Welcome to #akedchat We are glad to be here and talking to great Alaska Educators! If you haven’t registered for Global School Play Day yet on February 7, please do so at https://t.co/Mc9x1d5vt1
Question 1 for #akedchat is coming up. How about everyone that is here gives us a quick introduction. It is 7PM Alaska Standard time and we are ready to talk PLAY!
Eric here from Marin - proud dad and middle school principal, outdoor enthusiast, play aficionado at school and everywhere else! My school @HallMiddle will be a 4 time participant in #GSPD2018! #akedchat
#akedchat. Laura, 5th Grade Teacher in Wrangell, AK. I have an undergrad degree in Rec. & Leisure from @UWaterloo, prior to being a teacher I was a Rec. Therapist. I definitely value play. #akedchat
Great to have you, Daniela! We think student teachers are the absolute BEST - please check out our friend @theweirdteacher's book all about student teaching! #akedchat
Depending on age but I think younger kids wouldnt know but I believe older kids have heard "structured" so much that they may grasp that it would be free-choice play #akedchat
That sounds great. I've tried to push phone-less Fridays, and only had a couple of kids actually try. But as far as playing goes, it doesn't seem like kids play outside with their imagination as much as our generation did as kids. #akedchat
Great observation - one reason why we think providing time/space for unstructured play helps kids develop that knowledge and confidence to create something from nothing! #akedchat
#akedchat I think its based on the grade level. When I am in a kindergarten class they just want to play. My daughter is a sixth grader and they have unstructured play daily at her school, they call it C-period and the kids like to go to the gym and pull out the balls.
We agree - the work of Dr. Peter Gray documents this very clearly. Ergo the idea of a day of school dedicated to this radical idea of learning and connecting through play! #akedchat
I believe that communication is something kids can learn through unstructured play if we adults can let them work out their issues on their own. #akedchat
My 1st introduction combining games and lessons was on something called Quizlet. Have not logged in in ages. Hope there are faster and easier platforms available. #akedchat
Q2: They learn how to include others; make things up on the fly; work through disagreement; negotiate; argue constructively; feel joy. I see this DAILY at my school! #akedchat
#akedchat It seems that unstructured play might provide a great opportunity for children to work on their communication skills with one another. Like negotiating which game to play first and what rules may apply.
We do a lot of white board work and draw funny pictures, tons of hands on manipulative like legos to create pattern towers or even flyers to make shopping lists and sticking to a budget. #akedchat
#akedchat its funny, when I go to my daughters school, I see the teachers participating in the games with the students outside or during their free time. Students look at teachers differently at that point. Students love it.
#akedchat A3: I mostly use play in P.E. Group initiatives and cooperative games (both somewhat structured). #MysterySkype (also structured, but student led).
We hear teachers and principals sharing stories all the time about how THEY get as carried away by the energy of Global School Play Day as the kids! #akedchat
We have broke 5th grade class into two teams and played a great name the state guessing game on the smart board. Cant remember the name of the game but it was a blast. Kids learn when they are laughing! #akedchat
Playing gives children the opportunity to be leaders AND followers. Both require patience and tolerance. When a tattletale comes with a complaint during play, they can be asked, "how can you work that out?" Many times, problem solving skills can be discovered. #akedchat
That is a powerful thought. Maybe the deepest gift of unstructured play is to help children learn how to live independently, confidently and kindly! #akedchat
A3) aside from earned pure free time, play can be math games, spelling games (Sparkle), Kahoot quizzes, vocab games, Skill mastery competitions etc #akedchat
Play does not need to be structured. It does not need to come with rules or equipment. One only needs imagination and energy and someone to share it with. #akedchat
#akedchat I love seeing play in classrooms. Especially in kinder level, 1 hour everyday just break the class into groups of 3-6 kiddos and have them go to an area and explore what you put out that day, it's so cool. #thingslindataughttheworld
Don't know if this is pc or not, my favorite childhood memories of play were those magical moments out of the supervision of adults :) otherwise anything physical! #akedchat
We use to create obstacle courses for all the neighbor kids. It was probably the most fun and it taught me how to communicate, lead, work as a team, and think outside of the box. Kids need that opportunity to just be kids without structure and a schedule. #akedchat
A5 Innocent practical jokes. Kids these days don't seem to have imagination or a sense of humor. It's almost like they don't even know the meaning of the word shenanigans anymore! #akedchat
Here are students preparing to play archeology. They find and id items in sandbox. (Note: no faces in compliance w/ child protection policy) #akedchat#Archaeology
#akedchat a3) building a bond with teacher and students... this case me and my daughter had a fun day doing art. She sees me put on lipstick and tried it for herself #divababy#wornout
#akedchat Q5 is a good question. I remember playing hop scotch, jumping rope or the one where we had the big elastic band on our feet and jumped on it. what was the name of that one. I don't see kids doing that.
