Congratulations to everyone on their presentations over the last few days!
I was blown away by the fantastic presentations I managed to see and am feeling very proud of everyone that will be completing this course along side me.
Even though I have never met anyone face to face, I feel we have come along a journey together and really bonded as a team. I for one defiantly couldn't have completed this course without my fellow BAPP students encouragement and help.
Now is the time I am beginning to attempt to piece everything together and write my Critical Review, and I'm not going to lie it feels pretty daunting at this moment in time! In my journal I have begun to piece together some themes or ideas that were brought about through my interviews, which I will then go onto relate to a piece of literature.
When I think about my initial ideas and first drafts for Module 2 I can see that the drafting process can be where majority of my critical thinking takes place and will then develop, through drafting, into my final piece. Next step is my first draft!
Over the last few weeks, whilst researching and attempting to bring all my interviews and literature together, I have found my SIGs an amazing form of help. Sometimes all you need is to just talk to someone about what you are learning and what thoughts are going through your head in order for it all to become much clearer. I have been in touch with most Module 3 BAPP Students through use of our Facebook group, which has been a great help with getting the general feel for how everything is doing. I have also kept in direct contacting with a few of the students, like Laura (see earlier post) who are researching similar topics to myself. I have also been in touch with Mariele, a BAPP student who is also a drama teacher, and it has been great to run some of my ideas by her every now and then. Another great source of help has been my colleges at work. Not only have they all filled out surveys and had one-to-one interviews with me but they have also showed great interest in my project and have really made me have some new/different perspectives on my topic. The main thing I feel using my SIGs through this has made me realise is that I wish I had used them more throughout Modules 1 and 2!
As well as the books and audio-visual literature I have been blogging about so far, I have also been gathering a collection of articles and other web-based literature that is related to my topic. Some I had previously used for my Module 2 literature, others were suggested to me by Paula or other BAPP Arts students and I rest I have been collecting throughout this Module. Each of the pieces below has given me a different thinking point and have been most helpful when creating my interviews and when reflecting in my journal.
A foundation course in Childcare and Eduction by Alison Mitchell (2008)
This book is one use for students taking part in a foundation course in childcare and education, however there are several chapters regarding play and it's importance for child education.
"Children learn through play because they are:
watching (observing) other children and adult
listening to the sounds that they hear
touching different materials, textures
tasting
smelling"
It breaks educational play into eight important categories and states what the role of the adult should be regarding each activity.
I have chosen a few of the play techniques to describe below:
1. Physical Play "Physical play is when a child is moving, jumping, running, throwing a ball etc. Children develop different skills when they take part in physical play." What is the adults role? "Providing equipment and activities that are appropriate for the age of the child and their stage of development. Praise and encourage the child Make sure the children are safe"
2. Imaginative Play "Being someone else give a child the chance to separate reality from fantasy. Imaginative play lets the child bring out into the open any anxieties or worries in a safe environment" What is the adults role? "The adult must be very sensitive. The adult must observe the children before joining in the play. They can then take on a character in the play and ask questions or pose problems. This could improve the quality of play."
3. Constructive Play
4. Stories and Rhymes "Books -are interesting and can give pleasure -can increase a child's general knowledge and vocabulary -can help a child learn more about different cultures and religions -can help in the development of all aspects of the curriculum -can help in the development of language and communication -can allow children to experience frightening or new situations within a safe environment -can help increase the child's concentration span"
What is the adults role? -make sure that the children are comfortable and can see the book before you begin -if you know the child's name, mention their name as though they were part of the story -make eye contact with the child who has lost concentration
5. Creative Play "Creative play allows children to use their imagination" "It give children the chance to communicate without having to talk" What is the adults role? "The role of the adult is to provide different equipment and materials and allow the children to create their own piece of work"
6. Sand and Water Play "It is an important sensory experience and can encourage children to learn new ideas and skills. Sand reacts in different ways when it is dry, damp or very wet. Young children need to experience and compare all three textures"
7. Social Play "Children learn when they play together. They find out how to share, take turns and co-operate with each other." "Friendships can develop during social play"
8. Music *** As this book was written with the target audience of future teachers, it is very relevant to the point of view from which I am doing my research. I found the extra details about "what the adult should be doing" for each creative play technique very helpful in understanding how some of the exercise would work as a teacher designing and carrying out each activity.
So far I have been really enjoying looking through literature regarding my chosen topic. It is a subject I genuinely find absolutely fascinating and therefore I now feel I am drowning in articles and books that are all helpful in there own way (more literature reviews coming soon!)
However throughout the last two module of this course I found audio and audio visual learning very helpful when coming to understand a subject matter so I decided to do some searching for what kind of informative videos were available online.
This research has also been helpful in looking at how an informative video could be used as my Artefact.
Below is a selection of the videos I found most informative, coordinate and interesting.
