User:Hward

About Me

Hello everyone my name is Haylea Ward. I am currently a 4th grade teacher in the city of Rochester. I graduated from SUNY Brockport with a bachelors degree in childhood inclusive education paired with special education and another bachelors degree in public and consumer health.

My Photo

My Topic and Purpose

The purpose of this course is to educate and provide resources to teachers who are interested in play-based learning. In this course you will learn about what exactly play-based learning is, how it can benefit your classroom, how to implement it into your everyday instruction, etc. My goal is to have you understanding play-based learning and having a clear image of how you will implement play-based learning into your classroom by the end of this course.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

• Introduction
• What is play-based learning?
• How to incorporate play-based learning into your classroom.
• What are the positives of utilizing play-based learning in your classroom?
• Long-term affects of play-based learning.
• Misconceptions/Challenges of play-based learning
• Resources for implementation of play-based learning
• Conclusion

Needs Assessment

• The educational problem or opportunity

Play based learning is an incredible educational tool for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. It is an opportunity to present knowledge to students through the world of play. This can be extremely beneficial because it will be engaging for students and allows for them to make real world and personal connections to content during the process of hands-on learning.

• The learners/participants

This mini course is intended for teachers, interventionist teachers, and special areas teachers that work with grades K-6.

• Analysis of gaps

All playful learning does not always lead to the various intended learning outcomes. "Just as all play is not created equal, all types of playful learning are likely not created equal when it comes to supporting different outcomes," (Weisberg and Zosh, 2018, p. 32). Typically free play is more beneficial for building collaboration and communication in early childhood. Guided play may be more important for learning content knowledge throughout early elementary or primary school. It is important for the teacher to be intentional about the level of play they utilize as well as the materials given to students.

• Intent statement:

This mini course can help you to develop a new instructional technique to implement into your classroom in order to enhance learning. Taking this mini course can help teachers learn about play-based learning, which in turn will help with student engagement, fostering student connections to real life and their own lives, and can help deepen student understanding of a concept.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

My mini-course will be directed toward teachers, interventionist teachers, and special areas teachers that work with students in grades K-6. Understanding the content of this mini-course will allow teachers of grades K-6 to elevate student learning through play-based learning. This course is designed for new or experienced teachers that are looking for a new instructional strategy to deepen student understanding, while also ensuring that students are engaged in the content being taught. Most teachers should already have hands-on learning in their classrooms, interactive learning, and learning that links to real world connections. Play-based learning is another form of instruction that allow for students to enjoy learning, while also furthering their understanding of content in relation to the real world and their own lives. This mini-course is best taken in a quiet space where you can deeply engage in new content. The only materials needed for this mini course are an electronic device, internet, and possibly a pencil and paper for note taking if you so choose.

Performance-Based Objectives

-Learner will gain an understanding of what play-based learning is.

-Learner will be given strategies and resources on how to incorporate play-based learning into their classroom.

-Learner will learn the positives about utilizing play-based learning in their classroom.

-Learner will learn about the long-term effects of play-based learning.

-Learner will understand the misconceptions surrounding play-based learning and the challenges of play-based learning, while simultaneously learning how to handle these challenges.

Task Analysis

Before taking this course, the learner:

1. should have basic knowledge on computer usage (pre-requisite)
2. should have a background in and have a basic understanding of educational instruction (pre-requisite)
3. must be actively seeking to learn more about this education topic (pre-requisite)
4. should have a basic understanding of elementary education (pre-requisite)

Unit 1:

What is play-based learning?

After completing this unit the learner will:

1. be able to define play-based learning
2. identify what play-based learning looks like in a classroom setting
3. start to picture what play-based learning may look like in their classroom

Unit 2:

Positives about utilizing play-based learning in your classroom.

After completing this unit the learner will:

1. identify why play-based learning is beneficial in the classroom setting
2. identify how play-based learning can increase student engagement
3. begin thinking about how play-based learning can benefit their specific classroom

Unit 3:

Long-term effects of play-based learning.

