Play based learning fits in really well with Innovative learning environments. There is a synergy between ILE's and PBL. I think because I did four years of Professional learning and practice in IlEs it made the learning in PBL so much easier. My mind had already begun to change. It was when I was comfortable at a mind level that my heart saw the 5 year olds and realized something in what we were doing wasn't working and needed to change. We had much right, but we didn't have the developmental needs of 5 to 7 year olds correct. Taking the principles of ILE I developed a play based system for the students I learn with. The system I use won't work for everyone or nor should it. That's the powerful concept about IlE, it's individual for each student and community.
Philosophical frameworks
The purpose of play based learning especially for Year 1 and 2 is working with the child's natural way of learning. Play based learning is developmental, as opposed to a system which is chronological like the alternative system of learning certain skills at certain ages. Because it is developmentally in tune with children's biology, they experience success, not to the exclusion of failure as failure is part of the journey towards success. Learning, failure and success is experienced at the childs developmental level not someone else's. The heart of learning is protected. That is the passion and motivation to want to learn. High levels of well being and involvement lead to high levels of child development.
In ILE and PBL there are no subjects being taught by the teacher as such. Instead children are able to lead the learning. They can decide on the place, the context and the method. It supports individual learning of what children are interested in. As we move away from a school system needing to produce an end product or a young person being filled up with a certain knowledge decided on by someone else, we are able to see how our teaching methods will change to be open-ended and child directed. What employers want now are young people who are self-directed, who know how to work in a team, who can think for themselves are emotionally developed.
Play-based learning acknowledges that children learn at different times and finding the next steps for them is absolute. It doesn't mean skills are not taught. In Foundation Years Phonics is specifically taught, -sounds, letters, words. As children talk more than a traditional classroom, the lesson of phonics allows them to hear sounds, see sounds, write sounds and then use this knowledge in the context of their play. The children also have a short, teacher directed reading/writing lesson specifically designed for them. Once again the teacher starts where they are at and moves along at their pace. More importantly, latter in play they can play with writing. They can start where they need to start whether that is with scribbles, or words. The priority is to nurture learning and to recognise and respond to the developmental needs of each child.
The space is arranged to suit the child and the learning, not the teacher and the teaching. Throughout our school, spaces belong to the students. In Play-based learning, the space and equipment can be re-arranged by the children to support their learning.
Peter Gray outlines crucial philosophy in play as being
- Self-chosen and self-directed
- process rather than product driven;
- contains structures or rules established by the players themselves;
- imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality
- occurs between those who are active, alert and non-stressed.
Play becomes learning when these conditions are met. Throughout our school and keeping with the philosophy of ILE's and the reason the Ministry advocates for them (future focus and allowing learning that is useful for the future), teachers work hard to enable these conditions to thrive. Teachers try to keep these principles in mind in designing space and learning. As students get further up our school each of these conditions look different and happen to various degrees. Number four is interesting because although it says non-literal and removed from reality, many projects may end up in reality. However, in the inquiry process students begin by experiencing, trialling, having pressure removed to perform in reality but being placed as having purpose in the real world. Play has purpose, it is not frivolous, it is not a waste of time, it is a journey in learning. Play for children is different than play for adults. Adults mostly, go to work and come home to play. Play is children's work.
Play for a five year old will be pretending to be a police officer. Play merges into inquiry as a 15 year old, inquires into being a police officer finds out what is needed skill wise to achieve this. Characteristics such as being helpful and honest, a risk taker, flexible and all those things will be seen in the learning process. The Maker Space is a great example of all 5 points above and is used by students from Year 6 upwards. They are making robots, machines, pulling things apart, putting them back together. Experimenting, imaginative, non-literal, removed from reality but self-chosen, self-directed, process rather than product driven. Play might be seen in significant parts of the inquiry process. Without play, inquiry becomes teacher directed.
Play based Philosophy is also seen in the way the space is used on the walls. Play being process driven, isn't reliant on a product. Therefore, it is not necessary to display an end product on the wall. More appropriately would be the children's trial's and errors if they so choose to place these up for public display. The children in foundation rarely look at anything on the walls, they are focused on playing in the environment. Wall displays often suit adults. Maybe the adults feel better about themselves as teachers if they have product on the wall? This year, I might put up some displays for whanau (parents) about play and its purpose. Some process ideas for the students may be put on the wall such as photos of children using certain learning muscles (dispositions) in play.
Peter Gray in his book Free to Learn, spends some time speaking about the positives of multi-age learning. Multi-age learning communities are just that, communities with different aged students in them. Single cell classes of one age band with one teacher in can not hope to capitalise on the rich learning that comes from mixing ages up. Mixed age play has historically been a way that rich culture has been passed down the generation. Children who are older share learning that is on the edge of mastery for them. This way, they are practicing that which is still new knowledge for them and exposing the younger learners to new knowledge. This is Tuakana/Teina in action. At TKAS our largest learning community has Year 6 to year 13 together. Our EYLC has Year 3ish to 5. And our Whanau class has Year 1 - 10.
Teachers sharing learning communities also benefit. This means play can occur while some are free to 'float' with those students learning independently being available to help while others are able to run workshops or target specific learning needs. This requires a different set of skills than the traditional teacher. Students learn while playing, they can't help it. They just do.
Curriculum design is local and specific for the children at the school. It takes notice of the developmental stage each student is at. In foundation we are looking for key indicators to let us know when a child is ready for more specific skill based learning. Brain specialist Nathan Mikare-Wallis tell us that children around the age of 7 children have a change in the way they learn. It doesn't mean to say they won't want to play any more, but they will be able to learn differently enabling them to sit for longer periods, listen to a lesson about for example genres in writing. In our Middle and Senior Learning communities these skill based lessons are 'workshops'. They offer a range of skills teachers have noticed students require to inquire. Students arrange their timetables around fitting these workshops in. Again, students hold as much 'power' and 'responsibility' to attend these as possible.
In play based learning, we have to trust the students. It is their learning, not ours. Yes, we are there to guide them, but they must hold the choice. This skill is easily seen in young children, but often discouraged out of students when they enter Primary School. Both ILE and PBL encourage ownership of learning.
It is helpful and exciting to begin to see the similarities between play-based learning and Innovative Learning Environments. It is also clear to see, a radical change in the way teachers need to deliver learning will be required. This change takes time.
Great Article- food for thought. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete