Play In the Classroom

In Wilhelm chapters one and two there are many interesting teaching and learning strategies that are discussed. One idea discussed by Wilhelm that I found interesting was that Vygotsky stressed the importance of play in learning.  Wilhelm explains that Vygotsky believed in play children are forced to learn above the normal level at which they would normally learn creating a zone of proximal development. Thus play creates growth and development in students.  Wilhelm goes on to explain that play creates a safe environment for students to learn and express new and different ideas. (Wilhelm, 23) Wilhelm also discusses the findings of Hillocks who argues that learning that is fun should be done in a way that is challenging, relevant purposeful, and supported in a way that makes success possible. (Wilhelm, 25)

            I did some further research on play and learning and found an interesting article by Anthony Colucci from Teacher Magazine. The article titled, “What Would Walt Disney Learn in School Today”, discusses how great minds such as Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison may not have lived up to their full potential had they been brought up in today’s educational system where standardized tests have such high importance. Colucci stresses that teaching critical and creative thinking through real life scenarios and play are crucial to learning because play helps to actively engage students and hold their attention.
http://www.thinkfun.com/content/what-would-walt-disney-learn-school-today

I agree with these ideas about play in learning. I believe that play is crucial in learning because it helps to actively engage students. I began to think about real life examples of using play in learning while doing this reading. One example I thought of was the anatomy class that I observed at Central Falls High School where students were given medical records and had to diagnose what was wrong with a patient. I think this is a good example of actively learning through play in the classroom because students were required to do something that is fun however, they will also learn from it.

            These ideas also made me think about ways in which I could incorporate play in the classroom as a future teacher. I remembered a great game that I had found on Pinterest that I hope to use someday. It’s the game Guess Who with all of the characters replaced by historical figures.  I thought this was a great way to make learning history and historical figures fun for students. I believe it is important to make learning about history fun for students through play because it is a subject that when taught monotonously will make students not interested. 

http://acraftyteacher.blogspot.com/2012/07/guess-who-american-history.html

In summation these ideas about the importance of play in learning of Vygotsky and Hillocks that are discussed by Wilhelm in chapters one and two are crucial to learning. Play in learning helps to engage students and makes them perform above their academic abilities creating growth. These ideas have made me reflect on how I can hopefully incorporate play in the classroom someday to become a good teacher.