Play!! 11.16

Activities:

• One of the activities was getting a partner (tevin was my partner) and we had to stand face to face and jump up at the same time and shout, high five, and other things.The shouting was a release.
• Also, we did fluids today. I got to be a conductor of one of the stories my group did! I really enjoyed doing fluids and opposites. It was fun working with Courtney, Tevin, Dominique, Andre and Bryan

Play!! 11.14

Activities:
In class today, we did newspaper theatre where we took newspapers and acted out and did freeze frames of what we read. MY group had a newspaper on the Marijuana ban and so we took that and freeze framed the policy RA's take in the dorm when someone has a substance on campus. In the beginning we tried to find ways to not put so much emphasis on the fact that we were pretending to be smoking but in the end, it worked by making a serious action,as it was. i believe in a way, we showed some "theatre of the opressed" technique there. 
We also began doing fluids in class today. It feels good when the audience members says you've succeeded in bringing their emotions to life!


Prompt: Select a possible topic to be explored through drama. Describe 5 possible activities/questions to be explored.


Topic: Psychology
i think you could explore:
- what is psychology? (freeze frames)
-i think one could do fluids to describe psychology
-problem solving (drama)
-i think you could improv a scenario    AND
-i think a skit can be done

Play!! 11.9

READING: Creative Drama Instruction
I believe there are A LOT of "instructions" for creative drama. I believe more of it is unconscious. We do these things without thinking about them.




Prompt: Group participation and agreement remove all imposed tensions and exhaustion of the competitiveness and open the way for harmony.
I agree with this because as i've been in attendance throughout this class, i felt all complications melting away as ive gotten to know my peers and participate. When a group is in sync, there is no reason for there NOT to be harmony within the working group.

Play!! 11.2

Class Activities/ Notes: 

Lets break it DOWN nowwwww!


Peter and the wolf/zoo
Dramatic Play:

• Imitation -(imitating the tranquilizer gun-courtesy of Tahj) hehe
• Repetition
• Movement-(move like wolves)
• Sound/Music
• Language-English to French (Mme Koppera)
• Ritual Routine
• Conflict (getting the cubs to a safe place)
• Story Narrative (Peter and The Wolf)
• Role Character (Village/Zoo Keeper)
• Change/Transformation
• Objects/ Props (backpack and a scarf -used as wolf) (letters and maps that us "villagers" created)
• Costumes (hats and sunglasses-transforms the character)
• Limits (well, as hard as the village people tried, we couldn't kill the wolf haha)

Creative Drama: 

• imagination
• no right or wrong
• depth of involvement
• offer learning opportunities
• creative power

This activity helped with our intro lesson to dramatic play because in some cases, we had to be really dramatic and work through this improv. There were no skits and so it was just whatever the imagination brought to mind. Working with the class was fun to see all the ideas everyone brought to the table and one could just jump off from that idea and just GO with it. extremely fun. Also it was so fun to see everyone work together to compliment one idea. For example, if one person saw the wolf move, the class would act on it before Tahj shot another tranquilizer at it haha. Today was fun.

READING: E-Reserves Drama As A Teaching Tool

• one of the most effect resources is theatre
• private schools often offer opportunities in arts but usually as minor subjects 
• theatre of the oppressed - Should art educate, inform organize, influence, incite to action or simply be an object of pleasure? i believe art can and/or should  be able to do all of  those things. Being pleasurable brings focus to it so that it can educate inform, organize, influence, etc. However without being pleasurable, it can still be focused upon. And i tend to think a lot of times when someone is being challenged by a subject, they are learning more. Theatre of the oppressed brings out those challenging emotions from/for their audience.
• when players are stimulated and freed to make full use of their creative powers they produce work that is not only is satisfying to them but communicates to others. Again, i agree with this because when we as a class started getting into the village people, as more people got into characer, it made it more believeable not only as a class but we were into it ourselves! i strongly believe the way we answered those letters and plotted out maps for the cubs, if it were a show or an extreme reason for doing it, we could have made someone believe.

Play!! 10.31

MIDTERM EXAM DAY:

Simply reflecting on today, im not sure how i think the exam went. i wrote a lot and im pretty confident but there were two questions, i feel like i could have been more prepared to answer...we'll see...

