Interview questions

- How do you use active play in your class? Why?


- What specific strategies do you use?


- What are the different advantages and disadvantages of active play through learning?


- Do you have any other comments?



Observation

Name:                                                    Class:       Date:                                                       Time:

Observer:                                              Subject:

Aim: Observe the teacher during the lessons while they are doing active play through learning in her classroom. (general observation to get an idea about how my topic is applied in the setting?)

Pre-task:

While-task:

Post-task:

Other comments:

Definition of ACTIVE LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

 quotes:

1)      “… all learning is inherently active and that students are therefore actively involved”. (Bonwell, 1991, p. iii)

2)      “Something an individual does when he studies. It is an active, personally conducted affair”. (Dewey, 1924. P.390)

3)      “Active learning is a concept rather than a true educational model… it has people participate in their own learning process by involving them in some type of activity where they physically become a part of the lesson”. (Jackson, 2003, p. 2)

4)      “Play is an active form of learning that unites the mind, body and spirit.” (Eliason & Loa Jenkins, 2008, p. 25)

5)      “Active learning is a concept rather than a true educational model.” (Jackson, 2003, p.2)

Referances:

Bonwell, C. C. (1991). ACTIVE LEARNING: Creating Excitement in the Classroom (1 ed.). Washington: The George Washington University.

Dewey, John. 1924. Democracy and Education. New York: Mac-millan.

Jackson, T. (2003). Activities That Teach. USA: Red Rock.

Advantages of active play and learning

Quotes and my comments:

1)      “Play can unite imagination and intellect in more than one way and help children discover things at their own pace and in their own way”. (Roussou, 2004, p. 5)

 

2)      “The goal is not to create fun-only environments but to create meaningful tasks, so that students take learning seriously and learn to do difficult tasks”. (Roussou, 2004, p. 6)

 

3)      “Play has often been seen as children’s work and children’s natural way of acting in their surrounding world”. (Samuelsson, 2007)

 

4)      “Play helps children to develop their intelligence”. (Bruce, 2011, p. 41)

The teacher prepare the active play and activities according to the child’s way of learning, so she supports and encourages their intelligences. This is because the children do not know what is coming next while they are playing and they have to work out to do.

 

5)      “Play helps children abstract thinkers”. (Bruce, 2011, p. 43)

 It means that children do not have to do everything at the same place and the same time. They can remember back and think forward. Remembering back could be happened when they will leave the game or what they were playing with and return to do it at any time they would like. In addition, they can think forward while they are playing and deciding what they are going to do next.

6)      “Play helps children to prepare for adult life by letting them in a natural way, practice and explore what they will need to be able to do as adults”. (Bruce, TIME TO PLAY: IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 2004, p. 31)


7)   Jackson (2003) stated that through active learning, students are motivated, each person takes responsibility for his own learning and allows for correction of failure.

      Students are motivated because it is easier to teach children while they think they are playing and enjoying themselves, even if the play involve and contain learning. The children will take responsibility for his own learning when he must make decisions about what they have to do and who to solve problems that he might have when they do the activities or play. As I mentioned that children could think about solving problems that they have in the activities, they will be able to correct failures by stop the playing, discuss other options and start the activity again. 


8) He also stated that “active learning allows teachers to observe their students as they interact with each other.” (Jackson, 2003, p.17)

 

Referances:

Bruce, T. (2004). TIME TO PLAY: IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Bruce, T. (2011). Learning Through Play: For babies, toddlers and young children. (Second, Ed.) UK: HODDER EDUCATION AN HACHETTE UK COMPANY.

Jackson, T. (2003). Activities That Teach. USA: Red Rock.

Roussou, M. (2004, January). Learning by Doing and Learning Through Play: An Exploration of Interactivity in Virtual Environment for Children. Learning through play, 2(1), 5.

Samuelsson, P. (2007, January 1). Early Child Development and Care: Play and learning-inseparable dimensions in preschool practice. Play and learning-dimensions children's worlds, 176(1), 48.

10 different ways to be an effective new teacher

1- Keep calm, relaxed and flexible in all situations.

 
2- Learn from other teachers and staff about the way that the children learn.  

3- Have all the engaging activities and tasks prepared and organized  for the children when they walk into the classroom to be away of being woried or confuced about any problems.
 
4- Make the activities as much active and fun for the children as possible.
 
5- Let the activities engageable for the children to their life and culture.

6- Form strong relationship with the children and their parents and show they you are care about them as people so they can trust you.

7- Focuse in each child needs.

8- Write any important information that you get for any ather theacher or staff.

9- Present completed detailed lesson plans for the monetored teacher before start the lesson.

10- At the end of each day or week have a conversation with the monetored teacher about what were the main aims that they tought during the same week and what are the amis of the next week.

Course Blog

Hello,
My name is Reem. This is my final Bacholer year in studding Early Childhood Education. I have to do the final "action research"which is about a topic that I'm interested in. This action research, I have to apply it in the teaching practice during this semesster for 6 weeks.