Week Five

What does the way you play have to do with embracing change and how does this impact you as a professional?

As a young child, I loved to play; in the water, on the sports field, with my sister and friends. We were always out side on the move and making up games. As an adult, I continue my passion of play, I've shifted slightly with my choice of play, I enjoy reading, photography, coed softball and fishing to name a few. Play "helps sculpt our brains to help us learn and make us more resilient." (Aguilar) In the Edutopia article, Agular listed the following categories of play: The Joker, the Kinesthete, the Explores, the Competitor, the Director, the Collector, the Artist/Creator, and the Storyteller. If I think back to my students this year, I could put each student into at least one of the categories. This is a good reminder of how important a multi-strategy technique of teaching is needed when delivering information and that "traditional approaches to learning are no longer capable of coping with the constantly changing world." (Thomas)

It is interesting to me to think about teaching as play, but it also makes sense. To me teaching is such a personal profession, you make hundreds of connections with students, parents and teachers over one year and what better way to make those connections last than play. By playing you can make a connection that is not forced, you can both be engaged in something that you truly enjoy. Once that connection is made students will be more open minded about learning and trying new things in your classroom.

In the ever changing technology world "play becomes a strategy for embracing change, rather than a way for growing out of it." (Thomas) As technology changes from year to year, teacher must learn and adapt like never before. We must be innovating and help guide students with technology because technology is the future and it is here to stay. "If the teacher is able to accommodate new changes, the recent changes, and employ them properly this society will be good." (Pennington)

As a result of reading these text, I will make a conscious decision to actively involve different levels of play into my classroom. I know that this will be difficult and "embracing change is a challenge" (Dunn) however in the long run I believe these strategies will help my students become better successful lifelong learners.



Resources:

Aguilar, Elena. “Summer Professional Development: Play!” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 26 June 2014, www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-professional-development-play-elena-aguilar.

Dunn, Mike. “Embracing Change In Your Practice.” The Educators Room, 1 Nov. 2016, theeducatorsroom.com/embracing-change-teachers-journey-across-desk/.

Pennington, Roberta. “Teachers Must Embrace Change.” The National, The National, 6 Apr. 2016, www.thenational.ae/uae/teachers-must-embrace-change-1.141733.

Thomas, Douglas, and John Seely Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Publisher Not Identified, 2011, Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2019, from https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B004RZH0BG.