The Power of Play in Learning
By Aron Levesseur
This article discusses the
benefits of play in an educational environment. In the video game “Civilization”,
the player has to create a civilization in 4000 B.C. and keep it prospering (or
at least surviving) until the Space Age by managing the military, science,
commerce, etc of the civilization. Levasseur states that, “Through trial, error, pattern recognition, logic and
chance you continually reformulate your trajectory.” The idea is that you learn
through doing, through making your own mistakes, and then learning how to
correct those mistakes. The lessons a student can learn through this process
and the knowledge they acquire can be internalized because they’ve discovered
it to be true. There is a greater potential for student learning, instead of students repeating or restating what someone else has told them to be true.
In the pool, play is an
essential part of the learning process. Finding balance in the water while moving in different ways, sinking,
and floating are all skills that are hard to teach. Students need to be able to
relax in the water with all three skills and control their breath. It’s much
easier for a student to learn buoyancy on their own through trial and error,
than it is for a teacher to explain the concept. Also, when students are allowed time to play in the water they can overcome fears and practice skills at their own pace. Feeling safe and comfortable in the water needs to come before stroke skills can be successfully taught.
Do you find it more difficult to implement play as the students get older? Is there ever an age where they feel the games are lame? I feel that there are times when trying to implement games is difficult because their are few highly developed games that include sufficient content to justify them.
답글삭제That video game sounds intense! I agree with you that learning does occur when knowledge is internalized and discovered rather than being regurgitated. Using play as learning can be very useful and what a great example of your job in the pool teaching the kids to swim. I never thought of the importance of being comfortable to be able to succeed at learning the strokes. Maybe that's why I never mastered the breaststroke. My coach was a terror and I never felt comfortable approaching her for assistance and was DQ'ed on IMs because of breaststroke. You must have had great coaches! Insightful connections to your teaching!
답글삭제Yes, it's definitely harder with older students. Usually we'll play games like water polo, and this year the HS student created a synchronized swimming routine. It wasn't actually synchronized swimming, but they did get to play around with different dances and moves in the water. The routine didn't help their competitive swimming strokes, but if by high school a student was still uncomfortable in the water, it did give them time to become more relaxed and learn how to move in the water.
답글삭제Melissa, I agree with you 100%! I think this 'safe & comfortable' approach can be applied to every discipline and subject. Only when student is not afraid to speak up, he/she can truly participate and engage in the learning process.
답글삭제As for swimming, I imagine it might be quite challenging to teach kids how to swim. Some have to overcome their inner fear of drowning, being out of control etc. Implementing play into it, might be a perfect solution to forget all your fears and just enjoy the water!
Hey Melissa,
답글삭제Finally an article that you can relate swimming to! :) I thought that Alex had a good point about "play" and older kids. Although I think that everyone likes to have a good time while they learn (or at least learn something that's useful) no matter what age. It sounds like you do a good job relating the activities in swimming to the appropriate age group. I would love to come in a watch your HS students do a routine!
Very insightful post! You make a lot of sense. I, like Katherine, also had a "scary" swim coach. It was not fun, I didn't want to be there, and I didn't improve. Feeling comfortable and safe is important any time students are learning. Having time to play helps to make this happen.
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