when do we play?

In my online class about Literacy Development, we have been discussing the importance of play and the negative impact the reduction of time to play is having on our children. The conversation about the role of play at school and at home and current practices is a really important one that merits further exploration.

In schools we so often communicate with families as to how they can help their children do school better- homework, attendance, presence at school functions, volunteering. In essence, the message we are communicating is that the work kids do at school is not enough, we expect kids to do more school when they are at home. We know, though, that not all families have the academic or emotional background to make this a productive use of family time. At best it can take away from fun, at worst it can create unnecessary battles at home.

I propose we consider a new path to our desired result: Instead of promoting further school work at home, what if we were to encourage play? We know kids are not granted sufficient play time with our current academic focus in schools and this can negatively affect their cognitive and linguistic development, what if we changed our focus to promote sufficient play time at home?

We serve as the source of information about what underlies successful learning and academic achievement for kids… so when do we talk with families about the importance of talk and play between parents and kids that helps kids develop language, cognition and social skills that support their success in schools? In this current economy when so many families are struggling to keep afloat, isn’t it all the more important that we demonstrate the value of play and communication at home and at school so families can see the role they play as chief communicator and playmate with their children? If our goal is to recognize what families already do, and by saying this validating the importance of talk and play in the home, won’t that reduce some of the stress and worry that families are not doing enough? In turn, won’t that promote the interaction, conversation and time spent playing that we know will actually help kids do better in school? And for those families who are not talking and playing enough with their kids, isn’t that an easier shift than to increase homework time? Volunteer time?

I cannot help but wonder the impact it would have on kids performance in schools if, like the school whose test scores went up by including more daily recess, our kids play time, not work time, went up daily in their homes.

PLN Genesis?

I’ve been working a lot on the notion of Parent Engagement lately… with parents, teachers, principals, school administrators and thought I would post a few thoughts to generate some conversation here.

Personal Learning Networks- a topic many educators participating in social media are talking about.  As I consider the idea of Parent Engagement- and recognize for many kids it is really family engagement- I began to think that really, the PLN starts at birth- your parents, your siblings, your relatives, your friends, your teachers, your peers… everyone you talk with, explore with, play with supports your learning- isn’t that the definition of PLN? WHAT you do, HOW you do it, WHERE you do it, WITH whom and HOW you interact with information and others sets up a belief system about learning and in turn this affects what you ultimately believe about what you are to do in school.

So this started me down a path: the notion of homework- As I start to consider families as members of a child’s personal learning network, it occurred to me that the homework most kids bring home are missed opportunities. Where do we look at homework as a chance to recognize and credit what families already do… the conversation, interaction, and activity that happens when families have time to be together.  It makes me wonder if the notion of homework at the elementary level at least, would be better as a an ongoing conversation between children, families and teachers, to share information, wonderings and anecdotes that can inspire ideas, and help everyone participate in the conversation and communication that is so necessary to connect children’s experiences in school and at home.

Thoughts?

an efferent vs aestehtic stance

Autumn. So welcome in my world.  For some people spring is the time for new beginnings.  For others, January signifies a chance for a new start.  For me it is Autumn— sharpened pencils, fresh spiral notebooks, a new backpack, new shoes, this year a new phone— that signifies a time for reflection and an opportunity to start anew.  Now, after a summer away and the start up of a nutty semester, I think it is time to jump back in and reflect on my learning over the past year, especially the steepness of the curve.

I have spent a career thinking about teaching and learning, what it takes to grow, and how to help facilitate systemic change. Now I find myself learning, changing, and discovering, yet again, new ways to approach and participate in the conversation.

passion, dedication and clarity of vision

At the end of the workday, today, I had an extra few minutes… so decided to pop over to the Twitter status blog, just to see what the folks at Twitter had to say today. I have been, in turn, annoyed and intrigued by the complaining and impatience within Twitter, about Twitter, and I find myself continually returning to the question: So, um, how come all the fuss?

Well, my venture into status took me over to the Twitter Blog. When I read down a post or so I learned that I guess, the folks at TechCrunch, posted a series of questions on their blog… and the folks at Twitter responded in theirs. In skimming through the Twitter response, my attention was drawn by one question in particular: ‘How long will it be until you are able to undo the damage [you] caused to Twitter and the community?’ I have seen this sentiment in various tweets as well, as people get frustrated, even angry at times, and vent. What I find so interesting is that even when negative, whether it is out of frustration, challenge or complaint… people talk about how important Twitter is to them. The fact we are personally taking offense at the functionality and usability of a service makes a strong statement about the power of that service. And as I thought about the value people are assigning this tool, I remembered that just today I also saw the opposite sentiment, stated with passion by Pistachio: “@twitter @ev @biz @jack i love Twitter so much it hurts. it majorly, majorly, majorly helped me out just now. thank you.” The message may differ, but the energy and intensity remains powerfully the same.

As I sort through all of this, what I love is, when the Twitter-folk refer to their work, they reflect passion, dedication, and ultimately a clarity of vision on what I think really matters:

“We’re all focused on designing something that persists and becomes the background.”

It is not the tool. It is not even the functionality. It is the illumination of the conversation that breaks barriers, brings down boundaries and allows us, if we are willing, to hear and maybe see just a little bit of others’ thoughts, others’ beliefs, others’ worlds. And that is what I find truly powerful. I learn so much from those I follow, with whom I feel I share common values. I gain insight, resources and ideas from them. But I find I learn equally from those I follow who live in different worlds. Think differently. Experience differently and ultimately navigate the world differently than me. Where else do I get instant, updated, real-time access to so many diverse points of view?