Play!! 10.19

Class: 
Today Creative Projects were due. Here's what i submitted:

Its a spell.

I was inspired by the Disney movie Hocus Pocus.

HOCUS POCUS

.Difficulty level didnt prove to be challenging at all. I really enjoyed everyone's project. I did feel though everyone had more of an explanation than i did. -_____-

******************************UPDATE********************************
I ended up resubmitting my project! This one is better i still like them both together. I EXTENDED my project by adding a poem:


[*sings* I put a spell on you and now you’re mine. Welp, gotta fight between Michael Jason and freddy because they’re also line.

Can’t catch me gotta chase me on your broom sticks you witches. But I guarantee I won’t be on your list of entrée dishes.

What do we have here a little back kitty? Don’t think they’re all bad luck but when Halloween rolls around, seriously, you better duck.

From goblins and trolls and leprauchauns in the hood, they may be witches on Disney but being chased doesn’t feel so good

*sings* I put a spell on you and now you’re mine. Welp, gotta fight between Michael Jason and freddy because they’re also line.

Gotta break this curse so all the kids will be free, if I don’t I’ll have no one to play with, it’ll be just me!

Well I could just imagine and play by myself…hmmm no that wouldn’t really help

With building my character as I relate to others,

 back to plotting, I need to burn this mother!!

*sings* I put a spell on you and now you’re mine. Welp, gotta fight between Michael Jason and freddy because they’re also line.

So you’re afraid of sunlight? The beautiful day?

Haha Salem sisters, now you must pay.

After ducking and dodging from you through the night, im going to stand while the sun rises bright.

I wanted to scream ,Burn witches burn!

but I’ll just politely say, im done running, its your turn!]

Tell me what you think, which do you think was best? give me feedback.

Play!! 10.17

Activities:

• We had a partner, (Caitlyn was mine) we had to be back to back and try to get up together. Very hard for me haha. Im not very coordinated
• We had a small circle . where one person would be in the middle of the circle with closed eyes and would slowly begin to let themselves fall. we would push them around , making sure they don't fall.(high risk) I'm not particularly sure i could do this. (Which is why i didn't) It is very hard for me to do something like close my eyes and have not worries about whats happening around me.
• We then had a trust driving activity where we had a partner who took us on a journey around the room with our eyes closed. Cynthia was my partner. Again, it was very hard because i do not like to have my eyes closed and being lead around the room made it all that much harder. 

Class Notes:
Today was more of a study day. We studied for the midterm and discussed in groups different questions from Play by Brown. I learned i do not study well in groups. Today was a day in which i learned about what i realllly do not like.

10.12 Drama and Play - unfortunately absent

ACTIVITES 

• Newspaper fashion show

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PROMPT ( i didn't know the prompt)

Being absent from play is not an enjoyable experience. It hurts just as much as being purposely left out of play. I definitely missed something exciting. After looking at the pictures and seeing that i was not present in them, and seeing what i missed, i felt like a child who lost her favorite toy. I would never have an opportunity to have joy from that again. *sad face*

10.10 Drama and Play

ACTIVITES 

• cupcake creations and talked with each other. First of all, the cupcakes were delicious! Creating the cupcakes was actually a challenge  because we dont get to create cupcakes very often. i do make lots of cupcakes though. This gave way to me having a great idea to do this with my nieces and nephew so that they could explore new ways to decorate and create their own delicious cupcakes.

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READINGS: Limits on E-Reserves

10.5 Drama and Play -unfortunately absent

ACTIVITIES 
-swing dance 
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READING: Chapter 6
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PROMPT- Freewrite


Today, we were assigned our creativity prompt, i'm unsure of how i feel about this project simply because I do not know what i am going to do yet.  I am excited though since some of our limits are it must be funny. It is some pressure now to do great and be funny but i think i can be a funny person anyway. we shall see, it'll be great (hopefully) whatever it is....

