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SCHMOLL'S ENGLISH 305...WELCOME TO THE COURSE BLOG.
As an online course, the writing that we do in English 305 is substantially different from a face to face course. As such, it is imperative that you understand the course style from the start. Nearly all of your work in this course will be posted on the course blog. EACH WEEK YOU WILL HAVE THREE BLOG ASSIGNMENTS: 1. A BLOG ENTRY, 2. A READING, AND 3. A WRITING ABOUT THE READING.
Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the Friday (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. You have all week each week to complete the reading and writing for that week, but there are no late assignments accepted, so be sure to be disciplined about the work from the start.
Let me re-state that point; if you do the assigned work before or during the week it is due, you will receive full credit. If you do the work after the Friday of the week it is assigned, you will get zero credit for that week.
Grading Scale
GRADING SCALE:
Weekly Blog Entries: 10%
Writing About the Reading: 10%
Restaurant Review: 20% (DUE SEPT 24)
Tipping Point Essay Final Draft: 30% (ROUGH DRAFT DUE OCT 28) (FINAL DRAFT DUE NOV 4)
In Class Essay: 10%
Peer Revision: 10%
Participation: 10%
Friday, August 12, 2011
WEEK SEVEN: OCTOBER 24-28...WEEK SEVEN BLOG ENTRY
WEEK SEVEN BLOG ENTRY:
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
Gosh this is tough one. I am not sure if I will make sense, but after thinking about it for awhile, I believe that children play how they are taught at home, and what they are taught at home will help them shape what they will become in a future, which of course will eventually prepare them for what's coming to them. Since childhood one is taught certain values and principles at home , and it is up to us to take those teaching and make something out of them. What we make out of those teachings helps us shape us into adults; this helps us understand and learn how to take on life and its baggage.
This is an interesting one!! Once I read this, children playing with their dolls and at the playground came to my mind. I pictured them playing “father and mother.” “Father and mother” to me, is when children play in the playground with other children. They come up with a little scene with actors like: mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, and etc. One usually finds the children doing everything that happens at home. I did some observational hours at the CSUB children’s center about 2-years-ago, and the children were playing “father and Mother.” I was amazed to watch how well they performed their parent’s duties themselves. The girls would cook in the make belief kitchen dinner for their husbands that were out working. Later you would find the husbands getting home from work and asking to be served dinner. I thought this was interesting, but I do not think children don’t play. On the other hand, children do play, but they play around and do things that they grow up watching, because we are all a byproduct of our environments.
Children prepare for life by actually experiencing situations themselves. I believe this also happens when they are older like around the adolescence years. When children are small, they all want to be cops, firefighters, or nurses, but this all changes when they enter puberty, because they start discovering who they really are and what they want to be in life. Therefore, children literally do play, and they prepare themselves with the help of others for life in their adolescence years.
Ana I agree with you that what we are taught as children such as values and principles and it is up to us to make something out of them. I see it like a set of tools. The tools are given to us by our parents, but we have to learn how to use them by ourselves. The way we use those tools that are given to us in life will help us build our life foundations.
Yes, I think children really do play. Children will play all the time to have fun. However, I believe that it is through play that children have the opportunities to learn skills that are important in the real world. They have the chance to gain skills of which they may or may not choose to hold onto for the future. Skills that are learned can then be applied to other places of their lives. During my past observations of my niece's play I was able to see that it helped her build on her abilities to get along with other children. Being able to get along with others, and sustaining that skill for a long time can lead into the development of meaningful relationships in the future. I think that an important part of preparing for life and the transition from living at home with mom and dad to being independent and living alone is being able to develop some meaningful relationships.
In many ways, play is preparing children for the future. There are many different ways that kids play, and each type of play can help build a skill or give them knowledge.
Sports and athletic activities are one type of play that is preparing children for their future life. In organized sports, such as soccer or baseball, kids are learning how to play a specific role for a group to meet an end goal, and those skills can go on to help them in their families and careers. Other than learning how to build teams and cooperate, kids are also learning a lot about physical fitness and health.
Another type of play that helps kids prepare for the future is by pretending to be something they’re not, and acting out situations, such as playing as a doctor or a police officer. By playing, and acting out these types of roles, children are able to better understand how these jobs operate in the real world, but it does this on their level.
Even playing video games can help prepare children for their future. Playing video games will help to develop kids’ hand-eye coordination which will come in handy when they are learning how to drive or how to type. Many video games have puzzles and mazes which can help bolster a child’s critical thinking skills.
All of these different types of play work together to prepare kids for their futures in adult society.