It is so easy to get wrapped up in expectation. And it is uncomfortable to have high expectations and see once more that life happens, and things are not always as they appear to be. The classy, clear, forward-thinking, responsive- yet not defensive approach the Twitter team has taken in the face of significant whining is impressive. And in reading through the comments…another gem from TechCrunch: “Twitter continues to be annoyingly and constructively responsive to criticism.” We love to hate it. We hate to love it. If only we all were so transparent and constructive about our own growth and efforts to mediate our own personal development.

We have become so accustomed to on-demand, consumer-driven, reactionary company policies. The food we eat: genetically modified, extracted, fabricated into food product, ‘enriched’ with added nutrients. Often the nutrients that were bred or processed out in the first place. The food service experience is driven by a quest for identicality: we want our food and drink not influenced by regional difference, but packaged and mediated to be exactly the same, where ever we are. We see a similar effort in our language policy as we spend unbelievable dollars providing instruction in English only to native speakers of languages other than English. And the military spends additional remarkable sums, instructing adult English speakers to speak those very languages we extinguished out of our multilingual, multicultural population when they were young. Complex issues oversimplified in argument. Parallels? I see them.

We are in the midst of a paradigm shift with a focus on community, communication, and real-time interaction. And that is just what the Twitter folks are offering to us from behind the scenes during their time of trial. I plan to stay focused on the communication, community and real-time interaction that best supports my work, and stay out of the way to let them do theirs.

is it really June??

It has been an unbelievable few weeks. With multiple cases of strep throat and high fever viruses, the height of track season, job offers, and the end of the school year hysteria… May is gone. Welcome June!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about human nature, and how easy it is to get caught up in us/them. A few weeks ago I found myself in a conversation in which I, too, was positioning myself within those who know, talking about ‘those who don’t know.’ And it made me realize just how intentional we need to be in order to be inclusive. To banish a deficit perspective, and consider the commonalities between us, we open ourselves to making connections that we otherwise may not have seen. And really, it is sharing perspectives that makes for rich conversation and learning. Ultimately, that is the goal.

alternative assumptions

I continue to think about what it takes for human beings to change, to adjust, to adopt new ways of doing things. This turns my thinking to social learning theory- that we learn and grow from our interactions with and observations of others. I think often about the ways we participate in the assumptions we live within: what we eat, where we go, what we do is based on what we know from what we have done before and what we see of others. The expectation of what we think others are doing is powerful.

So when we think about change, think about influence, think about what will bring forward the conversation, when do we think about our underlying assumptions? The underlying assumptions of others? When we talk about bandages, tissues, the shop who sells fair-trade, shade-grown coffee, independent booksellers, local food-source driven markets and restaurants, we provide alternative assumptions to the big box, every corner, mass marketed assumptions of our consumer culture. When we look at how we communicate, what tools we use, what behaviors we expect in our interactions with others, and their expectations of us, we have the opportunity to be the change, support the change we want to see.

Assumption is powerful. Is it a vehicle for change?

humor ensues

Humor. It engages us. Entertains us. It can elevate or degrade an interaction in an utterance.

Brevity. Synthesis.

To truly be effective humor must have a target, a context, a point and an audience. And even when the story is drawn out, the punchline- succinct.

Is there something inherently human that when provided an audience- be it at the dinner table, in the faculty lounge, or in a larger, more public venue- we seek to express our thoughts, and at times, even in spite of ourselves, humor ensues?

where they belong

I took a few days away… wrapping up my 2 sections of a face to face class. As I return, steeped in face to face planning and pedagogy, I return to thoughts of how I can best take the quality of interaction, collaboration and learning on ground and bring it into the online classroom. There is a richness when students come together and create something as a group. The work they do to explain their thinking, generate new ideas and synthesize those ideas into something to bring forward and stimulate further conversation in class is powerful.

And the ways that they do it, the tools that they use, the fact that they are expected to do this is assumed. As they are focused on the communication and the experience, the methods and support structures melt into the background… where they belong.

Where. They. Belong.

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Include, kind of?

Playing a little bit with BrightKite these days, mostly watching and wondering… is this like Twitter… brilliant but hard to get your head around… or is it really just another fad, another fun ap online to use for a bit and move on? I can see incredible potential, but as a friend pointed out… it is the network beneath anything that makes it powerful. So, the question begs: is this the thing to spend time and energy building the network? Right question. Then, in thinking about social networking, what is the fire, the fuel that creates an effective, inclusive, dynamic network? Human tendency seems to include those like us and exclude all others. This tendency can be worked against, but requires effort and intention. So then, to turn to the notion of niche social networking. There seems to be a lot of niche in the attempt to expand and include. Which makes me wonder: include kind of? Do we really not want it? Or are we so in the habit of creating niche that we do, even when we really want to don’t.

learning is social

I benefit so greatly from my network. Be it with my face to face colleagues, grabbing coffee on the run, or my online colleagues conversing via chat and email, or twitter as we each go about our personal and professional lives communing, connecting with one another as a way of expanding thought, traversing the landscape of best practices. Learning is social. And as I traverse this challenge to participate in the conversation daily, I realize again just how challenging this openness, this participation truly is. With those I know, but also in public… it makes me realize just how challenging it is to be open to the learning process… social by nature and interconnected.