The Idea
At the start of PSIII, we were introduced to play-facilitated education and to be honest, we were kind of overwhelmed. There were endless resources for us to read and investigate, and because our placement was in Kindergarten a lot of the ideas didn't fit into our classrooms. We were stuck with what to do first, and after attending some different PD sessions on what we should be doing, it just felt like were putting so much effort and worry into something that was supposed to be fun and carefree, or more specifically, play.
We decided that as our Professional Inquiry Project we could create this website as a tool for teachers, parents, and administration to help "dip their toes in the water" of play-facilitated education.
We decided that as our Professional Inquiry Project we could create this website as a tool for teachers, parents, and administration to help "dip their toes in the water" of play-facilitated education.
The Plan
When we first set out with this project, we weren't sure what sort of research we could gather that would help the audience we were looking to benefit. We remembered that one aspect of being a teacher is being a part of a community of life long learners. Thus, we decided that we would interview teachers throughout our placement school early on in our practicum and then again closer to the end. This would allow us to compile the thoughts of teachers about play-facilitated education and then compare them to find similar challenges and benefits. We will be conducting a second round of interviews during the week of April 8th-13th, so check back to this page to see the results.
After we complied all the information we gathered, we were able to see what areas teachers were having the hardest times with and what things we could add to the website to help with those issues. We were also able to see positives that came from transitioning classrooms to a more play-facilitated approach. These included reduced behavioral problems and higher student engagement. More on the results can be found below. We interviewed teachers from Raymond Elementary School in a variety of grades.
After we complied all the information we gathered, we were able to see what areas teachers were having the hardest times with and what things we could add to the website to help with those issues. We were also able to see positives that came from transitioning classrooms to a more play-facilitated approach. These included reduced behavioral problems and higher student engagement. More on the results can be found below. We interviewed teachers from Raymond Elementary School in a variety of grades.
The Results
Through the interview process we gained a greater understanding of how teachers in the field are finding play-facilitated education. Every teacher presented us with new understandings and ideas. They all have differing levels of play-facilitation in their classrooms. One general consensus was that its easy to get overwhelmed and that teachers should find what works for the them and not compare themselves to other classes. As teachers we know that every classroom is going to be different, so finding a level of play-facilitated education that best suites your class should be the main goal.
A key inference from the interviews is the fact that this philosophy, at its core, can be use across all grade levels but unfortunately, we have currently only studied elementary grades (K-6) but the ideas can transfer. An example of an activity that can be used across all grades is generally games. Everyone loves games, and competition can really increase engagement. An example of activities that will alter as you move through the grades is projects. In Kindergarten, students will require a bit more guidance in choosing their topic, they may use their creativity to construct the information, and some scribing will be necessary for the full completion of the project. In higher grades, students may be given more freedom to choose their topics, research their own information, and create whatever type of meaningful end product they wish. In both cases, final presentations to celebrate their learning is a fantastic option to wrap up the projects.
The most beneficial part of the interviews came from the wonderful activity recommendations - especially in the older grades. Ideas that we encountered included Genius Hour and using a real world problem to start off a unit. As predicted, all suggestions were based around the same concept of engaging our students in meaningful learning.
The responses from the interviews confirmed what we have always been taught, that our colleagues are a great and useful resource. Below are some example quotes pulled directly from the interviews with the permission of the interviewee.
A key inference from the interviews is the fact that this philosophy, at its core, can be use across all grade levels but unfortunately, we have currently only studied elementary grades (K-6) but the ideas can transfer. An example of an activity that can be used across all grades is generally games. Everyone loves games, and competition can really increase engagement. An example of activities that will alter as you move through the grades is projects. In Kindergarten, students will require a bit more guidance in choosing their topic, they may use their creativity to construct the information, and some scribing will be necessary for the full completion of the project. In higher grades, students may be given more freedom to choose their topics, research their own information, and create whatever type of meaningful end product they wish. In both cases, final presentations to celebrate their learning is a fantastic option to wrap up the projects.
The most beneficial part of the interviews came from the wonderful activity recommendations - especially in the older grades. Ideas that we encountered included Genius Hour and using a real world problem to start off a unit. As predicted, all suggestions were based around the same concept of engaging our students in meaningful learning.
The responses from the interviews confirmed what we have always been taught, that our colleagues are a great and useful resource. Below are some example quotes pulled directly from the interviews with the permission of the interviewee.
Teacher Quotes
"I'm changing my expectations about what learning has to look like, it can look a little bit different and that's okay." Jess Bevans (Gr. 1)
"Giving [our students] the power gives them confidence." Larissa Hay (Gr. 3)
"It's a way of thinking; not longer just passive, but active learning." Krista Fisher (Gr. 2)
"Through inquiry projects my students have become more independent; they don't rely on me to give them all of the information." Kelsey Lunde (Gr. 6)
"The great thing about [play-facilitated education] is that it's okay to be on different levels and have different classrooms, making it easier to embrace and find what they like best." Jess Bevans (Gr. 1)
"All games, and all fun, and the students will buy in, hook, line, and sinker. At the same time, this class knows their math facts better than all the other classes I've taught with mad-minutes." Ellie Annett (Gr. 2)
"[When planning for a project] it's part interest, part what you know, part what you think is best, and part how you fit it into the curriculum." Larissa Hay (Gr. 3)
"Giving [our students] the power gives them confidence." Larissa Hay (Gr. 3)
"It's a way of thinking; not longer just passive, but active learning." Krista Fisher (Gr. 2)
"Through inquiry projects my students have become more independent; they don't rely on me to give them all of the information." Kelsey Lunde (Gr. 6)
"The great thing about [play-facilitated education] is that it's okay to be on different levels and have different classrooms, making it easier to embrace and find what they like best." Jess Bevans (Gr. 1)
"All games, and all fun, and the students will buy in, hook, line, and sinker. At the same time, this class knows their math facts better than all the other classes I've taught with mad-minutes." Ellie Annett (Gr. 2)
"[When planning for a project] it's part interest, part what you know, part what you think is best, and part how you fit it into the curriculum." Larissa Hay (Gr. 3)
Further Reading
Alliance For Childhood
CMEC Statement on Play-Based Learning
Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
20 Reasons for Open Ended Art - Karen Cox
Expectations of the Teacher
- Crisis in Kindergarten - Why Children Need to Play in School
- Alliance for Childhood Publications
- Both of the above links informed practices put in place by the Edmonton Public School division. The resources provided by the AFC are used worldwide to positively impact the lives of children.
CMEC Statement on Play-Based Learning
- This PDF was given to us during a Play-Facilitated PD Session that was lead by David Sobolewski for us to investigate. There are a number of key concepts and ideas listed. As teachers, it is important to become familiar with documents presented by certain groups, specifically the Council of Members of Education, Canada.
Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
- The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative works to put scientific findings and data into easy to understand forms of media content. They hope to bridge the gap between scientific research and parents who are looking to better understand their students. Their content is user friendly and can be found in many forms.
20 Reasons for Open Ended Art - Karen Cox
Expectations of the Teacher
- This article describes the work of Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson as they examined the affects of expectations on students. This article talks only on the Pygmalion Effect; for more information regarding this topic read about the Golem Effect.