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life? No, I don’t believe children are the same. Going through school and minoring in CAFS (Child Adolescent and Family Studies) I have come to learn that as children grow they play by using their imagination. Children play house because they see our roles in life and imitate them; children copy individuals. They use their imaginations by creating an individual that is “mommy” or “daddy” etc. that allows them to carry out their role play. Children have active and creative minds; they do things at random and make things up as they go; yet, they still learn and take what they see from surrounding individuals. Although, I do believe that some activities that they interact in do prepare them for real life, their play is really play. An example that I have seen from my niece as to why I feel that their play is real play would be when she plays with her babies. She copies what she sees her mom doing with her baby brother. She will sit down next to her mom as she rocks her baby brother to sleep; she will rock her play baby to sleep too. From what I have understood, children play because they allow their imaginations to roam and present new ideas and creative ways of playing to them. They can explore with their imaginations and develop new ways to have fun. I feel most of the time they play in a way that is learned from everyday roles from individuals surrounding them. They see others doing an activity which they copy. Stephanie Nodal
Ana, I think you are right! Children do learn skills from home that will later help them in their future. As children we learn the values and principals of our parents, but later in life we decide on how we want to put those learning’s to use. As we grow, our play days come into use when we are trying to figure out real life situations; our play helps use be creative and use our imaginations. Life is not always easy and wonderful, and through play and skills that we acquire from our parents, we will understand how to make it all work. I think you did a great job on your post! Stephanie Nodal
Brenda, I agree with you, children learn new skills for the future through play. I think that play does allow children to acquire the skills of sharing and getting along with other; which is very important in life. I really like how you talk about creating meaningful relationships. Having relationships with people is very important. It allows the person to become sociable, active in their community, and be able to have trust with someone else. I think you have made some valid points when it comes to children and their play which will follow them into adulthood and throughout life. Stephanie Nodal
Yes, of course children play! They dream and imagine and act out. They are playing. As I child my siblings and I played war where we had pretend rifles and we ran all around the front and back yards hiding behind trash cans and walls. There were rules, if you were shot at, you had to lay down and die. Last one standing won. My parents divorced when my little sister died and my family of 7 was reduced to my mom, me, and a baby brother. I had to play alone, and I acted out tragedies and dramas where I got divorced and raised my children alone (I was only 6 years old at the time.) Playing was and is a way to release energy and enjoy the excitement of hide and seek in the dark. But it also a child's way of connecting themselves to life and their own experiences. It is probably even a way to express and work through the adult problems thrust upon the unwilling participant in the child. I think play may be cognition exercises to strengthen the reasoning function in order for a child to develop. It might even be an important part of how a child develops their worldviews and affects the adult they will eventually become. You can read about sibling order and the generalized way the first, middle, and last children default behavior is demonstrated. Could this be related to play also? Most likely. It is a very interesting field, is it not? While I don't think we are cats, nor instinctually predisposed to play at cooking if you're a girl, or play at trucks if you are a boy. We are far more superior and intelligent beings than animals. There is a lot to be learned about play in the child and the development to an adult in relation to that play. I think the answer is yes to both questions: Children do play just to play, and they also do play in preparation for adult life also.
I loved your post in that you articulated what you have learned in your major what I was trying to express in my experience on my post. When I read your post I had an "Aha" moment and realized you knew what I was trying to say. Just goes to show you what education can do for a person! Yes, as children we imitate and act out what we see around us, and then we embelish those actions as we develop our cognitive reasoning skills as we get older and mature. I think it is wonderful what you have been able to observe and apply to your learning experience to help you be the best in your field when you begin your career. Your post was a very good explanation of the how and why children play.
I was afraid that my post would not make sense, but I am glad it did.
Dacia, I like your use of "tools" as the values that we are taught as children. I also did observations like you a couple of years ago and I totally saw children role playing as well. It is interesting to see the way children role play and how that prepares them for the future. Great post!
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
Yes, I believe children really play. I also think that playing is a way that children prepare for different moments in their lives (although unknown to them at the time). I say that because I think every action is a precursor to another. That is, every action precedes or follows another.
Children emulate what others are doing – parents, siblings, other children, characters in movies, even their pets. These moments are fun, entertaining, maybe boring, but almost always, can be a part of the bigger picture, a slice of the pie that is grooming them for the lessons of life. As they imitate their friends through play, you can begin to see how they absorb everything around them. In turn, their “world views” begin to expand rapidly. Life lessons at play. There are events in our lives that are “teaching moments” for all of us. While we may be unaffected by these instances in real time, we can usually go back to them and recall the history of that particular lesson. Quite often, we explain ourselves away to events we experienced as children. As adults, we can take these events in our lives and build stepping stones with them – they are all connected and help to define who we are.
Wow what a great question to ponder about! I would have to say yes and no. I do think children play just to play and they don’t realize that they are preparing for life, but at the same time the way children play most often mimic what adults do in life. From playing they discover situations and issues an adult might face and they figure something out during play, therefore they unconsciously prepare for life. Lessons may also be learned from mistakes made while playing, such as climbing up a tree, falling off, and getting hurt. I think it depends on how or what the child plays whether it prepares them for life or if it’s just play. For example, playing house allows the children understand how society works and what duties need to be done in the home. In this instance they are preparing to someday own their own home. I think when a child plays tag it does not automatically prepare them for life even though learning to follow rules is a way to prepare for life. I guess now the more I think about it, it seems as if anything a child plays can lead them to prepare for some aspect of life whether it is to follow rules or learn what the roles of a female or male are in their society.
