Empowered by Play » Deborah W. Meier

Save Our Schools – A Great Beginning

Geralyn — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:47:13 +0000

My head is still spinning. On Sunday evening I returned from Washington, DC and the Save Our Schools Rally. More than just a rally, it was four days of connecting with other educators, parents, students and activists who are ready to take a giant step towards reclaiming the “public” in public schools.

In my mind I keep replaying moments – both big and small – and feel hopeful that we’re onto something here. Something really big. Something that will help bring attention to the harmful effects that corporate “reform” is having on students, teachers and communities. And give a voice to students who, for a decade, have been shut out of enriching and engaging curriculum and forced into single-purpose, short-sighted, test-driven curriculum. This is a movement to bring curriculum control into local school communities. It is a call for equitable funding, and for our country to recognize that poverty affects life and learning. Jonathan Kozol told us that the poorest districts spend $6,000 per pupil, while the richest districts spend $30,000 per pupil. Ouch! And as Deborah Meier (pictured above) pointed out, we are about even with Mexico in terms of our poverty rates – Mexico! We are looking for equitable funding across public schools AND community support services.

In DC were heard powerful words from Jonothan Kozol, Deborah Meier, Diane Ravitch, Pedro Noguera, Linda Darling- Hammond and Matt Damon. We also heard important words from parent Karran Harper-Royal, an SOS organizer and leader from Parents Across America; along with John Kuhn, an inspiring superintendent from Texas; and Taylor Mali, a teacher-poet. I sang along as we were treated to a gorgeous rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing; and more – much more! So much, that I didn’t get every speaker’s name. However…one thing is for sure, everywhere you looked in the sweltering heat of the midday sun, parents, students, teachers and concerned citizens joined together to help change the national narrative.

This isn’t about preserving the status quo, because the status quo isn’t anywhere near good enough. I am not out to defend chronically ineffective teachers or historically shoddy schools. I am for making the public school system the best it can be for EVERY student – and for involving local communities in the process.

For sure it isn’t the end. And for sure it was a great beginning. In many ways, it made me wish I was a public school teacher once again, at the very democratic Mission Hill School in Roxbury, MA, which I am proud to have been a part of from the beginning. There, I was a teacher and union member – sharing responsibility and decision making with our founding principal, Deborah Meier, and the other classroom teachers. While in DC, I was thrilled to hear the ways in which the Boston Teachers Union has been a place where teacher activism has flourished. Again, for sure this isn’t the end – and for sure it is a great beginning.

And how does it all relate to Empowered by Play?

To quote Matt Damon: “I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself— my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity— all come from how I was parented and taught. And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned— none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success— none of these qualities that make me who I am… can be tested.”

That’s so right. The qualities we value most – in the children of yesterday, today and tomorrow – qualities such as imagination and curiosity – can never be measured through a standardized test. These are the qualities that are getting squeezed out of today’s schools, and this has to stop.

Some related links of interest: The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman by Real Reform Studios (This is an amazing movie made by full-time teachers – using their own money. No big budget – but a real big message.)

Jon Stewart’s message to the teachers at the SOS March (Hopefully next time he will speak to the issues – but I am thankful for the support he is already showing.)

Save Our Schools Leaders Craft Next Steps from Education Week

Empowered by Play’s SOS March album on Facebook

The text of Matt Damon’s speech posted on Rethinking Schools’ website NOT Waiting for Superman

Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action July 28-31 2011

Geralyn — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:41:32 +0000

I am going to Washington DC today to attend the Save Our Schools Conference, Rally, March and Call to Action.

I am going because I am tired of politicians, businessmen and billionaires making harmful decisions about our schools and our children; because high-stakes testing is not the answer to making better schools; and one size does not fit all.

I am going because equality in school funding would go a long way in helping schools in poor communities meet the needs of our most vulnerable students; because arts, social studies, music and science matter (not just math and reading); because good character, strong ideals and respect for one’s self and one’s community can not be measured by a bubble test.

I am going to Washington, DC because quality play and playful learning belongs in school and because childhood is a journey, not a race to the top. (Tomorrow I will be presenting with Deborah Meier about the implications of our incessant and early demands for “performance” on young children.)

If you can’t join us for the Save Our Schools in Washington DC, please check here for a related event in your state or community.

Inspired by Teachers

Geralyn — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:35:26 +0000

Wow! There is busy . . . and then there is BUSY! This has been a BUSY few weeks. Wonderful, though. Beginning with the powerful Rally to Save Public Education in Cambridge, MA (see previous post); continuing with a wonderful visit to my former school, Mission Hill School in Roxbury, MA; then a quick trip to Jamaica for the wedding of a dear friend who happens to be an amazing early childhood educator; and ending with an inspiring early childhood conference here in my own backyard (well, not literally, but close) . . . this has been an whirlwind of inspiring and powerful moments.

