From as far as I can remember, I can hear my mother saying to me If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. She emphasized for me to never give up. When I lost at a game, she encouraged me to try again. Don't get mad learn from it. Try again. We played many board games in my family. I remember losing at Sorry every time I played. I would get so upset it just seemed I would never win. My mother said Sorry is all about your decisions. Pay attention to your decisions. That is what I did. I watched the decisions of the other players, what pieces they moved and when they decided to split a number and I started making better decisions and eventually won. I was so excited you would have thought I won the lotto. But for me it was the lotto. I learned how to think and apply logic in a fun game of Sorry.
The same when we would play Guess Who. I learned to ask very specific but unique questions. Most of the time my older cousins would win but I would play them over and over until I won. Each time learning something new or trying a different method. I am that way now. If my first attempt is unsuccessful, I am ready to try again. Learning along the way. That is what I remember about playing as a child.
The difference between now and when i was a child is that there was no alternative or child-centered curriculum. The school was a strict and structured environment. The time to play was a recess. Even physical education was structured. There was some fun but teachers did not embrace play as a method in which children could learn. I am glad to see how times have changed. For me, watching my students play is as important as watching them grow. I see the wheels in their brains turning. I encourage their exploration. I love watching kids be kids. There is plenty of time to be serious.. That is called ADULTHOOD.
Development. The zone of proximal development (sometimes abbreviated ZPD), is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help. However the help will come in the form of his or her peer while the teacher oversees and may offer minimal support. They learn on their own with their own thoughts and ideas not the ones I have placed in their mind.
Wow! I truly enjoyed your post. I loved the game "Guess Who" that also is a favorite of mine. Your quote form Vygotsky was great I also agree with you that children learn and grow more while interacting with one another. When children interact with one another and explore what there environment is all about they are helping one another develop.
ReplyDeleteHope,
ReplyDeleteI too have very fond memories of playing board games as a child and learning many life lessons. Just this weekend, I was passing on these lessons to my seven year old. We played Uno and Go Fish together, and she struggled to keep up with the strategy. However, I encouraged her to keep trying and by the end she did win a couple times. Her personal satisfaction and decision-making skills were supported much more than if I had just let her win to spare her feelings. Thanks for sharing!
-Crystal
Hope,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I like how your mom taught you valuable lessons while playing the game of sorry. After reading, her strategies to teach you valuable lessons, it made me think of sorry in a different way. I can't wait to go in the class and teach my students, as well as my own kids.