I agree that there are different kinds of play and that in every type of play there is either a lesson or skilled learned to prepare them for the world ahead of them. After giving this question a hard thought, I find it difficult to say that children play just to play. Of course children don't know that the way they are playing is preparing them for life, but as an adult looking in I can completely see how any little way a child plays connects to a preperation for life.
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
The short answer? I don't know. When we see children play, it is a combination of real life and pure imagination. As others have stated before, children play cops and robbers, imitate family life, or pretend to be super heroes or firefighters. Most of what they are doing is based in some sort of reality they've seen or heard, the blanks are then filled in with science fiction and fantasy. If children were really preparing for real life, it seems likely that they'd ask more questions and look for direction while playing. Maybe they'd ask if they were 'playing' the right way. However, they don't do this. Children use supersonic laser beams coming from their eyes to cut a hole through the invisible force shield that's surrounding the treasure that only they can see. It's highly unlikely that this particular scenario is 'practice' for any future event that a child might have.
On the flip side however, when children play with other children, they are learning important life lessons. These may include social skills such as communication and sharing, or how to be imaginative and how to think outside the box. All of which are very important for later in life.
So maybe it's not so important 'what' children are playing, but more important to make sure that they are playing. I think this is why there will always be a debate on whether homeschooling children is good or bad, considering they could miss out on all this valuable 'playtime' with other children.
I think that play is a practice for the real world, of course children think of everything as just playing, but they are also preparing for the future. Almost every game a child plays, whether it is real or make believe prepares them for the future. The most common games children play like: house, guns, board games, or computer games are all teaching them something that will help them out in their adult lives. Whether they are learning nurturing skills or educational skills, they are learning something that they will more than likely use in their future. Even something as meaningless as jumping rope can teach children things like endurance and practice can make you better. Everything in life has a lesson that can be learned and when children play they may not notice that they are preparing for life, but the lessons they learn are the foundations of life.
Brenda, I definitely agree with you, that it is through play that children learn the skills that are important in the real world. You put it very nicely and it was exactly what I was trying to say.
When I was a little girl I loved to sing, dance and act like I was Tinkerbell. Now of course I'm not Tinkerbell but all of my friends will tell me that I walk and act like a pixie. I think that it has a lot to do with how I thought about things as a child. I was always dreaming that life is this big adventure and I would never settle for anything if I could help it. My nephew loves to play with cars and any time we drive anywhere it's like he's taking it all in. With that being said, No I don't think that children just play for nothing. I think they are taking it all in and it will become a part of them when they are older. playing it just practice for the real world.
I think when children play they are practicing and learning for the real world. When interacting with each other kids learn lessons and social skills that will help them transition into adulthood. What better way to learn new things in a playful way! I wish as adults we could play games to learn tasks for jobs. I think it is in our human nature to be able to enjoy ourselves, maybe because how complex the human brain is. I can not speak for cats, but it is quiet possible they take enjoyment in the simple game of play. Olivia
I believe that when children are playing with other children or with their toys and games they are preparing for real life. When they are playing with their family or friends they usually role play when they play house, someone is the "mommy" or the "daddy" or when they play other games like "cops and robbers". The games they play could be from what they see and it is their way of imitating what they see in their lives. They use their imagination to play these games but are also learning at the same time. Same goes for when they are playing games especially educational games. Children can't learn everything from just playing games. They still have to learn from their parents and from school and their families.
I think that children are like sponges that soak up every little bit of information that is thrown at them. Whether it is a crazy uncle acting like he has stolen your nose by putting his thumb in between his index and pointer fingers, or if it's blue's clue's talking about how to build a fort in the middle of the living room, children are inately curious about anything and everything around them. I think that children are learning regardless of the acts they are commiting (playing,pooping,Crawling...etc) and because of this I do think that by playing with others, children are preparing themselves for the future in more ways than one.
I am the uncle of two young boys under the age of two, and it has been an incredible experience to watch them grow. Being able to watch them play and interact with each other has given me some great insight to this question. It is amazing how my two nephews soak up everything they see. I believe that when children play they are prparing themselves for life. If children did not play they would be unalbe to develop the skills they need to have to go through life. Obviuiosly, they are playing for fun and to occuppy themselves, but they are learning so much from playing that will be helpful for growing up and going through life. Without play, it would be very difficult for a child to learn anything.
Children play to have fun, but unknowingly they earn life lessons that they can use later in life. Most of the time kids play just to have fun and interact with friends and family. When they are playing, life lesson get engrained into them, for example, teamwork, sharing, competition, direction, implementing a plan and social values. Kids do not seek out these life lesson, they are just build into the society. We all played when we were kids and we all probably learn most of the things I’ve stated, but we did not know that, we were just playing. Kids have an unbelievable memory and the soak up everything they see and do. So it’s not hard to imagine that when kids play they are preparing for their future life. When I looked at this question, I started to watch my niece a little closer. So the other day we were playing with toy cars on the kitchen floor. She had built this entire situation. There was a gas station, a grocery store, a parking lot and even stop lights. So I was watching her and every time she came to the stoplight she would stop. I asked her why do you stop at the stoplight? She said because that’s the law and that’s what mommy and daddy do. She is two years old and already understands to stop at a stoplight and understands that there are laws to abide by. I thought it was funny with this question posted this week. So, yes, I believe that kids play but are really preparing for their future life.
