Reflection Play Event

I really enjoyed an amazing experience with play event at last Saturday. Through this experience, I had chances to know and understand what each child has different sense of personalities, how they have approached play or art.

I recorded video which focus on Quinn, Carney, and Joey during this time. They showed different personalities on their play and art. Quinn and Carney seemed like be accustomed to environment for playing, meeting new person. Quinn didn’t hesitate to initiate his own play. What is mean that he directly went to back side in the classroom, then explored various materials. Finally, he found attractive material, puzzle. He explored the puzzle, counted the number of the puzzle, and completed the puzzle. He paid attention to his own play regardless of any others’ moving. Even though he is very younger, he showed his concentration on play. After exploring material, he tried to new play for decoration and painting this puzzle. From one material, he showed “continuing play”. Probably, it can be possible by his initiative and spontaneous curiosity on play. In contrast, Joey showed that he couldn’t concentrate on his own play, and he had some time to approach his play and come to materials. After came into the classroom, he just sat down and stared outside. He looked around who they were, what they did in the classroom. After having several minutes, he came to the backside for exploration various materials. He picked some materials and returned his position, however he observed a girl who sat beside him played and made products during his play. He tried to play and art several times, however he didn’t perfectly complete play. He often wandered in the classroom and observed others’ play or other made something. It is true that some children are likely to access new situations and approach play whereas other children are unlikely to do. It can be depended on children’s personalities, or temperaments. I’m still curious whether Joey’s personality have been influenced by his original temperament, or his experiences which is living abroad and using two languages. It is possible that his surrounding environment affect on his personalities, which it causes play personalities.

           Nevertheless, I could see his eyes changed to be shining. When Ming provided scaffolding him, he tried to play and seemed to more concentrate on his play. Also, when Lina encourage his play, he looked like having confidence on his play. Finally, as leaving the classroom, he said “I enjoyed. It’s fun!” I just worried that he wandered outside of a play group and just observed others’ play. However, I felt that he just found play partners who have interests in his play. Even though he had little time to approach his own play, he could enjoy the play with scaffolding from play partners.

Moreover, Lilly really seemed to have creativity, artistic ability, and enjoy her own play.  She never hesitated to approach to her play and she continuous made something which looked amazing. She seemed to be good to express her imagination, creativity, and mind. It can be reasonable that she might be supported or encouraged her play from parents, peers, and someone. I believe that adult’ reactions toward children’s artistic experiences and play can encourage children’s artistic skills and capabilities.

Furthermore, after she made a rainstick, other young children followed her play and imitated her play. As saying “children learn by imitating”, younger children learned new play and knew how to make a rainstick by imitating older child’s play. I thought that multi-age group can encourage developed play.

As a result, I had exciting time to observe how children play, what they play, and express their creativity through play. It’s really wonderful time and course, I never forget this course. I appreciate Dr. Mary and Dianna made meaningful class for my life. I will keep going on seeking for play’s value and meaning for life. Thank you for your enthusiastic for teaching J  

Keep going play in my life

Last weekend, I needed to stay in the library to prepare exam, presentation end of a semester, so I was so sad because there was warm weather and beautiful sunshine in outside. I felt like I needed to heal my depression, so I stopped entrance into the library. Instead of it, I decided to talk a walk along the outside. I just was strolling along with grass, flowers, and trees. I lean against a tree, took a look at spring flowers, smelled the scent of flowers or grass, and lay on the grass.

Since I took this seminar course about Play, I always have thinking about what is the meaning of play, what play do have function in our life. If I didn’t take thins seminar course, I don’t have opportunities to think about these issues sincerely. I just thought play is for children. After grown up, adults no longer need to play in their life, even I felt some guilty during playing because I though play might waste of time. However, I figure out it just overt thought to adapt socialization into South Korea. It’s not my mind. Rather, I’m trying to search what I do play, how I can heal my mind from stressful situations. These days, there is becoming an issue of conversation in South Korea: HEALING! The various books about healing are one of the best sellers. Most Koreans have efforts to find some places, foods to heal them. For a long time, they just have kept calm outwardly; however they really want to heal their life by playing.  For example, I could feel that play might be as a role in healing, refresh, and remind joyful memory. It makes affluent my life, not waste of life. I really hope lots of Korean can have opportunities to know beneficial of play in their life, like as me.