Today, as I head to Providence, RI for the NAEYC Professional Development Institute, I force myself to take a few minutes to reflect on all that has inspired me in the last few weeks and all that I am thankful for.

First of all, I am inspired by teachers who work hard, on their own time, to reflect deeply on their practice. Teachers who share their ideas, questions, student work and joy with others. On Saturday, June 4th, a beautiful spring weekend, our Hudson Valley Writing Project conference, Democracy, Literacy and Play: Hearing Children’s Voices was filled with just these kinds of amazing early childhood educators. Dedication doesn’t even begin to describe what I felt and saw on that memorable day.

I am thankful for all the time I was able to spend over the last week or so, with my friend and mentor, Deborah Meier. Debbie came to our conference as the keynote speaker, and joined me in presenting an afternoon session. It was such fun and reminded me of how much I miss talking with her and sharing ideas about education and life. I also saw Deb at the Rally to Save Education and on my visit to Mission Hill School. (Debbie is the founding principal at this K-8 Boston Public School.) I am somewhat exhausted from all the traveling, presenting, talking and working – and Deb is 80 years old and going strong. Now if that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.

I am thankful that my sons were able to join me for the rally in Cambridge, MA and the visit to Mission Hill School (and I am thankful that they didn’t join me for the quick trip to Jamaica!). At the rally, the boys joined in on the chants and held their sign proudly. They knew that as Arne Duncan was getting special recognition at Harvard Graduation, we were using our voices to raise awareness about the harmful effects of Race to the Top, high-stakes testing and more. The boys especially liked singing our version of John Lennon’s classic… “All we are saying, is give all kids a chance.”

The next day at Mission Hill School, and the trip to Jamaica with friends and colleagues, helped recapture for me the special spark that Mission Hill has. There aren’t many progressive, playful public schools still in existence, and Mission Hill is one of those places. Authentic learning and authentic assessments in a democratic community where everyone has a voice. In the midst of harmful, top-down mandates from politicians who were never educators, Mission Hill School is a reminder to all of us about what is possible.

I am inspired by the leaders in education – teachers of teachers – who spoke at the rally and are standing up for what is developmentally and educationally appropriate. Along with Deb Meier, we heard Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Diane Levin, Eleanor Duckworth and Alfie Kohn (what a list!!!). Click here to read Deb’s remarks from the Rally to Save Public Education -which she has posted on her website. Local parents and teachers also spoke out – I didn’t catch everyone’s name but I heard their messages loud and clear. I invite you to read more about the rally – including pictures and video – on the Citizens for Public Schools website. And I urge you to consider joining the Save Our Schools Rally and March in Washington, D.C. on July 30th.

For me, many of these moments were playful, even as I see them as part of my work. I am thankful for that. I am also thankful for the purely playful moments throughout those busy days: Discovering a wonderful playground in Cambridge, MA. Swinging on a hammock in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Dancing in the rain. Enjoying a campfire with family. Playing Othello with my son. Watching my husband and sons soak each other mercilessly with water balloons. And eating delicious strawberries picked from the patch in our own back yard.

Even when things are BUSY, I am determined to keep play central to our lives.

Fun for All Ages

Geralyn — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:32:27 +0000

“Fun for all ages” is a wonderful concept. When thinking about imaginative play, and life in general, you know you have a hit when a wide range of ages can be equally engaged. Last week, our family held the second annual “Cousin’s Camp” for our upcoming generation. We had 15 campers ranging in age from 4 – 13. Ahh, there lies the challenge – how do you keep such a wide range of kids engaged for hours (and days?!) at a time?

For one thing, you have have a flexible structure for them to work within. Setting the parameters, and giving choices within them, goes a long way in keeping everyone actively engaged. Second, you find materials and experiences that are open-ended and usually quite simple. Think natural materials such as water, sand and wooden blocks; and art materials such as finger paints, paper, crayons, markers and clay. Nothing fancy or gimmicky here, and definitely no batteries required. Of course, what a 4 year-old and 13 year-old chose to do with blocks, sand, clay or finger paints will vary. Their methods, attention span and ability to coordinate their play with others will look very different, but isn’t that the beauty of open-ended materials? In these instances, the child is in charge of deciding the how and the what; the grown ups are there just to provide the materials, the time and the space.

“Quiet Time” in the afternoons gave us all a chance to relax, take a deep breath and entertain ourselves individually. Within the “Quiet Time” framework older campers read novels and wrote in their journals; younger campers read or looked at books and drew pictures; and our youngest campers took their afternoon nap. And singing was something we did daily together – with lots of songs that have become family favorites – including call and response songs which everyone (including the youngest non-readers) can enjoy. Our oldest camper even taught the rest of us a new song – now a favorite – which we will add to our growing songbook.