I think children play whatever they see around them and learn from sorroundings.and act for future also. my sister is doctor and has her own practice ,own clinic , my niece sees her mother whole day with patients,and my niece most of the time plays with empty syringe and tries to pretend herself as doctor and will hold her doll and tries to give injection.she wants to be doctor and will say i want to be like mamma.children most of time play what they learn from family and souuorndings and also act for future..............veena kumari
I believe children play both for playings sake and to get ready for the real world. Play allows children to experience competition and cooperation, these are two things we all need to learn in order to compete in the real world. However, children play to play for playings sake in order to relieve stress, yes I believe children experience stress.
Matthew- I like how you mentioned that the kind of play that helps kids prepare for the future is through pretending to be someone like a doctor or police officer. I remember when I was little I used to do that too and surprisingly what I pretended to be then and what I am hoping to accomplish now has not changed. I think that this kind of play can be very beneficial for kids.
Ana, I definitely agree with you. Children learn what they see and that is what shapes who they are in the future.
Again, I believe children do what they are taught or what they observe those individuals who care for them does. Children are great at mimicking behavior after all that is how they learn how to do anything. So whoever a child spends the most time with is the person or people who they act like. So that is why it is definitely important to have strong morals and values at home so children can be grounded. Overall, I believe children play to play and then their actions shape them into the adults they are going to be as they get older.
I had taken a child psychology class that addressed how play can is a major component in learning.
I think the fact that playing is fun helps a lot. It might be difficult for a kid to learn the alphabet, but they'll learn it very quickly when it is recited as a song. We learned a lot more from playing educational games in elementary school than by doing constant drills.
I agree with both of you. Children have an incredible ability to soak up knowledge quickly, and through playing, they can learn important life lessons that will help them as they grow into adults.
Though not necessarily related to play, it's pretty amazing how in just a few short years we are able to soak up language so quickly.
Matthew Jeffries I would have to agree with you that there are many different ways kids play. From sports, video games, and improv, kids learn every time they play. It does not matter what it is. Also, I agree that all types of play work together to make a well developed adult.
I think that unlike cats when children play they are actually playing and not simply training for their future. Making up a super hero or doing other fun child like things are just to random to be applicable in future endevours.
Nelson, Really good post! I liked your expamples and agree with your post. I believe children are learning and preparing for the future while playing. I too started watching my nephew closer after this questin, and realiezed how smart children are. It also made it more clear the children are playing while preparing for life. Your neice sounds very smart by the way! -Christina Manriquez
This is a really good question! Like a few of the classmates, I believe that children are preparing for life, however are doing it unconsciously. Fortunately, most children do not know stress and are generally happy humans. My nephew is four and he thinks he can buy a house with his piggy bank money, but he does not know the real values of a house and all the expensive that come along with it. However, he does understand the basic concept that a person must work and save money in order to buy a house. The other day he was playing in the backyard which he calls “work” and explained to me that he was working because that’s what everyone does. While he’s at “work” he is having the time of his life playing outside with my dogs and running around. So, although my nephew is playing and having a good time, he is also preparing himself for life. He sees how everyone in my family works and knows that is what people do in life. I believe children can play and have fun, but unknowingly getting prepared for life. I think it’s great how far children’s imagination can go, and I think it is very healthy for them to do both play and prepare for life. - Christina Manriquez
Ryan, I agree with your post. Without play, children would have a hard time learning. Children are preparing for life while playing and having fun unknowingly. -Christina Manriquez
I think that the whole 'practicing for real life' idea is a very interesting one, however, I do not feel that this is all that children are doing while they are playing. Children, in my opinion, play just to entertain themselves, and in doing this they use their imaginations to construct bizarre things at times that relate in absolutely no way to real life. I do not see how games like duck duck goose and patty cake could possibly be preparing for real life in any way, shape or form. However, I do see how game like simon says and red light green light could possibly be preparing them for future things that they will encounter in life. So if I were asked whether or not SOME of child's play is actually practice for the real world I would say yes, but definitely not all.
Ross, I agree, children are very much like sponges soaking up knowledge at all times. This is true even with knowledge that you would rather them not soak up! They are practicing for the real world a lot of times without realizing it! Yet, sometimes they are just playing and getting almost nothing out of it other than joy and entertainment.
Gosh this is tough one. I am not sure if I will make sense, but after thinking about it for awhile, I believe that children play how they are taught at home, and what they are taught at home will help them shape what they will become in a future, which of course will eventually prepare them for what's coming to them. Since childhood one is taught certain values and principles at home , and it is up to us to take those teaching and make something out of them. What we make out of those teachings helps us shape us into adults; this helps us understand and learn how to take on life and its baggage.
