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.