Resonances/ Questions/Critiques (Shall We Play? )

Shall We Play?

When reading the article Shall We Play? I thought of how students in school have many times where teachers have to teach to the test. Some ways teachers try to get students to learn some material they have to sit at a desk why the teacher spits information on them. Many studies show the students don't really learn this way and it is ineffective for hitting them to maintain skills that would be lifelong.

When students, or youth, are given the opportunity to learn through play they learn more than one skill at a time. One example of this is having students create a project like to create a bridge that will hold so many pennies. By giving this challenge to a group of youth they have to mathematically figure out how much pennies weigh to design a bridge that is stable and work together a team. Doing this activity through play students will have to use problem solving skills, communicate with each other, and use math skills to create a bridge. This activity will have them using cause and effect and exploring different options on how they can make a bridge to hold so many pennies. This is not a one-step project or activity where the students can do this by trial and error and by having the opportunity to use play through learning to help them develop many other skills that the youth can use in other classes and teaching these skills to other youth. Sports are another way for youth to do through play. When the youth are playing sports they are learning how to play a game but other skills like teamwork and stronger leadership. 

When you are teaching youth through play they learn to use their voice and positive way to learn through other youth. Leadership, problem solving skills and so many other skills are not something you can just teach in a textbook. The more we use these skills the better these skills will become no matter the age someone is. A lot of the time youth can teach these skills to adults.

SYSTEMS of Maine for Me

School and Community

When I was in my sophomore year of high school, that was when I learned my last living parent had passed away. The school was the one that told me that my mother passed away and I feel my school was very supportive, in how the school community gave me options so I could stay in the school system I had been part of since I started my education journal. The faculty and staff at the school were very supportive in many different ways. The community and school systems supported me to make sure I had food, housing and continued a successful educational experience. Many of the different educators and community members supported me and socially, emotionally and physically. 

One big thing that I continued to do was play sports. My coaches and other parents helped me get to and from the practices and games. When I was watching the video for this week, when they were breaking down the systems and how they have to have all the different parks, it made me think of how the community and school system helped me finish school. If it was not for them I would have dropped out of school and who knows where my life would be today. The state of Maine would have not put me through the full faster system because of my age. When you are 16 years old the state looks at youth at this age as an adult and the likelihood of someone taking them into their own home is very low. A member of the community took me in and helped me finish my high school years.  

I would say one system that did fail me was the state of Maine. When I was 16 they looked at youth as an adult and didn't give them the resources to finish out what they needed to get their education or support to help process the trauma that the youth has experienced. This is where the systems are broken and this is a state program. I am very thankful of growing up in the community I did to help push me and the most positive direction they could.