Moreover, I figured out that I prefer outdoor play. Even though it is not physical play, I prefer outdoor play which is being close to nature. Staying with nature would give breathe of mind, peace of mind. It became clear to me why I prefer outdoor play closing to nature, why I play, or what does mean of play in my life. It’s HEALING!

Follow your instincts and do whatever you really want to play

Last weekend, it was great weather with warm and sunshine. Even though I had to do work much, I went Nashville with my friends. We walked alongside with beautiful trees and flowers and looked around various crafts. My friend said “I don’t want to hang out! I just wanna stay at the library because I have responsibility to deal with many of stuffs. I didn’t wanna feel guilty during playing outside. However, now I’m so exciting haha ! What is guilty?” The other friend said “That’s what I’m saying! The beautiful sunshine and warm weather make me hang out. It’s not my faults!” we sympathize that good weather made us relax to play, even we’re in busy days. Is it reasonable that comfortable atmosphere or fantastic nature environment could stimulus people to play? It’s possible that free environments or peaceful nature would provide relaxing spaces to play. Relaxing atmospheres seems to good match to PLAY, not work. For example, if you are working with feeling relaxed, it might be PLAY to you, no longer work.

In addition, to make decisions on whether we play or not, we were more depending on emotional thoughts rather than intellectual ways. Does play is related to emotion or sensitivity, rather than reason or rationality? Play seems to be related to emotional thoughts and sensitivity. To hang out and play, we could never think rationally, but we tried to rationalization why we have to play even though we have bunch of working. At that time, we seemed to fall under somebody’s spell. Also, play seems to be self-defense opposite to stressful situations.  Within stressful end of a week, we instinctually tried to find the reason why we can hang out and play outside. A desire to play is just instinct of human to survive our lives. You can see how much we devoted to instinct!  

Power of play

On Sunday, I invited my friends at my house. We had enjoyable time to talk about Korean cultures and eat delicious Korean foods. As I mentioned in last uploaded blog, this group have been made by same interests in Korean drama. Before they came to my house, I was felt little bit uncomfortable to prepare some foods and make regular meeting, because I have much do to work for courses work. However, I thought I need the break time for me to take rest and refresh my mind. Despite of concerning about lack of time to work do, rather I have got energy and save timing to concentrate on my works by playing.

During cooking Bulgogi, Korean famous food, I was so excited to prepare my friends to have experiences for eating special Korean food. I figured out that “self-satisfaction” in playing make players more encourage to pay attention to play. To watch the figure my friends like Bulgogi, this figure made me be happy. Maybe, any behaviors to please others would give me pleasure. I thought “play in human relationship”. What it means that play can be possible to exist in between relation. In other words, cooking play is not just for my satisfaction, but also for others’ pleasures. Eventually, playing for me would be related to playing for others.

In addition, relation between satisfication of basic needs and play seems to be hen-versus-egg arguments for me. Although we were mentally tired due to work in bunch of papers and lacking of time for sleep, we could enjoy and rather get more energy to do work in advance. Of course, to meet basic needs and safety would fundamentally provide spaces for playing. Paradoxically speaking, it can be also possible that play would satisfy people desires to basic needs (e.g., sleep, sex, or foods). For example, we commonly said “we don’t have enough time to sleep in these days, however we get energy and refresh through playing as much as sleep. It is power of play!”

How to cook Bulgogi

Identify with a embided player, Extend story, and Develop play

 I went the concert “the Silk Road ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma” with my player, Super Mario. In Super Mario series, he races and travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist. The game player controls Mario throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario's abilities can be changed by picking up certain items; for example, Mario is able to shoot fireballs if he picks up a Fire Flower. He always struggle to destroy enemies for saving Princess. So I wanted to give meaningful time Mario to heal his stressful mind from survival and travel new space. It's great time for Mario and me.

During enjoy the concert with Mario, I seemed to “identify” with Mario.

When performers were playing instruments with their fast paced tunes, 

I imagined Mario as if run faster. Simultaneously, I also felt like

running faster and jumping higher. At that moment, I was Mario, Mario was me.

Moreover, it could be possible to “extend story” which is that originally the objective is to race through the Mushroom Kingdom, survive the main antagonist Bowser′s forces and save Princess Toadstool. Not just limited in the Mushroom Kingdom, it could be possible to make Mario travels to the Silk Road, in my mind. Inspired by the cultural traditions of the historical Silk Road, the Silk Road Project is a catalyst promoting innovation and learning through the arts. Their music is to connect the world’s neighborhoods by bringing together artists and audiences around the globe. Culturally different music and rich performances made possibility to extend Mario story. For example, Mario had travel routes across Afro-Eurasian, out of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Finally, hangout with my player made me fully engaged in this play. After came back to home, I made a drum and a piper for Mario to make energy to survive in the Mushroom Kingdom. It can be true that playing with an embodied player would encourage the players “develop” their play.



