Quote:
"In my mind, play and learning can and should be intimately linked. Each, at its best, involves a process of experimentation, exploration, and testing the boundaries."
Reaction:
I could not agree more with the author on this one. At times, it is looked down one if a class is having "too much fun." Heaven forbid, a student giggle during class or have fun learning :). Learning is always the priority in the classroom, but it does not have to be perceived as something boring in miserable. We need a little "play" in the classroom, whether it be through technology or just a fun activity. Playing and learning deserved to be link. Why not create learning that involves exploration and creativity?
Additional Resource:
Editorial: Play and learn: potentials of game-based learning
British article on the true potential that gaming can have on learning.
I agree with your comment about some people who believe if students are laughing and having fun then they are not learning. Learning should be fun. There's no reason you can't make lessons engaging and meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your comment... Learning is fun, and it should be fun in a classroom. I usually find that one of the first things I have to do within my classroom is to teach people that learning is not boring. Most of the GED students are there voluntary, so I have to make it fun for them. I'm always aware that they could choose not to return if they want - so I stress that they have choices on what they want to work on, and I try to make it fun for them (or at least, I tell them - if you get bored with the, please let me know and I'll find some other way for you to learn it).
ReplyDeleteWhen the "fun" is taken out of education/the classroom, learning is often compromised. If we engage students in a way that they are relaxed and having "fun," then they do not conciously realize that they are learning. I currently have a group of adult learners who are engaged in learning to weave. While we have no games to play we are still having fun and learning too. One student commented to me last week that she like the way I took the mistakes the students made and turned them into learning tools. No one feels threatened or maligned for making a mistake, after all we are all having a good time.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite college courses are ones where I can say that I had fun. Once you are an upperclassmen and taking higher level courses in your field, you get to know many of your peers and professors. At this point, I believe that much more can be accomplished in a fun learning environment.
ReplyDeleteAndy and Jane have touched on an essential characteristics of meaningful and motivating learning environments. Meaningful learning environments tend to be highly social and participants tend to feel like they belong to a community. Good games for learning are also highly social and players tend to develop strong bonds with other players who they may or may not have a relationship with in a face-to-face environment. I think teachers can make school more game-like/fun if they focus on creating classrooms that foster learning communities.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote that you chose. It said very much the same thing that my quote did just in a different way. It is important for our students to learn the process of thinking, especially to be better prepared for their future and success in the "real world". I agree 100% learning should involve creativity and exploration. My students just finished doing a radio commercial in my class - with this the learned many key components of marketing and how all of that ties in together - but when they listened back to their recordings as they were in the editing process they were giggling and laughing - but yet they were learning.
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