Ms. Colando has shared a wonderful opportunity with us. I enjoyed exploring this idea tonight and am excited to experience it as a classroom family. This Wednesday, we are going to play. Unstructured play. No electronics, no direction. Just play! Visit the website linked below the icon on the left for all the details. There is even a TEDx lecture to view! It can be hard to give up class time as we have so many GREAT things going on right now. However, just as it is critical we take time for ourselves in personal lives, it is important we do the same in our classroom. Some classrooms will be playing all day long. We will likely play for a good chunk of our day and after we hatch a plan as a class we will let you know so that you can attend if you like. This is one way our classroom can experience something unique and use our iPads to connect with other kids around the world. Who knows what where this will lead us? What can we learn about the way kids play around the world? I've signed us up and now we need your help. Here is some information from the website: 3. CALL FOR TOYS Tell your class to bring anything they wish to play with to school on Wednesday, February 4th. The only restrictions: they must bring toys and these toys may NOT require batteries or electricity. No devices. Give them some ideas, since today's kids rarely play and often own very few toys: board games, dolls, Legos, blocks, trucks, cars, racetracks, playing cards, empty cardboard boxes, markers, jigsaw puzzles, blankets (for forts), social games (charades, Pictionary, etc.) The only exception on the electronics rule would be a board game that has an electronic timer, an electronics play kit, or similar. How about taking your students out in the dirt or snow to dig, explore and get messy? 4. PLAY! On February 4, do the following: Allow your students to spread their toys out around the room and just PLAY! Don't organize anything for your students. Don't tell them how to play with the toys/games. Don't interfere with your students unless you see something that could get you fired or would physically hurt a child (this does not include something that may be physically uncomfortable for a child.) Other than taking a few pictures/videos, try to be invisible and let the kids play. |
Ring in the new school year!
"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."
-Benjamin Franklin