The Role of the Teacher
"If they're playing, what do I do?" (this is what Sarah's research is about)
What is constructivism?
- a theory about learning
- a theory about how we learn (rather than about teaching)
- it's about constructing knowledge not about how we receive it
- think of a brick wall (each will look different); is this the right brick, right size, right shape, will it adhere to the other bricks, for my wall?
- it's about understanding and applying rather than repeating back
- active, not passive; active thinking, not passive thinking; we mustn't do the thinking for our children
Play is constructivist by its very nature. Play is how we make sense of our world. The free play 'life style' is very rare these days, where there are no adults present (e.g., building huts down at the Scenic Reserve).
Intentional Teaching as opposed to Free Play.
Primarily, play is:
- self-chosen and self-directed
- process rather than product-driven (what are you thinking rather than what are you doing? need to move away from arts and crafts, to I wonder what you are going to do with that when you've finished?); we don't want our children to be performance-driven
- contains structures or rules established by the players themselves: softball example in the school grounds opposite school where a neighbourhood softball game can take place with negotiable rules; there's a big difference between play and sport
- imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality: it puts children up into the prefrontal cortex area of their brains - complex executive functioning skills are developing during this type of play (e.g., February deco dress ups in Napier)
- occurs between those who are active (not hyperactive), alert (ready for learning) and non-stressed (adjust expectations for play for the children who are in a stressed, fight or flight state).
If we have the above then we know that learning is happening.
What is Creativity?
Play shows us creative thinking more than you will ever see in traditional classrooms. We need to look for it more, and celebrate it. 'Practising' creativity leads to positive self-identity as a learner.
N.B., the Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Stages handout.
On the whole, our wee ones will be in the Pre-operational cognitive stage.
Sensory Stage: things go into the mouth at this stage
Pre-op: 3 years to 7 years (most critical at this stage is language development); incredibly egocentric at this stage; restorative practice doesn't work at this stage;
Concrete operational: 7 years to 12 years
Beyond that, Formal operational, but children will revert if they're tired, hungry, etc.
The Importance of a Developmental Approach:
- LTP environments reflect a dev approp response to students learning needs
- research identifies a fundamental need for Ss to learn through play defined as 3-7 years
- children same chronological age cand ve at very different stages socially, emotionally, and developmentally
- some children pre-op intermix fantasy and reality; unable to understand the rules of the game or temperamentally cannot wait and take turns
- others in the concrete operational stage are obsessed by the rules finding it difficult to see others perspectives or think flexibly outside the rules for creative thought.
The Environment as the Third Teacher:
We gather assessment data through observation.
The second most important thing in a classroom is the environment. We might manipulate the environment to ensure that children can explore further. ur resourcing in play is absolutely critical.
Loose Parts:
- never underestimate the value of these
- particularly large loose parts in the outdoors
- they're really important to get creative going
- critical to have large and small loose parts
- when hunting for loose parts, don't prethink what the various parts might be used for
- loose parts need to be as real as possible (they need real teasets for example... ones that break; real hand tools, etc. This is how children learn to respect)
- the loose parts themselves don't change (no matter the age of the child), just how they will be used)
- the example of filling, pouring and tipping (the marbles and on to the 'chocolate milk'
- view the scrapstore playpod video; great ideas for storage
The Urges:
We know all about them but how much or often do we provide resources to support them in their urges. Play, within particular urges, helps us to make sense of our world.
Children have no idea about their urges! They just do what feels good. It's a biological wiring. Each of the urges relates directly to survival. We don't need to catch fish or build shelters any more, but we're still programmed to display these urges. The urges guide our decisions as to what we have in our rooms. From there we see play, and from there we see the curriculum.
Observe the urges first.
Note, the handout on: if your child is doing this, then they're displaying this urge.
Functional Types of Play:
- Physical
- Language
- Exploratory
- Constructive - the building of things as well as ideas
- Fantasy/socio-dramatic - this is one of the highest forms of play
- Social play - look out for the art of conceding!
Most play that children engage in is exploratory.
How to be more intentional...?
- teaching through play and instructional teaching opportunities - how to find that balance; this is an art - achieving an appropriate balance between direct instruction and self-directed exploratory learning
- we have been trained to question children to the point of interrogation; this is a habit we have to break; questioning breaks the flow of creativity and asks them to perform and give an answer
- instead, commenting is more effective in teaching; this is called descriptive commentary
- a child can be supported in play by a more knowledgable other, adult or child (Vygotsky)
- we need to remember to give more wait time; we tend to give only 2 seconds and to then answer the question we asked ourselves! Wait, wait, wait (remember Jeremy and his Maths assessment).
See the Integrated, responsive model of teacher-child play interactions handout.
Note that you don't have to be in every child's play. The flowchart helps to know where you need to be.
Responding to your learners (see Sarah's handout):
- teacher assessment of play
- teacher teaching through play
- teacher planning of the play
- teacher resourcing of the play
Repetitive play is OK, but only if it's not actually avoidance. Note that a lot of girls will sit in very low-level play, like colouring. How do we recognise this and then help to develop the play, by taking risks? The teacher might come in beside and parallel play with the child and support them to join in with other games and play.
Pennie Brownlee's list of urges.
Mitchel Resnick, The Lifelong Kindergarten
Peter Grey, The Decline of Play and the Rise of Mental Disorders, TED Talk
Sarah's shared documents stored in Longworth PD 16/17 September2020 on Google Drive.
Jo's notes from the feedback meeting with Sarah
Teacher Tom's Blogpost: He Didn't Like to Get Dirty