Enjoy Korean culture together :)

I had a wonderful meeting with three classmates. Our meeting was grouped by globally. There were one American girl, one Turkish girl, and two Korean girls. During having classes, we knew each other that we love Korean dramas, Korean music, or Korean singers. So I suggested “Korean Culture Group” which is having meeting at once per every week, eating delicious Korean foods, or enjoy Korean cultures (e.g., watching Korean dramas, listening Korean music). Last weekend, we met at a Korean restaurant ‘MAMA’ for eating Korean famous food ‘Korean BBQ’. In there, foreign friends had first experience to use chopsticks, not forks. They seemed to enjoy new experiences or cultures. After then, we moved to my house for enjoy Korean cultures further. At my home, we listen Korean music with Korean tea. Especially, I never forget our exciting time, dancing Psy’s Gangnam Style.

Psy's Gangnam style

During playing, it’s true that people can enjoy worldwide culture thanks to development of internet service. So, it is obvious that play is not just limited in own culture, narrow spaces, but rather is expended to global culture, worldwide as much as you want to do.

Moreover, Brown Stuart(2009) said that collective play can just start from individual interest or as solitary play, however it can be connected to social play. The reason is that collective play person can play together with the others who also have same interest like as us. In addition, I felt like I’m a collector and a director for play. I directed ‘Korean Culture Group’ for enjoy Korean cultures with together. We’ll keep going our play with Korean cultures. During this play, we definitely can understand each culture, American or Turkish.  

Google Art Project

Last weekend, I explored museums and great artworks in the Google Art Project. Google Art Project is an online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner museums. The platform enables users to virtually tour partner museums’ galleries, explore physical and contextual information about artworks, and compile their own virtual collection (Wikipedia).

Let's play google art project

Through this play, I could experience the borderless play in spaces between virtual and reality. I could virtually ‘walk through’ the galleries of each partner museum such as MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York, using the same controls as Google Street View or by clicking on the gallery’s floorplan. Even though I played in virtual spaces, I could see ‘actual’ artworks as much as genuine artworks in there. From the Gallery View, I could zoom in on a particular artwork to view the picture in greater detail. Microscope view provided users a dynamic image of an artwork, and scholarly and contextual information to enhance their understanding of the work. When examining an artwork, users may also access information detailing the physical characteristics of the image (e.g. size, material(s), and artist). Thus, I could play in virtual spaces with actual artworks.

Moreover, I had role as an observer and a participant in this play. For example, I could log in with their Google Account to create my own collection. Users can compile any number of images from any of the partner museums and save specific views of artworks to create a personalized virtual exhibition. In other words, I was an observer to watch artworks which was created by artists, but also an owner to create my collection gallery. Thus, I had opportunities to experience borderless play about play spaces and play roles.   

My hobby is to collect cards with human pictures

In last weekend, I stayed at home and enjoyed a ‘solitary play’. My hobby is to collect cards which are with pictures, especially children and lovely people are shown in these pictures. Before reading this book, I wondered whether hobbies can be classified as play or not. I figured out; it’s true that hobbies, collections, listening to music, art projects, pets, reading, yoga or crosswords can be included in the solitary play.

According to chapter 10, the rhetoric of the self is usually applied toward solitary activities, but can be characterized by other ideas such as fun, relaxation, and escape. Even though there are several multiple meanings of the self, the central focus is in the experience of the player. In other words, play as self is idealized by attention to the desirable experiences of the players. For me, I had individual’s personal freedom to choose the collection of the cards as play, it is intrinsically motivated. It is also true that this subjective play experience is fun to me. Additionally, I realized that sometimes I felt like lonely after came in U.S.A.; however, the collection of the cards with people pictures always can make me be relaxed. For example, when I saw children with bright smiles or friendly people in these pictures, I could not feel lonely. Rather, I was warm in heart and peaceful. After then, I desired to play the collection of cards with pictures.

