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JUST PLAYING AROUND: PUTTING FUN BACK IN EDUCATION

BBC Online's web page offers the article, "Beyond A Joke" (11/05/98), which gives us a new look at the role that PLAY plays (!) in our ordinary lives. New studies are cropping up that indicate that all the FUN has gone out of education - and WORK - and this lack may very well be a major reason behind recent epidemics, worldwide, of disorders such as ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The learning environments that we, as educators and parents, have constructed for our children may actually be hazardous to their health! The article states that recent investigation at UCLA has shown that perhaps the "seat" of laughter resides in the same highly evolved area of the brain as language. In the race to define schedules within the education system that are so structured as to almost eliminate the element of "fun" in learning, are we actually damaging the learning process of children? Moreover, is the act of curbing playtime at school, disabling children in areas like social growth, "survival skills," and the development of healthy patterns of communication? These issues are key for those attending to the total growth and development of our students and children.

Tue, 16 Nov 1999 13:35:03 -0800