After completing this unit the learner will:

1. understand ways to avoid weaknesses of play-based learning and how to combat misconceptions
2. identify the future benefits of play-based learning instruction
3. identify the long term effects of play-based learning
4. have an understanding of how to increase the positive effects of play-based learning in their classroom instruction
5. visualize how play-based learning will fit into their instruction

Unit 4:

Strategies and resources on how to incorporate play-based learning into the classroom

After completing this unit the learner will:

1. be able to identify multiple strategies of implementation of play-based learning
2. identify what strategies best fit their specific classroom setting
3. begin to construct a plan for implementation of play-based learning into their instruction
4. be able to come up with a clear picture of what play-based learning looks like to them in their classrooms

Unit 5:

Conclusion

After completing this unit the learner will:

1. reflect on what they have learned throughout the mini course
2. come up with a lesson plan utilizing play-based learning
3. reach a level of understanding of play-based learning

Curriculum Map

Unit	Est. Time	Topics Covered	Learning outcomes/activities	Readings and external sources
Unit 1: What is play-based learning?	45 minutes	Play-based learning: 1. What is it? 2. What does it look like? 3. How it fits into the classroom setting.	·Define play-based learning. ·Identify what play-based learning might look like. ·Visualize how play-based learning can fit into your specific classroom. ·Watch “Play-based Learning” with Dr. Grey. ·Complete unit 1 quiz.	·       https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEn78PFmpx1H6ZZg68DqeF4M1D5owWLhrRNe8E9Ni3kEiEdw/viewform?usp=sf_link ·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJaAegok8L4
Unit 2: Positives of implementing play-based learning.	2 hours	Positives of play-based learning: 1.      What can students gain? 2.      What role does the teacher play? 3.      How are parents involved?	·Identify various positives about utilizing play-based learning throughout instruction. ·Understand the role the teacher plays throughout play-based learning. ·Brainstorm ways to get parents involved in play-based learning. ·Watch “Let Children Play”. ·Complete the unit 2 quiz. ·Complete the self-reflection.	·https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6rHnP4bSI ·https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeO96Br4zhIRHGB5KLw6SVOsdoPIlJ5GHYAtI5KAjOPPyaGNw/viewform?usp=sf_link ·https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdjyYT0oOL1xTo7J7gs1T2wjt_PVHC2R2sBIXeoBjoYctgTw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Unit 3: Long-term effects of play based learning	1 hour	Long-term effects of play-based learning: 1.      What are ways to avoid weaknesses and how to combat common misconceptions? 2.      What are the future benefits? 3.      What are the long-term effects? 4.      How can you increase the positive effects in your specific classroom? 5.      How will it fit into your classroom instruction?	·       Identify common misconceptions among play-based learning. ·Identify the future benefits of play-based learning. ·Identify long-term effects play-based learning might have on students. ·Reflect on how you can increase the positive effects of play-based learning in your classroom. ·Reflect on how play-based learning can fit into your classroom. ·Watch “Importance of Play”. ·Complete unit 3 quiz.	· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnH4Ijen7OI ·https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_Lz_IA1qDdp1aeapzRbnOwQuS8IZ5Bk9j4P4woSMx9Kx-UA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Unit 4: Implementing play-based learning into the classroom	2.5 hours	Implementation of play-based learning: 1.      What are some strategies for the implementation of play-based learning? 2.      What strategies best fit your specific classroom setting? 3.      How can you implement this into your classroom instruction? 4.      What would play-based learning look like in your specific classroom setting?	·Identify strategies for implementing play-based learning into instruction.   ·Identify specific strategies for implementing play-based learning into your classroom. ·Identify how you would implement play-based learning into your classroom. ·Watch the Kindergarten centers video. ·Complete Jamboard assessment.	·https://jamboard.google.com/d/1I97EYmZb5O8bzbcGW9gM0ZKCA70THwGxrnL_O0FT3gk/edit?usp=sharing ·https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKR6Gig1reg
Unit 5: Conclusion	2 hours	Course reflection	·Reflect on the material covered throughout the course. ·Create a lesson plan surrounding play-based learning. ·Complete course reflection. ·Create an infographic organizer about play-based learning.	·https://jamboard.google.com/d/1Hv4dIDcjimiZMgZswmZ5eF-8qJlPEKs9u5Ff8DfdOKU/edit?usp=sharing ·https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOkwyi4_jVqi2VoeJ-Wvd8Q_Jr_QoxFcm6OLL7vm_4vmvxSQ/viewform?usp=sf_link ·https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/File:PlayBasedLearningInfographic-1.pdf

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