Moreover, when I collected several cards with people pictures, I often imagined what they spoke each other or what happen next steps in these pictures, then I made narrative stories and scribbled something on backsides of the cards. Thus, I think the rhetorics of self as play could be connected to imagine as play. According to Brian Sutton-Smith, he also said that it is not always easy to keep them apart. The imaginary and the self share the common ground of freedom. Also, these two are individualistic rather than communal. Both of rhetorics seem to overlap in this notion; players are actively engaged in their activity. Above all, players’ active experiences are supposed to be central in play. 

Experience ambiguity of play: fate as play, power as play, or identity as play.

 Last Sunday, I celebrate the Korean New Year day with my Korean friends. We ate rice cake soup and played a game of yut. Before have taking the J762 seminar, I just thought that play is easy or simple to define. However, I knew that play can be explained by different views and several rhetorics (e.g., fate as play, power as play, or identity as play). In this celebration, I have opportunities to think about ambiguity of play, especially rhetorics of fate, power, and identity.  First of all, traditionally in the morning of the New year, entire family gather together to eat rice-cake soup, tteok-guk. It is the most representative dish eaten on New Year’s Day. Tradition dictates that New Year’s resolution is embodies within the tteo-guk and when one eat that tteok-guk, one is withing New Year’s wishes. Long cylindrically shaped rice cake symbolizes luck and good health and long life. Koreans enjoy same custom, culture about Lunar New Year’s Day if other people even don’t know. By doing so, Korean can build a sense of community or identity through play.

Moreover, a game of Yut is Korean’s popular folk game, make two teams and play with yut. There are Do, Gae, Gul, Yut, Mo. Do means pig and Gae means Dog. And, Gul means sheep, Yut means cow, and Mo means horse. When you get Do go 1 block, Gea go 2 block, Gul go 3 block, Yut go 4 block, go 5 blocks when you get Mo. A game of Yut looks like a game of chess or board game. A game of yut can win as throw yut well, but it stands on how use marker well. As I mentioned, this game can be shown as fate as play because if you throw yut well, you are likely to win. Fate as play positions the “events and outcomes of lay origination outside of the player (p.68). Fate as play embodies a belief that one can exercise control over life’s circumstances even when it is known complete control is impossible (p.53). However, it is also important to how use marker well or how plan your strategy in this game. In terms of power as play, physically skill and intellectual strategy are important forms of contest (p.74). Additionally, from a social play perspective, power as play is an expression of conflict that is realized through competition. During playing this game, we were praying to throw yut well and were planning strategies to win. Through celebration to New Year play, I could experience identity as play, fate as play and power as play.

Find, Foster, and Fun(Funny)

After was watching a Cain’s Arcade video clip, I could have opportunity to think about what happy/fun play for human is. Above all, I think if someone plays with imagination or innovation, this play would make people feel really happy/funny. For example, Cain could also keep self-esteem and proud by himself through making something by using recycled materials. He really seems to be a happy/fun innovator in his own play. Moreover, according to website of The Imagination Foundation, it can be shown that our Global Cardboard Challenge is an annual event that invites the world to build anything awesome out of cardboard, recycled materials, and imagination. Likewise, it is reasonable that play which is accompanied by ‘creativity’ would make all people, adults as well as children, be happy and fun in their life. We always expect to just children have creativity in their idea; however I believe that adults also can play with creativity or innovation.

Furthermore, I played with creativity for fun play. I found funny photos at unusual angle in this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S81EjM1Oifs

According to this website, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes this ain’t exactly right. Distance overlapping, positions, and timing can sometimes create a brand new perspective of a photo. we want to show you 100+ Funny Photos Taken At Unusual Angle, a compilation of photos taken at the exact right timing and angle, thus creating a humor side of the story; intentionally or unintentionally. After watching video and funny photos, I also took several funny pictures to create new perspective of a photo. During this play with funny photos, I could feel like as become an innovator or a creator for humor/fun. Thus, we need to find play, foster creative play, and enjoy fun play.

Play with a lovely baby! Play is just play!

Last Friday, I went my friend’s home in order to celebrate her baby’s 100^th day from birth. At that time, I really enjoyed playing with her baby, Suri. I hugged, kissed, contacted eyes her and sang a song for her. I felt it seemed like play, joyful play to me. Her smiling and communion with baby made me was happy like as feeling in heaven. However, other friend said me that he never has enjoyed playing with babies. He said when he was being with babies, he just felt like this time is stressful or hard to him. In contrast, time to play with babies is always enjoyable and playful to me. I thought that a standard to judge whether this is play or not might be depending on personal perspective, not common value.