ReplyDeleteAna Garcia
This is an interesting one!! Once I read this, children playing with their dolls and at the playground came to my mind. I pictured them playing “father and mother.” “Father and mother” to me, is when children play in the playground with other children. They come up with a little scene with actors like: mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, and etc. One usually finds the children doing everything that happens at home. I did some observational hours at the CSUB children’s center about 2-years-ago, and the children were playing “father and Mother.” I was amazed to watch how well they performed their parent’s duties themselves. The girls would cook in the make belief kitchen dinner for their husbands that were out working. Later you would find the husbands getting home from work and asking to be served dinner. I thought this was interesting, but I do not think children don’t play. On the other hand, children do play, but they play around and do things that they grow up watching, because we are all a byproduct of our environments.
ReplyDeleteChildren prepare for life by actually experiencing situations themselves. I believe this also happens when they are older like around the adolescence years. When children are small, they all want to be cops, firefighters, or nurses, but this all changes when they enter puberty, because they start discovering who they really are and what they want to be in life. Therefore, children literally do play, and they prepare themselves with the help of others for life in their adolescence years.
Dacia Zamora
Ana
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that what we are taught as children such as values and principles and it is up to us to make something out of them. I see it like a set of tools. The tools are given to us by our parents, but we have to learn how to use them by ourselves. The way we use those tools that are given to us in life will help us build our life foundations.
Dacia Zamora
Yes, I think children really do play. Children will play all the time to have fun. However, I believe that it is through play that children have the opportunities to learn skills that are important in the real world. They have the chance to gain skills of which they may or may not choose to hold onto for the future. Skills that are learned can then be applied to other places of their lives. During my past observations of my niece's play I was able to see that it helped her build on her abilities to get along with other children. Being able to get along with others, and sustaining that skill for a long time can lead into the development of meaningful relationships in the future. I think that an important part of preparing for life and the transition from living at home with mom and dad to being independent and living alone is being able to develop some meaningful relationships.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Castro
In many ways, play is preparing children for the future. There are many different ways that kids play, and each type of play can help build a skill or give them knowledge.
ReplyDeleteSports and athletic activities are one type of play that is preparing children for their future life. In organized sports, such as soccer or baseball, kids are learning how to play a specific role for a group to meet an end goal, and those skills can go on to help them in their families and careers. Other than learning how to build teams and cooperate, kids are also learning a lot about physical fitness and health.
Another type of play that helps kids prepare for the future is by pretending to be something they’re not, and acting out situations, such as playing as a doctor or a police officer. By playing, and acting out these types of roles, children are able to better understand how these jobs operate in the real world, but it does this on their level.
Even playing video games can help prepare children for their future. Playing video games will help to develop kids’ hand-eye coordination which will come in handy when they are learning how to drive or how to type. Many video games have puzzles and mazes which can help bolster a child’s critical thinking skills.
All of these different types of play work together to prepare kids for their futures in adult society.
-Matthew Jeffries
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
ReplyDeleteNo, I don’t believe children are the same. Going through school and minoring in CAFS (Child Adolescent and Family Studies) I have come to learn that as children grow they play by using their imagination. Children play house because they see our roles in life and imitate them; children copy individuals. They use their imaginations by creating an individual that is “mommy” or “daddy” etc. that allows them to carry out their role play. Children have active and creative minds; they do things at random and make things up as they go; yet, they still learn and take what they see from surrounding individuals.
Although, I do believe that some activities that they interact in do prepare them for real life, their play is really play. An example that I have seen from my niece as to why I feel that their play is real play would be when she plays with her babies. She copies what she sees her mom doing with her baby brother. She will sit down next to her mom as she rocks her baby brother to sleep; she will rock her play baby to sleep too. From what I have understood, children play because they allow their imaginations to roam and present new ideas and creative ways of playing to them. They can explore with their imaginations and develop new ways to have fun. I feel most of the time they play in a way that is learned from everyday roles from individuals surrounding them. They see others doing an activity which they copy.
Stephanie Nodal
Ana,
ReplyDeleteI think you are right! Children do learn skills from home that will later help them in their future. As children we learn the values and principals of our parents, but later in life we decide on how we want to put those learning’s to use. As we grow, our play days come into use when we are trying to figure out real life situations; our play helps use be creative and use our imaginations. Life is not always easy and wonderful, and through play and skills that we acquire from our parents, we will understand how to make it all work. I think you did a great job on your post!
Stephanie Nodal
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, children learn new skills for the future through play. I think that play does allow children to acquire the skills of sharing and getting along with other; which is very important in life. I really like how you talk about creating meaningful relationships. Having relationships with people is very important. It allows the person to become sociable, active in their community, and be able to have trust with someone else. I think you have made some valid points when it comes to children and their play which will follow them into adulthood and throughout life.
