Play/Games in Learning-An experiment to make learning fun

This post is an outcome of my thoughts after reading the following article on the public education system in Finland

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

Key takeaways from the above article on the Public education system in Finland

-They value PLAY -3 recess breaks a day to keep the kids energized

-Every kids starts school at a LATER age of 7 - 'The kid is ready when she's ready'

-Prepare children to be LEARNERS & not just for the purpose of taking tests & exams

-Emphasis on the HUMAN angle than on the child being just a statistic

-A public education system that practices EQUALITY without discrimination whether the child is a quick learner or not

-Use of innovative methods like peer learning, GAMES, shared classrooms

-Teachers teach for 4 hours-ONLY and a Teachers profession is on par with that of a Doctor or Lawyer

-Teachers are empowered to BELIEVE that they make a HUGE difference to the students future. They can also make changes to the curriculum as per the needs of the student.

-ONLY mandatory test that a Finnish kid takes is when they are 16

And NO- kids don't have it easy or their workload any less compared to a similar class anywhere else in the world

Here's what they learn

"Besides Finnish, Math and Science, the first graders take Music, Art, Sports, Religion and Textile handcrafts. English begins in third grade, Swedish in fourth. By fifth grade the children have added Biology, Geography, History, Physics and Chemistry."

That's the Finland public education system-which beats most other developed nations consistently in Reading, Math & Sciences with the highest percentage of kids going on to graduate from college.

My personal experiments to design a Game/Play based learning system for kids & observations

Below is a small video of the kids testing a Phonic/Phonetics card game

Sometime back i was testing a card game designed to help kids get better at Phonics/Phonetics with kids from my housing society. It was a revelation- Kids are inherently designed to play & if learning is imbibed into play- then there will be MIRACLES.

No doubt it is a challenge- all structured learning has to be outcome driven & the learning demonstrable. Any system be it a book or a game has to deliver concrete results.Designing play that encourages learning by means of a fun driven approach is a challenge-but a smaller one compared to the attitudes of parents & teachers.

I took the game to my Daughter's school- We played the game with the Principle & teachers- they liked it & then nothing. When we tested the game with society kids- barring one or two there was not much interest shown from the parents whose kids were testing the game.

We were looking for feedback & also to find out if they were open to the idea of a system that didn't measure the kids with a test or high score but rather by giving her an incentive that encouraged her to do better.

A good learning game is a test that a kid wants to take everyday. A game is fun & is played in a social setting. What most teachers & parents don't usually notice the changed mindset when a kid plays. She is more open to suggestion, learns & adopts faster, Is flexible & feels in control of the system.

Funnily we are similar to the Americans with our affinity to high scores, tests & exams.The Finnish education system took a contrarian approach & moved away from tests, graphs & scores. they put the education where it belongs - in the hands of the learners.

What is the real purpose of education & what does it mean to learn.

Wouldn't it better to say we don't know, than try to camouflage our ignorance with these statistics which encourages discrimination & which are not the true measure of a child's intelligence or his abilities.

We are missing out on the human angle, on values of equality & non discriminatory approach to learning. To learn for learning sake too & not only for the shine of high scores. The apathy is there at all levels- look at the India's budget for education or how parents complain about schools & education- but won't or cant do more than complain. Teachers are poorly educated or too burdened to have any time or energy to upgrade themselves. Even big brand private names in education pay a pittance to their teachers.

Don't we all know the value of a good teacher , but then what can we do about it.

So our kids will continue to become mug-up machines with demands to score high on the giant screens of societal expectations.

It might take us years to provide Indian kids the quality of education that they deserve.It might take years to change the mindset with which our kids, parents & governments approach education.The scale is too massive & who knows how many years will be needed to change our institutionalized mindset.

It would be insane to tell the establishment to incorporate games & play into the existing curriculum and make learning fun & engaging.

But then i ask myself, why do i need anyone's permission to show my kid a fun & better way of learning. Why struggle thru that old swamp when you can open an alternate channel for your child.

For this , I don't have to change anyone, but myself.

The mobile phone has given us the ability to be more technocratic. It has broken many barriers & facilitated our lives. The net data bandwidth is growing & the charges are affordable. Together they have the power to be that alternate channel of learning with fun.

Its going to be tough finding ways & means to integrate more meaningful play into the existing curriculum- the teachers don't have the control, neither do we. If we are to better ourselves as a society we have to find out ways to design a home education system that we control & our kid enjoys.

Apps, Card Games, Board games are the kind of tools that put the kid in the middle of this kingdom of learning where he is the king. These tools allow the kid to be himself & experience learning with less stress & more fun.

This demands a shift from the old mindset to a completely new way of thinking. For all you know there will come a day when we will do away with books & bags.So if that is the vision we want to realize, doesn't it make sense to adopt the tools that will take us there.

For now, this shift in mindset might not change the world around you, but it might change your child's world. Maybe later, when you have found it effective, it might be good enough for your neighbors kid too.

Its a small change- with no downside, something that is easy, something that we can aim for-

One Game, One Parent & One School at a time

For those more keen to learn more about Finnish education system [http://www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-school-2011-12?IR=T/#e-children-are-not-measured-at-all-for-the-first-six-years-of-their-education-3 ]