I love how the video above really simplifies learning through play into its most basic form. It uses pictures and captions as well as paragraphs of writing where more detail is needed.
I also enjoy how, although the target audience for this video is adult, it has a child-like tune playing over the top and is very bold and colourful throughout.
***
This next video is much more detailed in it's information. It is more specifically about Play Based Learning and how it is used in the everyday classroom.
Much like the previous video it uses pictures and captions throughout, however more predominant in this one is the use of video footage, both of children in play and interviews with teachers. It also uses a narrative audio to describe and explain as apposed to just using written captions.
I particularly love what one of the teachers at the beginning of the video states;
"We believe in giving the power back to the children in our classroom. We really believe that they aren't just mucking around, they're discovering, they're like little scientists, always figuring things out in the classroom"
This video give more detail into what exactly they believe is learnt through play and at what age these developments happen.
For example, they describe the Developmental Stages of Question Acquisition.
"It is during play that children have rich conversations that develop listening and language skills including the asking and answering of thought provoking questions"
They also state;
"The selection of materials must be thoughtful and offer opportunities for the child to compare, predict, hypothesis, create generalisations, to be challenged but not over whelmed"
It is particularly helpful in this video to have the actual footage of children playing, of course this is something that has huge ethical considerations and is therefore not something I may have had the chance to see if it wasn't for videos like this.
***
The last video I have chosen focuses on play and creative arts as therapy, nothing I have yet to fully touch on in my literature review as of yet, however it is a very important part of the research I am doing for this topic.
This video interviews Caroline Essame, a Creative Arts Therapist, and Dr Sue Jennings, Nero Dramatic Play Specialist on the topic of Technology and Development: Creative Arts Therapy and Child Development.
I found this to be one of the most informative ( and interesting!) videos found throughout all my online searching.
"What helps a child mature is human interaction" - Jennings
"Academics might get you into a good university, but I think creativity and play teaches you how to live life" - Essame
In this video Jennings also briefly touches on her theory of Nero-Dramatic Play, something I had looked at quickly within my Module two literature.
They go onto talk about how modern technology is effecting development in children.
This video is just one of many available on Youtube where Jennings and Essame highlight the uses of their field on different aspects of learning, development and life.
Below are a few more I found very informative.
The Arts and Healing
"The theatre drama experience is an integrated one that teaches us, it satisfies our spiritual connection and it also is healing" - Jennings
'We don't just learn in words and from a worksheet. We learn with our bodies, we learn with our hands, we learn with our emotions, we learn with our social interactions. Learning is bigger than being told." - Essame
"The arts are great for encouraging people to have a holistic experience of learning" - Essame
As I have been progressing with my topic research I have been baring in mind the initial ideas I had for my artefact. Although I'm sure the concept of my artefact will change lots throughout this module I have been putting in some more research to how I will go about creating my artefact. As pointed out by Paula my artefact will be a multi media, creative version of my research. So the information I have explored and gather could be displayed on a poster (or in a book, as was one of my other thoughts) I have been looking into how exactly I would go about creating something like this and gaining some basic tips on how to make it look good.
Playday is the national day for play, traditionally held on the first Wednesday in August.
As well as a celebration of children’s right to play, Playday is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives.
Playday events range from street parties, festivals in parks or village greens, mass adventures in woodlands, fields, even beaches, and public events at community venues. From small-scale events to thousands of children taking part in events organised in parks and open spaces – Playday is celebrated by each community in a way that suits them.
So, what is play?
Play is essential for physical and emotional growth, for mental, intellectual and educational development, and for acquiring social and behavioural skills.
Play is a generic term applied to a wide range of activities and behaviours that are satisfying to the child, creative for the child and freely chosen by the child.
How do I get involved?
There are lots of ways you can get involved in Playday and support children's right to play.
If you are unable to host your own celebration, why not get involved with an event that's happening near you? Payday organisers are always looking for an extra pair of hands. From helping with publicity to setting up and clearing away on the day, there are lots of ways you can get involved and help make sure more children can play out on Playday.
Whatever your skills and whatever spare time you have, Playday event organisers need you!
Mindful Mama: Happy Baby by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriot (2016)
This is another book primely geared towards parenting tools, but yet again I found some of it's content very enlightening, especially regarding the fundamental ideas of play.
"As adults we often underestimate the value that play has in developing children both mentally and physically. Play is your child's way of engaging and making sense of the world and cannot be overvalued."
In this quote (introduction, page 7) Pitamic actually describes play as a child's way of engaging.
When considering the several definitions of engagement and the multiple versions of play that I have come across in my research so far I have yet to look at play in this way.
So far I have been exploring the uses of play to encourage engagement but I had never thought of the simple fact that the child playing is engaged.
Much of the rest of this book is examples of activities and games that are used to encourage a happier child. I was interested to see if any of the activities suggested were what I would consider to be a 'drama' game and I believe a few of them most defiantly fit the description of 'play' activities and 'drama' games.