Stephanie Nodal
Yes, of course children play! They dream and imagine and act out. They are playing. As I child my siblings and I played war where we had pretend rifles and we ran all around the front and back yards hiding behind trash cans and walls. There were rules, if you were shot at, you had to lay down and die. Last one standing won. My parents divorced when my little sister died and my family of 7 was reduced to my mom, me, and a baby brother. I had to play alone, and I acted out tragedies and dramas where I got divorced and raised my children alone (I was only 6 years old at the time.) Playing was and is a way to release energy and enjoy the excitement of hide and seek in the dark. But it also a child's way of connecting themselves to life and their own experiences. It is probably even a way to express and work through the adult problems thrust upon the unwilling participant in the child. I think play may be cognition exercises to strengthen the reasoning function in order for a child to develop. It might even be an important part of how a child develops their worldviews and affects the adult they will eventually become. You can read about sibling order and the generalized way the first, middle, and last children default behavior is demonstrated. Could this be related to play also? Most likely. It is a very interesting field, is it not? While I don't think we are cats, nor instinctually predisposed to play at cooking if you're a girl, or play at trucks if you are a boy. We are far more superior and intelligent beings than animals. There is a lot to be learned about play in the child and the development to an adult in relation to that play. I think the answer is yes to both questions: Children do play just to play, and they also do play in preparation for adult life also.
ReplyDeleteLaura Harris
Stephanie:
ReplyDeleteI loved your post in that you articulated what you have learned in your major what I was trying to express in my experience on my post. When I read your post I had an "Aha" moment and realized you knew what I was trying to say. Just goes to show you what education can do for a person! Yes, as children we imitate and act out what we see around us, and then we embelish those actions as we develop our cognitive reasoning skills as we get older and mature. I think it is wonderful what you have been able to observe and apply to your learning experience to help you be the best in your field when you begin your career. Your post was a very good explanation of the how and why children play.
Laura Harris
I was afraid that my post would not make sense, but I am glad it did.
ReplyDeleteDacia,
I like your use of "tools" as the values that we are taught as children. I also did observations like you a couple of years ago and I totally saw children role playing as well. It is interesting to see the way children role play and how that prepares them for the future. Great post!
Ana Garcia
A biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe children really play. I also think that playing is a way that children prepare for different moments in their lives (although unknown to them at the time). I say that because I think every action is a precursor to another. That is, every action precedes or follows another.
Children emulate what others are doing – parents, siblings, other children, characters in movies, even their pets. These moments are fun, entertaining, maybe boring, but almost always, can be a part of the bigger picture, a slice of the pie that is grooming them for the lessons of life. As they imitate their friends through play, you can begin to see how they absorb everything around them. In turn, their “world views” begin to expand rapidly. Life lessons at play.
There are events in our lives that are “teaching moments” for all of us. While we may be unaffected by these instances in real time, we can usually go back to them and recall the history of that particular lesson. Quite often, we explain ourselves away to events we experienced as children. As adults, we can take these events in our lives and build stepping stones with them – they are all connected and help to define who we are.
Theresa F.
Wow what a great question to ponder about! I would have to say yes and no. I do think children play just to play and they don’t realize that they are preparing for life, but at the same time the way children play most often mimic what adults do in life. From playing they discover situations and issues an adult might face and they figure something out during play, therefore they unconsciously prepare for life. Lessons may also be learned from mistakes made while playing, such as climbing up a tree, falling off, and getting hurt. I think it depends on how or what the child plays whether it prepares them for life or if it’s just play. For example, playing house allows the children understand how society works and what duties need to be done in the home. In this instance they are preparing to someday own their own home. I think when a child plays tag it does not automatically prepare them for life even though learning to follow rules is a way to prepare for life. I guess now the more I think about it, it seems as if anything a child plays can lead them to prepare for some aspect of life whether it is to follow rules or learn what the roles of a female or male are in their society.
ReplyDelete-Liz
Matthew-
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are different kinds of play and that in every type of play there is either a lesson or skilled learned to prepare them for the world ahead of them. After giving this question a hard thought, I find it difficult to say that children play just to play. Of course children don't know that the way they are playing is preparing them for life, but as an adult looking in I can completely see how any little way a child plays connects to a preperation for life.
-Liz
WEEK SEVEN BLOG ENTRY:
ReplyDeleteA biologist once told me that cats don’t play…they only practice for the real world. Do you think children are the same? Do children really play, or is playing just a way that children prepare for life?
The short answer? I don't know. When we see children play, it is a combination of real life and pure imagination. As others have stated before, children play cops and robbers, imitate family life, or pretend to be super heroes or firefighters. Most of what they are doing is based in some sort of reality they've seen or heard, the blanks are then filled in with science fiction and fantasy. If children were really preparing for real life, it seems likely that they'd ask more questions and look for direction while playing. Maybe they'd ask if they were 'playing' the right way. However, they don't do this. Children use supersonic laser beams coming from their eyes to cut a hole through the invisible force shield that's surrounding the treasure that only they can see. It's highly unlikely that this particular scenario is 'practice' for any future event that a child might have.