10.3 Drama and Play

ACTIVITIES 

• Creativity on ground - i made a kaleidoscope with a feather  

9.28 Drama and Play

ACTIVITES 

• clap!
• paperball game - we didn't seem to get this but our many tries were so fun, succeeding in the game didnt actually matter. (THANKS JAKE) *thumbs up*
• skit
• 4 yr old cinderella
• gave way to improvisational play
• idea of space and time (i  played while bryan tried on shoes on my "step sister" then got back in character)

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PROMPT 

FIND 2-3 NON HUMAN EX. OF PLAY

1. My dog simon, was playing with a tennis ball. He kept running around the dining room table. He would let the ball get away for a while then hurry and pounce on it. 

2. About universal play, it shows that play even at the animal level,  one doesn't exactly need a partner to play.

3. it relates to human play because humans use objects to play by themselves as well.

1. I witnessed in this video two kittens playing in a laundry basket. They are leaping over one another and pouncing. 

2. About universal play, it shows the aspect of recreational, non-competitive play.

3. it relates to human's sport of wrestling in a way, which in cat world could just be there way of finding out who is stronger (who can get the other person down first) OR just their tag and war.

9.26 Drama and Play

ACTIVITES 

• Froggy Murder (circle, stick out tongue, you're dead) I thought this game was TREMENDOUSLY fun! especially the fact that the deaths had to be so dramatic and we had to fall and not look at the person. TAHJ (a classmate) made the game soo funny when he was the killer because he went on like a frogger tongue killing spree. -priceless-
• Eye Contact- game where you make eye contact with someone both die DRAMATICALLY 
• Get in Circle-  get in circle grab hands, try to untangle out of circle. i think this game led us to be very creative because we had to find alternative ways to untangle ourselves, stepping over others, being turned backwards and other stuff...but it lead to much laughter! :) what surprised me is that we ended in TWO circles!!

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9.21 Drama And Play

ACTIVITIES

• sailors
• ninjas-haha really fun especially when we had to go fast (haaaa Yahhhhh)
• what are you doing? (someone asks another person, and they act it out.) 

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PROMPT

 HOW DOES THE FORMAT/ STYLE OF THE JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT RELATE TO CREATIVITY &  PLAY?

-It allows us to be creative. We are able to go to whatever measures we choose in order to complete our assignment. There is no right nor wrong for this project. We simply put ourselves into and allow others to experience a part of us for a short time.

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"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities."

Play 9.19

Games:

• Eye contact, switch places- you do this without the center person getting your spot
• Zip, Zap,Zop- hand game
• Make An Idea-make that idea
• gas station
• typewriter (as a class)

Ok, can i first say i think the eye contact game was DANGEROUS! lol i was running into people and almost broke a nail! lol but apart from that, the game was fun. It was a bit tricky. I think the key was to not look at someone A C R O S S the circle because traveling that way, you would be sure to get caught. it was fun to see people dipping and jumping just to make it to the other spot! -haha

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Chapter 2: "What is play and Why Do We Do It?"

• Resist defining play
• it is so varied
• play is primal
• best by experiencing it
• Seven properties of play
• no survival value
• not required
• cure for boredom
• freedom from time
• we stop worrying
• we are open to chance
• we desire to keep doing it
• Six step process
• anticipation-surprise-pleasure-understanding-strength-poise

I had never thought about how these are related to each other and how they work to bring "a sense of balance in life." (p.19)

One comment was made that said "If we leave the emotion of play out of the science, it like throwing a dinner party and serving pictures of food." (p.21) -great comparison- you don't want to just hear how good the food is, you want to taste it too! This is exactly the same for play. You can hear the dynamics of play but you cannot relate unless you get a full experience which would be to include your own personal experience in it.

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Play 9.14

 Games: 

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Reading: " Old Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skill"

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Journal Prompt #2: "Play As A Catalyst"

One aspect of play that was lacking in my life was dance. I love to dance but i don't remember the last time I've danced, been to any dances or just moved freely without care. Dance catalyzes when i am stressed. It in a way "loosens" me so that i am no longer stressed or at least more stressed than i was. i can now see myself bringing dance back into my life once or twice in a week. It made me feel more silly which is different from the more serious attitude I've taken to things.
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Play 9.12

Games: 

• Say your name, what did you eat for breakfast
• shapes/mingle

Easy enough games, the shapes/ mingle game made me excited for what shape we would be making next. very excited throughout this time.