Moreover, after reading chapter ‘the rhetoric of fate’, I also have a question about play: “where are the standards of the value of play?” either in own self as individual, internal or norms of community as external.

According to the book, entitled The Ambiguity of Play, some lottery players say that, despite the fact that they know  will lose, they so enjoy the fantasy of winning, and dreaming of what they will do with their winnings, that it is well worth the price of the lottery ticket. In other words, lottery players might enjoy playful not reality, but rather imaginative satisfaction. For me, advocates of the rhetoric of progress of play seem to emphasize on rational or reality of play, whereas advocates of the rhetoric of fate of play seem to have values on illusion or fantasy of play. I think both perspectives about play are reasonable to understand meaning of play. Just it could be different depending on different value standards to perceive what the play is. Finally, I wonder it is possible in class of play, hierarchy in play, quality of play. If so, who can decide what the better play for human life is.

Let’s go on a trip to Korea where my hometown via other blogs

Sometimes, I used to feel like as going to Korea. Last weekend, I really missed Korea due to the homesick. So I decided to take a trip via other blogs. Follow me, let’s go together on a trip to Korea! Among of several places in Korea, I decided to go to the Jeju island. Actually, I have gone to the Jeju island at six times in my life. This place is my favorite province of Korea. Additionally, Jeju island is a tourist attraction spot where is loved by many Korean. Likewise, I also have good memory and experiences about Jeju island. Thus, I believed that playing in Jeju island made me be happy and far away from homesick.

First of all, while I took a trip as play, I was enjoying ‘imaginary play’ which means that I imagined like as I ate delicious Korean food and drove my car along the seashore. I think the ‘imaginary play’ is not just for children’s development, but rather for all of human play including adults’. According to book, entitled The Ambiguity of Play, Erikson said that while the child goes forward in his play, the adult goes sideways. This apparently means that children are growing up while they are playing and adults are not (p.47). However, he argues even though adults have already grown up, it cannot be supposed that growth virtues of play are irrelevant. Adults also are able to keep up their own sprits through play. That is, play is no longer the only preserve of children. Play is no longer the preserve of preparing for growth. Like as my imaginary play, adults also are able to continue own emotional play.

Moreover, I believe that play has a significant function as ‘healing’ for someone. Human can prepare to do what is for next step through healing by play. For me, although I had homesick and little bit of depression, I was able to heal my soul and recover from the depression because of blogging play-taking a trip via blogs. In addition, by playing via blogging, it gave me the happiness. That is, it is clear that play has important functions as emotional healing and happiness for human.

In sum, last weekend, I enjoyed play as to go on a trip via blogs; this imaginary play was results in healing and happiness for me.

Shall we dance? Let's Hiphop dance!

Last night, I went the SRSC on campus to do exercise with hiphop. Definitely, this play is more suitable on dance rather than exercise. In other words, this program is that people follow up instructor’s demonstration about dance with popular music. During dancing hiphop, I had opportunities to not only listen music which is the most popular in these days, but also learn how to dance hiphop.

To begin with, I think the rhetoric of play cannot depend on only the singular. According to the book, entitled as The Ambiguity of Play, the author provides the seven rhetorics to be presented in this work are characterized as follows: the rhetoric of play as progress, the rhetoric of play as fate, the rhetoric of play as power, the rhetoric o play as identity, the rhetoric of play as the imaginary, the rhetoric of the self, the rhetoric play as frivolous. Based on these seven rhetorics, I could not find exactly how dancing hiphop match up among of seven rhetorics. For example, I think my play is explained by both the rhetoric of self and the rhetoric of play as identity. First, I did dance with hiphop music for fun, relaxation, or enjoyment. This is form of play in which play is idealized by attention to the desirable experiences of the players. This mean is that I focused on intrinsic satisfactions of the play performances. Moreover, during the enjoy doing it, I could confirm the identity of community of players who share popular culture (e.g., music, dance) in global as large community. Eventually, it can be said that it might be more proper to speak of the plural thetorics throughout.

In sum, to understand the ambiguity of play, I agree that we need to find the relationship between accounts of play in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic functions is yet another way of talking about the interplay of play and nonplay (p.17). Furthermore, I will think about how several rhetorics are related each other to explain 'play', how each rhetorics represent as features of 'play' in this semester.  That is, It also should be needed to figure out what extent ambiguity is an outcome of the seven rhetorics.