with their friends where they can be highly creative.
Some teachers, in trying to achieve prescribed targets, which they’re pressured to do, also curb their creativity, avoid taking risks and leading explorations in learning. However needn’t be that way. A key issue in my opinion is being convinced that play and creativity have a terrific role in education, and that as professionals we’ve a responsibility to nurture these.
The world is changing and is more uncertain than ever before. Surely creativity is a critical component in enabling us to manage, to locate pleasure, and to make use of our imaginative and innovative powers. These are key resources in a data-driven economy and, as educators, we must soak up the mantle and educate for tomorrow.
For an approach that fosters playful sharing of ideas, Teresa recommends The Helicopter Technique, developed by the team at MakeBelieve Arts in London.
Tim Taylor, AST working in Norwich
Play in education remains to be crucial pedagogical tool for some educators. i need to voice a word of caution, however. By declaring play as a child’s ‘right’, which has to be somehow shielded from adult interference, and that kids at school need to be free to guide the training in whatever direction they desire, we leave ourselves open to attack of loss of rigour and professional responsibility.
I favor to see play, and by extension the usage of dramatic inquiry, as a well researched and effective pedagogical tool that develops children’s learning where other more traditional, direct instruction and open discovery methods are less useful. Nevertheless, they still have a very powerful role in teaching and learning. Being a teacher is a pragmatic occupation, where using one of the best methods now we have available is paramount, and we must always resist pressure to limit our options by people who find themselves fighting ideological battles.
Tim edits and writes for mantleoftheexpert.com and imaginative-inquiry.co.uk.
Sian Carter, English lead practitioner on the Mountbatten School in Hampshire
Surely, at its heart, if learning is fun and noteworthy, and also you actually learn through it, that’s the best type of learning there’s. Learn differently to think differently. Encourage students to impeach and develop their very own ideas. There’s nothing wrong with learning through play. Teachers should have the boldness to show our students during this way and to develop this vital teaching and learning strategy.
Governments come and go. In 25 years time, i would like students to keep in mind my lessons and what they learned. I bet in 25 years time they will not be capable to tell me who the education secretary was. But they can understand that time once they were human punctuation marks or sang to profit key vocabulary. Or ran up and down the playground to be told tenses, or once they put a book character on trial within the conference room, judge wig and all. And that’s why we must always learn through play and continue to develop this vital pedagogy, despite any changes coming our way.
Sian shares her ideas for best practice and artistic lesson plans with teachers on her blog.
Judith Raey, head of the Sue Hedley Nursery School, Hebburn, South Tyneside
Through the High Scope approach we’ve a method called SOUL: Silence Observe Understanding Listen. Here is the method our practitioners battle through before entering a child’s play. You’re then making an educated decision as to how and whenever you should enter the play. Through this supportive climate for learning, the kids and adults have genuine shared control. The adult highly values the child’s active learning they usually become authentic play partners with the newborn, following their interests.
Jeremy Dean, English teacher working in Spain
I feel two of the main things that play can develop within the class are interest and motivation. If we will be able to encourage these, then the kids are on board and contributing to their very own learning.
Here’s an example that may interest the mathematics department. i take advantage of the ‘times table Macarena’ to educate counting in twos, fives, 10s etc. I play the Macarena and ensure the children know the moves. Here in Spain that’s not a controversy (after all they correct me). How humiliating. Once we’re warmed-up, I write the answers to the table i would like them to profit and practise at the board (three, six, nine, 12). I then show them the way to sing the numbers in time with the movements of the song. Conveniently, there are 12 movements. After we get the hang of it, I start rubbing some of the answers off the board so the youngsters have got to remember them. I usually end the session by promising that we are able to do it again tomorrow. But provided that they know the numbers. This often leads to hastily scribbled notes being made. I’m always happy to peer children setting their very own homework. A word of warning, in case you are as old as i’m, do warm up the muscles around your hips before attempting this.
Sally Wheeler, science AST on the Mountbatten School in Hampshire
I attempt to quit the baton to students and relinquish control up to possible. Bad science in movies as an introduction is often good. Could this really work Why How similar to the television programme Mythbusters. Prove it. Students explore possibilities. i exploit abstract objects within the lesson to model key ideas: Lego and plasticine are a customary feature.
Before setting an issue, give students time to play with the equipment. Students will often plan a stupendous inquiry but stumble on the first hurdle. Allow them to play before they plan. This can pick up and address many misconceptions before they begin. Give them direct, hands-on access to explore and generate their very own questions. Pose the questions across the room and get one another to reply. They may be on top of things.
Philip Waters, reader and participant within the live chat, is a play project coordinator for the Eden project, Cornwall. He’s currently undertaking a PhD with the ecu Centre for Environment and Human Health
The tension within education about play getting used as a vehicle for formal and informal learning is a ludicrous one, especially when you consider play as a biological drive. We must always be asking ourselves what right we’ve got in not allowing play to be a main portion of children’s learning experiences. Who will we think we’re, suppressing another human being’s natural way of engaging with the world
Adults who tell children to not giggle, laugh, whisper, shuffle of their seats or stare out the window and dream, might in addition gag and nail those children to the ground. They’re doing just as much harm. Adults who tell children what, when and the way they’ll learn, and stifle every interest or self-pursuit, might in addition sit all children in front of a screen and press the download button.
The problem is easy, really. Play is a challenge for schools because letting children play means turning in control, content and intent, and foregoing power. That is the argument utilized by many play advocates. But play is mostly a reciprocal and social state of being. If schools could lose, only for an afternoon, as an ordeal, their demarcations of authority and drop child/adult, teacher/student identities, and instead all be players for an afternoon – and, dare I say it, all be learners too – then play just becomes another medium of practice utilized in the faculty experience.
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