Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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  

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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!


Tuesday, April 2, 2013

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!