Building Playgrounds
The Fun Theory
Tim Wilhelmus D EVSC ICATS D 15 years teaching D 3 years coaching D Father of 3 D Playground Advocate
One vision...Jason’s Tale
Playground Learning
What are the Qualities of a Playground? Self-Directed Discovery
Stimulus-Rich Environment Universal Design
What are the Qualities of a Playground? Safe and Clearly /E8/. $:+-/ Room for Personal Toys
Socially Enhanced
What are the Qualities of a Playground?
Built for Creativity
Active
FUN!
What would a classroom playground look like?
Classroom Playground Self-directed inquiry based on teacher./E8/. :+<+7/>/<=
Classroom Playground Lots of different structures for /B:/<3/8-381 /B:69<381 +8. learning
Classroom Playground A media-rich environment A3>2 9:/8 access to the tools that iKids love.
Classroom Playground !::9<>?83>3/= for all kids to learn the ways they learn best.
Classroom Playground A safe environment with clear goals and /B:/->+>398=
Classroom Playground Freedom to enhance learning beyond /B:/->+>398=
Classroom Playground !::9<>?83>3/= to bring :/<=98+6 >+6/8>= +8. /B:/<>3=/ >9 bear.
Classroom Playground Many chances to collaborate with whomever one chooses.
Classroom Playground Regular 9::9<>?83>3/= to build and create.
Classroom Playground An +>79=:2/</ 90 .3=-9@/<C wonder and celebration.
Learning is richer and more rigorous on a playground because it... D Gives students autonomy to guide their own learning. D Gives students challenges to master. D Makes learning :/<=98+6. D
Motivates students to try again after they fail.
D Pairs learning with /79>398+6 </=:98=/=. D Ensures the learner is the one doing the work!
Educational playgrounds can be our physical environments
What if high school classrooms looked like kindergarten classrooms?
Or if every classroom was... D A laboratory. D :<9.?->398 studio D A courtroom D Or different every day?
But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that these are iKids.
We can also create virtual and digital :6+C1<9?8.= >2+> can extend our classroom beyond >2/ ,?= =>9: +8. after the bell.
Digital playgrounds could include...
D 8>/<+->3@/ ,691= A353= +8. websites. D Learning management systems. D Video games D Virtual environments and social networks.
As teachers, our jobs would be to design learning environments instead of delivering content!
Dâ&#x20AC;Ż We would build the =:+-/= 38 A23-2 9?< =>?./8>= /B:69</ Dâ&#x20AC;Ż Our students would create their own learning inside of >2+> =:+-/
Symbaloo
Blogger
Weebly
Lino It!
LiveBinders
Sqworl
Building a Digital Playground D Variety! You don’t just want “slides”. D Curation! %99 ,31 90 + :6+C1<9?8. 3= scary to kids and hard to monitor. D Autonomy! Kids decide what to do. D Show and Tell! “What I did at recess...” D Collaboration! “What did we learn together?”
Some ideas... D ?36. + -98>/8> :6+C1<9?8. D 8@3>/ 53.= >9 /B:69</ +8. </:9<> ,+-5 D 2+66/81/ 53.= >9 :<9:9=/ 3>/7= 09< + :6+C1<9?8. D Discuss the merits of each item. D Assign kids to create their own content :6+C1<9?8.= 09< /B:69<+>398 +8. -<3>3;?/
We can build playgrounds that are... D $:98>+8/9?= D Student-Centered D Interactive D Engaging D Non-linear D Social D Creative D Challenging
And Fun. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget fun.
How to Contact Me email: timothy.wilhelmus@evsc.k12.in.us $5C:/ >379>2C A362/67?= twitter: @twilhelmus iChat/AIM: timwilhelmus facebook: timothy.wilhelmus Google+: Tim Wilhelmus
Some of My Resources D Blog: 2>>: :6+C1<9?8.+.@9-+>/ ,691=:9> -97 D ICATS Website: 2>>: /@=-3-+>= -97 D Playground LiveBinder: 2>>: 63@/,38./<= -97 :6+C :6+C*9<*/.3> id=169047