For example, The Animal Game is listed in this book as a fun game to play after a trip to a farm or zoo. This game involves acting out and creating the noises of particular animals "for example, as an elephant you might use one of your arms to swing like a trunk, or for a penguin, put your feet together and waddle forwards."
I found it very interesting that this activity was listed in this book, as my own memories of this game came from playing it in weekend drama classes.
There are several activities listed within this book that I remember playing within drama class as games to promote confidence, imagination and creativity.
So more examples are The Clapping Game, I Went To The Shops And Bought..., Making up Stories.
Through most of my research in this topic I have been looking at drama and play as two separate subjects. However in my most resent literature and within some of my first interviews I have come to find that really they are much one in the same, perhaps with slightly different purposes but ultimately can been used in much the same way, especially when used for very early learning.
"The Power Of Play" In The Playful Parent, Deering states "my raison d'être is to provide young children with an enabling environment - somewhere Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidelines describe as a place where they feel safe, comfortable and 'at home'; where they can investigate, explore and learn in a way that is best for them. And that is always through play." Although the main theme and audience for this book are parents who wish to use play as a parenting technique, I found much of it's content very useful and coherent when looking at it from a teachers point of view for my research. Peering herself has worked "as a teacher and creative play specialist with over twenty year of experience working with children and their families in a variety of educational settings, I am evangelical about the power of play to promote learning." The main concepts explored in this book are examples of Deerings "7 Ways To Play". 1. Chores: not bores 2. 10-second set-ups 3. Invitations to play 4. Invitations to create 5. Make and Take 6. Stay and Play 7. Sanity Savers As this book has been devised to aid parenting some of these 'ways' are not relevant when looking at play from a teachers point of view. However some of them hold great validity and could easily be applied to a class room scenario. For example, 4. Invitation to create "The idea of this is not what they make; it's that they make - it's all about the process - giving them the materials and opportunity to explore different media and to get creative without necessarily finishing a piece of art or craft" I feel this could be a great idea for the start of a lesson plan. Using the idea of inviting the child to be creative and playful but without the time frame or goal of aiming for a finished product. It would be very interesting to see how different children react to this approach.
Although much of this book isn't exactly relevant to my chosen topic I have found it a greatly interesting read.
As stated in it's most basic definition, the online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines engagement;
However my research requires a more specific definition.
According to The Education Glossary "generally speaking, the concept of “student engagement” is predicated on the belief that learning improves when students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired, and that learning tends to suffer when students are bored, dispassionate, disaffected, or otherwise “disengaged.” (the education glossary, 2015)
However I have also found several alternative definitions that take a different approach to what defines engagement.
It also defines "engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism and passion that students show when they are learning" (the education glossary, 2015)
Both these descriptions of engagement are valid to my research and are both helpful for me in trying to fully understand what exactly engagement is.
"In many contexts, however, student engagement may also refer to the ways in which school leaders, educators, and other adults might “engage” students more fully in the governance and decision-making processes in school, in the design of programs and learning opportunities" (the education glossary, 2015)
This definition, referring to the role the adult/ teacher takes in engagement is very relevant to what I am looking for within my research.
I also found some points of this paper by Skinner, Furrer and Kindermann (2009) very helpful in understanding that engagement is not such an easily defined word!
"At its most general, engagement refers to the quality of a student’s connection or involvement with the endeavor of schooling and hence with the peo- ple, activities, goals, values, and place that compose it" (Skinner, Furrer, Kindermann 2009 pg. 494)
A book with directions, explanations and pictures that depict each of the different play and drama techniques/ games I have learnt about through this module, and how they can aid engagement.
The same idea but in the form of a large colourful poster with more pictures than writing. Something similar to the images below.
Both of these items would be useful and easily assessable to my target audience, future teachers.
However I also like the idea of doing something interactive as I feel this echoes a lot of the techniques I have been studying and highlights the theme of engagement that runs throughout my topic.
Perhaps an interactive video or a workbook with activities and pictures in it.
This week I have really got stuck into this next Module starting with a chat with Paula. She helped me get my ideas into line and started me onto the plan for Module 3.
Next I had a Skype with Laura, a fellow BAPP student who is researching a very similar topic to me. It was great to hear some of my own worries echoed by another student and help each other simply by talking over Module 3 and what we intended to get done! We have agreed to stay in touch as we work through our data collecting and literature studies to share ideas and thought on our topic. I am currently working on a short survey and interviews questions that will become the bulk of my data collection. I am also continuing to look into literature and will be posting my first review soon.
So here we are, the last Module. I honestly can't quite believe how fast it has all gone by and how much I have learnt in such a small amount of time. I am pleased with my feedback from my last Module but am really struggling to come to terms with how I'm even going to get started on the massive work load for Module 3! First step, as always, the Reader and Module Handbooks!