But there is one more crucial ingredient – interesting adults. This year, we had a rotating list of aunts and uncle who came and shared their interests, time and talents with the kids. One of my brothers, a former art teacher, made paper with the campers. Another brother is a talented musician, and he joined us with his guitar for some of our singing sessions. My sister came one day and shared her talents in the kitchen to help our campers make lunch and snack for that day. Launching rockets, starting a campfire, pitching a tent, telling a funny story, performing a skit…so many interesting grown ups spending time with the campers…sharing laughter and love and making memories.

So, how do you keep kids engaged? Open-ended and simple materials. Flexible structure. Quality time spent with interesting and caring adults. These make for a fantastic summer camp experience. And you know what…pretty great for school, too. I remember times in my second and third grade classroom at Mission Hill School – when things were feeling stressful and unproductive, and our insightful principal Deb Meier would say to me, “What about making the classroom feel more like summer camp?” That question would help me tweak my routine, materials and attitude in a way that could get us back on track – and making it fun for all ages.

See a related post: KEVA planks – creating fun for everyone

A Great Way to Play

Geralyn — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:53:17 +0000

I wasn’t surprised yesterday to read in Newsweek that creativity in the United States is on the decline (The Creativity Crisis). Innovation, flexible thinking and problem solving have all been disappearing from our lives, so it is no wonder our creativity is down. It was heartening then to hear a fantastic story on WBUR about something GOOD that is happening: a new kind of “natural playground” which has just opened in Boston (A New Kind of Playground). This new playground features stepping stones, sand, water and other natural materials, including blocks made from trees that were on the site of the playground. The teachers have noticed a new kind of play happening with their students, where children are interacting with these materials in creative ways that just don’t happen on typically equipped playgrounds.

Natural playgrounds are a solution that speaks to problem-solving deficit disorder, a term coined by Diane Levin in 2003 and has written about (such as in So Sexy, So Soon); and also for nature-deficit disorder, which Richard Louv writes about in Last Child in the Woods. It seems a little sad, perhaps, that we’ve gotten to this place where we actually need designed spaces for kids to play with natural materials. But there you have it: this is just what we need. Otherwise, for too many of our children, it just isn’t happening. Natural playgrounds remind me of the song “Water, Sand, Blocks and Clay” by Brady Rymer which I used to sing with my 5, 6 and 7 year olds,

“I will make a mountain tall and I will build a castle wall,

I will make a forest green and I will make a flowing stream,

’cause I got everything I want and everything I’ll ever need,

and I will play all day with my water, sand, blocks and clay…”

A great song to sing and a great way to play.

For a related story about nature play on playgrounds, see my previous post about the new book Playing for Keeps:Life and Learning on a Public School Playground by Deborah Meier, Beth Taylor and Brenda Engel.

Defending dirt and Playing for Keeps

Geralyn — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:39:02 +0000

The other day my kids were playing in the mud with their cousins. We were replanting some lilac shoots from a very special family bush. While I was thinking about the significance of this 1oo+ year-old family heirloom, the kids were busy stomping in the mud and muck. I didn’t get upset with them – in fact I encouraged them. “Go ahead!” I said. “Get dirty. I just read about a new study that says playing outside in the dirt may actually make you smarter!” The kids giggled at this and started asking each other, “Are you smarter now?” and answering,”Yes! E equals m c squared!” I laughed, with them, but I am quite happy to have this new research in my arsenal in the fight to keep play in our children’s lives. So, the next time your little ones come in the house all grubby from making mud pies or digging to China, rest easy knowing that playing in the dirt has been shown to lower depression, lesson anxiety and now…make you smarter!

You see, back in May, Science Daily reported: “Exposure to specific bacteria in the environment, already believed to have antidepressant qualities, could increase learning behavior, according to research presented at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.” Read the whole story here.

The researches found the effects were temporary, which means repeated exposure is good. Their research helps the growing movement of outdoor classrooms, school yard gardens and bringing kids (and all of us) back outside. Personally, I know that when I am stressed, time outdoors always helps. I’ve known babies who would stop crying and fussing when they were brought outdoors. I can relate because I am the same way. As a teacher, I always knew that time outside in nature was good for kids – especially as television, video games and the internet were keeping them more and more inside. I wrote more about nature and education in this article, “We Need More Sticks and Grass! We Need More Beauty!” .

Now, having evidence that being outside in nature can actually increase learning behavior – this is the icing on the cake. “This research suggests that M. vaccae may play a role in anxiety and learning in mammals,” says Matthews. “It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks.”

Looking for more evidence that time spent outdoors is good for our children? Here’s more. There’s a terrific new book just published by Teachers College Press. It is called Playing for Keeps: Life and Learning on a Public School Playground, by Deborah Meier, Brenda S. Engel and Beth Taylor. The book comes at just the right time, when parents and teachers are looking for ways to convince principals and policy makers that recess is a necessary and valuable part of the school day. The book is written about the early years at the Mission Hill School in Boston, a school that I am proud to have helped start and then teach at for eleven years. The authors are all incredibly talented teachers and mentors, who helped me learn how to closely observe children and the deep importance of active learning. It is from these women that I learned much of what I know about being a good teacher.