On the flip side however, when children play with other children, they are learning important life lessons. These may include social skills such as communication and sharing, or how to be imaginative and how to think outside the box. All of which are very important for later in life.
So maybe it's not so important 'what' children are playing, but more important to make sure that they are playing. I think this is why there will always be a debate on whether homeschooling children is good or bad, considering they could miss out on all this valuable 'playtime' with other children.
I think that play is a practice for the real world, of course children think of everything as just playing, but they are also preparing for the future. Almost every game a child plays, whether it is real or make believe prepares them for the future. The most common games children play like: house, guns, board games, or computer games are all teaching them something that will help them out in their adult lives. Whether they are learning nurturing skills or educational skills, they are learning something that they will more than likely use in their future. Even something as meaningless as jumping rope can teach children things like endurance and practice can make you better. Everything in life has a lesson that can be learned and when children play they may not notice that they are preparing for life, but the lessons they learn are the foundations of life.
ReplyDeleteBrenda,
I definitely agree with you, that it is through play that children learn the skills that are important in the real world. You put it very nicely and it was exactly what I was trying to say.
Lacey Patterson
When I was a little girl I loved to sing, dance and act like I was Tinkerbell. Now of course I'm not Tinkerbell but all of my friends will tell me that I walk and act like a pixie. I think that it has a lot to do with how I thought about things as a child. I was always dreaming that life is this big adventure and I would never settle for anything if I could help it. My nephew loves to play with cars and any time we drive anywhere it's like he's taking it all in. With that being said, No I don't think that children just play for nothing. I think they are taking it all in and it will become a part of them when they are older. playing it just practice for the real world.
ReplyDeleteLindsey McGuire
I think when children play they are practicing and learning for the real world. When interacting with each other kids learn lessons and social skills that will help them transition into adulthood. What better way to learn new things in a playful way! I wish as adults we could play games to learn tasks for jobs. I think it is in our human nature to be able to enjoy ourselves, maybe because how complex the human brain is. I can not speak for cats, but it is quiet possible they take enjoyment in the simple game of play.
ReplyDeleteOlivia
Lindsey-
ReplyDeleteI wonder then if your nephew may become a race car driver!
Olivia
Matthew-
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, there are so many different types of play, or what I consider "play". Thank you for pointing several of them out.
Olivia
Brenda – I agree with your post that children learn and develop skills through their play.
ReplyDeleteMatthew – Great point about athletics, different jobs, and even video games as a way to help children learn.
Great posts from everyone. Gotta go finish my paper...
Theresa F.
I believe that when children are playing with other children or with their toys and games they are preparing for real life. When they are playing with their family or friends they usually role play when they play house, someone is the "mommy" or the "daddy" or when they play other games like "cops and robbers". The games they play could be from what they see and it is their way of imitating what they see in their lives. They use their imagination to play these games but are also learning at the same time. Same goes for when they are playing games especially educational games. Children can't learn everything from just playing games. They still have to learn from their parents and from school and their families.
ReplyDeleteAgustin Garcia
I think that children are like sponges that soak up every little bit of information that is thrown at them. Whether it is a crazy uncle acting like he has stolen your nose by putting his thumb in between his index and pointer fingers, or if it's blue's clue's talking about how to build a fort in the middle of the living room, children are inately curious about anything and everything around them. I think that children are learning regardless of the acts they are commiting (playing,pooping,Crawling...etc) and because of this I do think that by playing with others, children are preparing themselves for the future in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteRoss Hoffmann
Brenda-
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brenda, children do learn many skills through the art of play while enjoying themselves as well.
Ross Hoffmann
I agree with most of our classmates that childrend are preparing themselves for their future through their play.
ReplyDeleteRyan Barker
I am the uncle of two young boys under the age of two, and it has been an incredible experience to watch them grow. Being able to watch them play and interact with each other has given me some great insight to this question. It is amazing how my two nephews soak up everything they see. I believe that when children play they are prparing themselves for life. If children did not play they would be unalbe to develop the skills they need to have to go through life. Obviuiosly, they are playing for fun and to occuppy themselves, but they are learning so much from playing that will be helpful for growing up and going through life. Without play, it would be very difficult for a child to learn anything.
ReplyDeleteRyan Barker
Children play to have fun, but unknowingly they earn life lessons that they can use later in life. Most of the time kids play just to have fun and interact with friends and family. When they are playing, life lesson get engrained into them, for example, teamwork, sharing, competition, direction, implementing a plan and social values. Kids do not seek out these life lesson, they are just build into the society. We all played when we were kids and we all probably learn most of the things I’ve stated, but we did not know that, we were just playing. Kids have an unbelievable memory and the soak up everything they see and do. So it’s not hard to imagine that when kids play they are preparing for their future life. When I looked at this question, I started to watch my niece a little closer. So the other day we were playing with toy cars on the kitchen floor. She had built this entire situation. There was a gas station, a grocery store, a parking lot and even stop lights. So I was watching her and every time she came to the stoplight she would stop. I asked her why do you stop at the stoplight? She said because that’s the law and that’s what mommy and daddy do. She is two years old and already understands to stop at a stoplight and understands that there are laws to abide by. I thought it was funny with this question posted this week. So, yes, I believe that kids play but are really preparing for their future life.
