Module 7: Playing
James Frye
Remember When?
A Creative Introduction to the Process of Reflection
Think back to a time in your life besides the present moment that you experiencing as you read this handout. You, sir or madam, are engaging in the first steps of the process of reflection.
Reflection is a process by which we recall experiences that have some relevance to us, and process those experiences into something meaningful in the present. To thoroughly introduce you to the concept and process of reflection, and to reinforce your understanding of the idea, you will get the chance to “play” with some of your own memories and ideas.
Your task? Recreate a moment in time and act it out using three props from the standard items available in the room. Your recreation should take no less than two minutes, and no more than four. Don’t show your cards in an obvious manner, but do make sure to illustrate through your recreation your understanding of the steps and process of reflection. I will model an example of this for you prior to beginning.
Without further ado...let’s get started!
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James Frye
Remember When?
A Creative Introduction to the Process of Reflection
Think back to a time in your life besides the present moment that you experiencing as you read this handout. You, sir or madam, are engaging in the first steps of the process of reflection.
Reflection is a process by which we recall experiences that have some relevance to us, and process those experiences into something meaningful in the present. To thoroughly introduce you to the concept and process of reflection, and to reinforce your understanding of the idea, you will get the chance to “play” with some of your own memories and ideas.
Your task? Recreate a moment in time and act it out using three props from the standard items available in the room. Your recreation should take no less than two minutes, and no more than four. Don’t show your cards in an obvious manner, but do make sure to illustrate through your recreation your understanding of the steps and process of reflection. I will model an example of this for you prior to beginning.
Without further ado...let’s get started!
---
In my perception, play is the employment of the senses to carry out their own work; in other words, to let the body and mind wander in a manner that is not defined and that uses that wander to learn more about something within a certain topic or boundary. Therefore, it is also able to be defined as a lack of restriction within a confined space.
This activity is developed with all three types of play in mind. First, Practice Play, or “enhancing skill through practice” (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248), is an aspect of play that builds up understanding by engaging in activities that are both recreational and meaningful, synonymously. My “Remember When?” activity is exactly that because it allows the bodily kinesthetic and creative thinker to merge and create a evidence of learning.
Second, Symbolic Play, or “analogizing, modeling, play acting, and synthesizing” (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248) is an additional aspect that is quite obviously represented by the acting medium of presentation for a memory in this activity. Finally, game playing "teaches the making of rules within externally bounded situations that define how we may behave or think, as well as the breaking of those rules" (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248). The ability to manipulate the standard rules for reflection (seen above) by not prescribing a set pattern before creating the scene that will be acted out. This leaves it entirely up to the playwrights to represent reflection in a process that can either stick to a standard pattern/representation, or completely change the structure/format of a traditional reflection. The creation and its application is in the mind of the beholder - and sometimes, it is better to give fewer directives so as to encourage authentic, deep play.
Because the activity fits into all of these three dimensions of play in some manner, it makes the activity, as aforementioned, not only playful, but also meaningful. It also explains why I developed the activity that I did. In a further elaboration, I developed this activity because reflection lends itself well to various creative representations. Whether it be written, filmed, acted, sung, danced, or otherwise, they all give the idea of reflection some type of new and different meaning depending upon the individual who is perceiving them--and this is what makes acting a perfect medium for reflection and for play.
This activity is developed with all three types of play in mind. First, Practice Play, or “enhancing skill through practice” (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248), is an aspect of play that builds up understanding by engaging in activities that are both recreational and meaningful, synonymously. My “Remember When?” activity is exactly that because it allows the bodily kinesthetic and creative thinker to merge and create a evidence of learning.
Second, Symbolic Play, or “analogizing, modeling, play acting, and synthesizing” (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248) is an additional aspect that is quite obviously represented by the acting medium of presentation for a memory in this activity. Finally, game playing "teaches the making of rules within externally bounded situations that define how we may behave or think, as well as the breaking of those rules" (Root-Bernstein, 2013, p. 248). The ability to manipulate the standard rules for reflection (seen above) by not prescribing a set pattern before creating the scene that will be acted out. This leaves it entirely up to the playwrights to represent reflection in a process that can either stick to a standard pattern/representation, or completely change the structure/format of a traditional reflection. The creation and its application is in the mind of the beholder - and sometimes, it is better to give fewer directives so as to encourage authentic, deep play.
Because the activity fits into all of these three dimensions of play in some manner, it makes the activity, as aforementioned, not only playful, but also meaningful. It also explains why I developed the activity that I did. In a further elaboration, I developed this activity because reflection lends itself well to various creative representations. Whether it be written, filmed, acted, sung, danced, or otherwise, they all give the idea of reflection some type of new and different meaning depending upon the individual who is perceiving them--and this is what makes acting a perfect medium for reflection and for play.