We got in groups of 6 and went outside and played these games:

• hopscotch
• Tag (for once in my WHOLE life, i did NOT get tagged!) *smiles*
• moment of wonder
• walking speed race
• duck duck goose
• red light, green light
• mr. fox, what time is it?
•  telephone
• dance
• sing-a-song
• chicken game

The absolute worse game we played in our group was telephone. it is so hard with only 6 people. The message came out correct so we changed it just to be funny a couple of times going through the game. I'm sure it would have been more fun with added people. The game also seemed pretty awkward. The absolute best game was the chicken game. It was a game of rock paper scissors but in like stages (egg, bird, human) and you could only play with your species egg-egg, human-human, bird-bird. Brought lots of laughter. fun game.

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Reading: "The Benefits of Play"

Play allows for us to benefit in areas of mental health. it makes you happier. Socially, play reduces alienation.  Play allows you to meet others. Learning takes place more effectively. Culturally, play helps us meet the challenges of the world. One skill of play that i can 100 % agree with because i have experienced it just about everytime i have played is improvisation. When you, play, it is almost always hard for you to follow the rules when you play. You kind of have to just go with the flow. That, in my opinion makes for the best play. Non-competitiveness was a beneficial element of imaginative play. I appreciate this element because it allows for one of the associated skills, inclusiveness.The ability of imaginative play to develop creativity is great seeing that creativity was always limited to intellectual techniques. It doesn't have to be seen that way anymore because through imaginative play, we create images and ideas in our mind based off of no intellectual knowledge but our feelings instead.
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Play 9.7

Games:

• Donkey - Rabbit (make a bunny tail), elephant (make a trunk), jello (wiggle wiggle), donkey (do nothing)!
• GAK - molding into shapes. i made a belt!
• The Sky Is Falling - free form when "the sky is falling" is shouted
• The Gift - YOU get to decide what your gift is and your partner tells you why they gave it to you

My favorite game was donkey because you had to be quick on your toes but it was still fun. It made you anxious and you participated on someone else turn just to keep you active. very fun. and when you got caught, it wasn't bad. it didn't make you feel bad. it was more funny than it was depressing.

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Chapter 1: "The Promise of Play"

In this chapter, we learned about play  and how its not only the key to being happy but also used for social relationships and being a creative, innovative person. (p.6) Different aspect we read about were play as a catalyst where we read about Laurel, a CEO who's married with two children. she was missing joy so she went back to something she loved, riding horses. That carried with her through her work and time with her family so she no longer dreaded her schedule. I agree with the idea of play as a catalyst because when you have something that you love or you have an experience filled with joy, you can think back on that specific thing and bring back that euphoric feeling you felt at the time making your days much better if you aren't having a bad day. Have you ever had that happen? Maybe you're walking and something that happened a while ago comes to mind and you begin to smile or laugh. That's play working as a catalyst. "Those who worked and played with their hands as they were growing up were able to "see solutions" that those who hadn't worked with their hands could not." (p.10) 

• Lynne wasn't sick, she was a dancer.

The above point opened my eyes on how quick we are to bring our problems to the hands of science. Lynne's mother was so quick to decide her daughter was sick and needed medicine instead of sitting down and trying to figure out her daughters needs. It also illustrates the fact we are not as open to different methods of learning or varied results of normalcy. What was normal for Lynne, (dancing), her mother didn't understand her inability to sit down was normal and her method of learning.  

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Journal Prompt #1 (206-216)

I have always felt free to do and be what i chose. My mom along with my whole family encourages spontaneity and creativeness in ourselves and I'm so lucky to have them support that idea. Yes, its a part of my life now because is a part of me. Those are two of my biggest traits that i love about myself. My creativeness and the fact that I'm a very spontaneous person. Impediments to play in my life i would say would include when slowly but surely, my siblings begin to get older and leave the house (college). Some kinds of play disappeared from my repertoire because of the above impediments. Being that i am the youngest, i had less and less siblings to play with until it was just me. and so play being to end for me. Ways i have discovered of re initiating lost play were by befriending people who were just as playful as me and I'm happy to say that today, i have some of the best friends ever. Also, i now have nieces and a nephew who LOVE to play and so for me, it like starting over. i get to teach them games and they also teach me new games they may have learned.

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