ReplyDeleteNealson Hanner
I think children play whatever they see around them and learn from sorroundings.and act for future also. my sister is doctor and has her own practice ,own clinic , my niece sees her mother whole day with patients,and my niece most of the time plays with empty syringe and tries to pretend herself as doctor and will hold her doll and tries to give injection.she wants to be doctor and will say i want to be like mamma.children most of time play what they learn from family and souuorndings and also act for future..............veena kumari
ReplyDeleteI believe children play both for playings sake and to get ready for the real world. Play allows children to experience competition and cooperation, these are two things we all need to learn in order to compete in the real world. However, children play to play for playings sake in order to relieve stress, yes I believe children experience stress.
ReplyDeleteLast post was from Jim Adams
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Brenda that children play in order to learn and develop skills.
Matthew-
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned that the kind of play that helps kids prepare for the future is through pretending to be someone like a doctor or police officer. I remember when I was little I used to do that too and surprisingly what I pretended to be then and what I am hoping to accomplish now has not changed. I think that this kind of play can be very beneficial for kids.
Brenda Castro
Ana,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. Children learn what they see and that is what shapes who they are in the future.
Again, I believe children do what they are taught or what they observe those individuals who care for them does. Children are great at mimicking behavior after all that is how they learn how to do anything. So whoever a child spends the most time with is the person or people who they act like. So that is why it is definitely important to have strong morals and values at home so children can be grounded. Overall, I believe children play to play and then their actions shape them into the adults they are going to be as they get older.
Helen Rosario
Brenda, thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI had taken a child psychology class that addressed how play can is a major component in learning.
I think the fact that playing is fun helps a lot. It might be difficult for a kid to learn the alphabet, but they'll learn it very quickly when it is recited as a song. We learned a lot more from playing educational games in elementary school than by doing constant drills.
-Matthew Jeffries
Nelson and Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. Children have an incredible ability to soak up knowledge quickly, and through playing, they can learn important life lessons that will help them as they grow into adults.
Though not necessarily related to play, it's pretty amazing how in just a few short years we are able to soak up language so quickly.
-Matthew Jeffries
Matthew Jeffries
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you that there are many different ways kids play. From sports, video games, and improv, kids learn every time they play. It does not matter what it is. Also, I agree that all types of play work together to make a well developed adult.
Nealson Hanner
I think that unlike cats when children play they are actually playing and not simply training for their future. Making up a super hero or doing other fun child like things are just to random to be applicable in future endevours.
ReplyDeleteChase Amos
Nelson,
ReplyDeleteReally good post! I liked your expamples and agree with your post. I believe children are learning and preparing for the future while playing. I too started watching my nephew closer after this questin, and realiezed how smart children are. It also made it more clear the children are playing while preparing for life.
Your neice sounds very smart by the way!
-Christina Manriquez
This is a really good question! Like a few of the classmates, I believe that children are preparing for life, however are doing it unconsciously. Fortunately, most children do not know stress and are generally happy humans. My nephew is four and he thinks he can buy a house with his piggy bank money, but he does not know the real values of a house and all the expensive that come along with it. However, he does understand the basic concept that a person must work and save money in order to buy a house. The other day he was playing in the backyard which he calls “work” and explained to me that he was working because that’s what everyone does. While he’s at “work” he is having the time of his life playing outside with my dogs and running around. So, although my nephew is playing and having a good time, he is also preparing himself for life. He sees how everyone in my family works and knows that is what people do in life. I believe children can play and have fun, but unknowingly getting prepared for life. I think it’s great how far children’s imagination can go, and I think it is very healthy for them to do both play and prepare for life.
ReplyDelete- Christina Manriquez
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. Without play, children would have a hard time learning. Children are preparing for life while playing and having fun unknowingly.
-Christina Manriquez
I think that the whole 'practicing for real life' idea is a very interesting one, however, I do not feel that this is all that children are doing while they are playing. Children, in my opinion, play just to entertain themselves, and in doing this they use their imaginations to construct bizarre things at times that relate in absolutely no way to real life. I do not see how games like duck duck goose and patty cake could possibly be preparing for real life in any way, shape or form. However, I do see how game like simon says and red light green light could possibly be preparing them for future things that they will encounter in life. So if I were asked whether or not SOME of child's play is actually practice for the real world I would say yes, but definitely not all.
ReplyDeleteAshley Cockrell
Ross,
ReplyDeleteI agree, children are very much like sponges soaking up knowledge at all times. This is true even with knowledge that you would rather them not soak up! They are practicing for the real world a lot of times without realizing it! Yet, sometimes they are just playing and getting almost nothing out of it other than joy and entertainment.
Ashley Cockrell