Introduction
In this essay, I plan to document my experience volunteering at INK, the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, and connect said experience to the ideas and concepts of Educational Psychology, specifically those covered in EDUC 2130. Some topics I will address include the practice of cooperative learning, play-based learning, and theories of development, both personally and socially.
The Interactive Neighborhood for Kids
I completed my field experience at the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, commonly known, and hereafter referred to in this paper, as INK. INK is a non-profit children’s museum, but is one unlike any other. As stated on their website, INK’s mission is to “encourage children of all ages to develop their full potential …show more content…
I supervised groups of students as they moved through the museum and helped explain the various exhibits and their functions, as well as the functions of their real-world counterparts. At times, I was even able to play along with the children, letting young doctors treat imaginary illness and being served plates of plastic food. I was able to experience firsthand the relationships between students and their peers and was able to witness their incredible creativity and ingenuity. Conversely, I also dealt with instances of extreme obstinacy and disobedience that required a fair amount of negotiation to overcome. I think that being able to function as a teacher prior to being placed in a classroom will be infinitely beneficial to me. I now have prior knowledge which I can use to make informed decisions in the …show more content…
Rather than basing lessons in lecture or text, INK focuses on play-based learning, “a context for learning through which children organize and make sense of their social worlds, as they actively engage with people, objects and representations” (Chigeza, Sorin, 2016, p. 66). This type of student-centered, cooperative learning allows students to discover things for themselves while interacting with their peers, with little interference by the teacher, or in this case, INK staff. Students can role-play and interact with each other in new, unique ways, such as doctor to patient or chef to customer; this modeling, “the imitation of others’ behavior,” (Slavin, 2015, p. 114) grants students a new perspective on how the world around them functions and the role they play in it. In addition, because INK provides a safe, welcoming, fun environment, kids quickly lose any inhibitions and begin enjoying themselves, and, in turn, begin to learn. Thus, as “most people’s motivation for play is the sheer pleasure of doing it, to have fun,” (Thorsted, Bing, Kristensen, 2015, p. 66) INK utilizes intrinsic motivators to prompt students to learn. Play-based learning also helps students develop emotionally and socially. Vygotsky’s idea of cooperative learning, “in which children work together to help one another learn,” (Slavin, 2015, p. 40), is demonstrated in the group activities students participate in at INK. Vygotsky himself said “In play a
In this essay, I plan to document my experience volunteering at INK, the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, and connect said experience to the ideas and concepts of Educational Psychology, specifically those covered in EDUC 2130. Some topics I will address include the practice of cooperative learning, play-based learning, and theories of development, both personally and socially.
The Interactive Neighborhood for Kids
I completed my field experience at the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, commonly known, and hereafter referred to in this paper, as INK. INK is a non-profit children’s museum, but is one unlike any other. As stated on their website, INK’s mission is to “encourage children of all ages to develop their full potential …show more content…
I supervised groups of students as they moved through the museum and helped explain the various exhibits and their functions, as well as the functions of their real-world counterparts. At times, I was even able to play along with the children, letting young doctors treat imaginary illness and being served plates of plastic food. I was able to experience firsthand the relationships between students and their peers and was able to witness their incredible creativity and ingenuity. Conversely, I also dealt with instances of extreme obstinacy and disobedience that required a fair amount of negotiation to overcome. I think that being able to function as a teacher prior to being placed in a classroom will be infinitely beneficial to me. I now have prior knowledge which I can use to make informed decisions in the …show more content…
Rather than basing lessons in lecture or text, INK focuses on play-based learning, “a context for learning through which children organize and make sense of their social worlds, as they actively engage with people, objects and representations” (Chigeza, Sorin, 2016, p. 66). This type of student-centered, cooperative learning allows students to discover things for themselves while interacting with their peers, with little interference by the teacher, or in this case, INK staff. Students can role-play and interact with each other in new, unique ways, such as doctor to patient or chef to customer; this modeling, “the imitation of others’ behavior,” (Slavin, 2015, p. 114) grants students a new perspective on how the world around them functions and the role they play in it. In addition, because INK provides a safe, welcoming, fun environment, kids quickly lose any inhibitions and begin enjoying themselves, and, in turn, begin to learn. Thus, as “most people’s motivation for play is the sheer pleasure of doing it, to have fun,” (Thorsted, Bing, Kristensen, 2015, p. 66) INK utilizes intrinsic motivators to prompt students to learn. Play-based learning also helps students develop emotionally and socially. Vygotsky’s idea of cooperative learning, “in which children work together to help one another learn,” (Slavin, 2015, p. 40), is demonstrated in the group activities students participate in at INK. Vygotsky himself said “In play a