From the introduction, “We invite readers to appreciate the life of the imagination on the playground, to see the energy children bring to exploring their social and physical surrounds, and to share with us the children’s delight in active learning.”

If your children are outside – playing, living, laughing, learning and getting dirty – these two new bodies of evidence help confirm what you already know. If your children are inside more than you like, and you are advocating for recess, struggling to bring a garden to your school yard or working to bring more outdoor recreation spaces into your community, now you have two new powerful weapons in your arsenal. Excellent.

Playful learning is more than just Sight Word BINGO

Geralyn — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:34:07 +0000

This weekend my sons had four days off from school. They played and built; wrote thank you notes and get well cards; did some baking with their dad and helped clean the house. An excellent time all around.

I am worried tonight, though, because I know tomorrow will be tough for my two five-year-olds. Kindergarten these days is not what it used to be, and my boys are not happy about it.

This weekend I also met other parents (from other schools) at the local playground. Their young sons, too, are feeling the stress of not having time to play at school. With all the current mandated assessments, it is getting harder and harder for teachers to keep recess, let alone incorporate child-directed and playful learning into their “academic” day.

At best, good teachers struggle daily to balance what they know is appropriate for their students with what they have to do to keep their jobs. At worst, confused and misguided teachers label behavior problems as emotional issues – when in truth, expectations are inappropriate and their students are visibly suffering. These days, there are kindergarten teachers who believe “playful learning” constitutes a few minutes playing “Math facts beanbag toss” or “Sight Word BINGO”. However, I am advocating child-centered, adult-supported play that leads to questions and discoveries. I am talking about dramatic play and block building that evolves over days and weeks, with the children making decisions. And the teachers involved can listen and ask questions in a manner that expands and deepens the play. These rich and playful moments in kindergarten classrooms are getting harder and harder to find.

Consider one kindergarten teacher’s story chronicled in the current issue of Rethinking Schools:

“The students in my classroom during the 2008-09 school year completed more assessments than during any of my prior years of teaching kindergarten:

Milwaukee Public Schools’ 5-Year-Old Kindergarten Assessment (completed three times a year)
On the Mark Reading Verification Assessment (completed three times a year)
A monthly writing prompt focused on different strands of the Six Traits of Writing
28 assessments measuring key early reading and spelling skills
Chapter pre- and post-tests for all nine math chapters completed
Three additional assessments for each math chapter completed
A monthly math prompt
Four Classroom Assessments Based on Standards (CABS) per social studies chapter (20 total)
Four CABS assessments per science chapter (20 total)
Four CABS assessments per health chapter (20 total)

I recently learned that my students will also be expected to complete four benchmark assessments beginning in the 2010-11 school year.

This list does not include the pre- and post-Marzano vocabulary tests (which I refuse to have my students complete because the assessment design is entirely developmentally inappropriate) or the writing and math portfolios we are required to keep.”

Click here to read Kelly McMahon’s full story, Testing Kindergarten.

Back in 2002 my friend Debbie Meier gave me a copy of Susan Ohanian’s book What Happened to Recess and Why are our Children Struggling in Kindergarten? I always remember the opening of the book where Ohanian talks about the protections that animals and insects have on Hollywood film sets. Apes on movie sets have time and space to play – and the American Humane Association is there to enforce the scheduled breaks. Why don’t our children have the same rights? Sadly, things have only gotten worse since Ohanian’s book was published. With Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top and the push for national core standards, I worry how much worse things can get. For more food foe thought, check out Alfie Kohn’s essay in Education Week - Debunking the Case for National Standards: One-Size-Fits-All Mandates and Their Dangers.

The disappearance of play is a systemic problem, and I’ll do what I can by talking with district leaders and sharing the Alliance for Childhood’s report Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. I am thankful for my sons’ teachers who are doing what they can to keep the learning playful, and I will do what I can to help kindergarten classrooms everywhere return to developmentally appropriate “kinder gardens”.

P.S. With the launching of the new Empowered by Play website (don’t you love it?!) I have crossed over from Blogger to WordPress. Some posts imported nicely, others are a little funky – with spacing issues, etc. If you see any links that aren’t working or anything else seriously amiss, please let me know. Thanks!

Empowered by Play update

Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin M.Ed. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Today I played the game “3 Foot Ninja” on the MilkRocks! website. This is the website advertised on school milk cartons in grades K-12 throughout the country. Well, I wasn’t too good at the game, and quickly died a gruesome death – with my red blood spilling out. Nice way to start the day.

I urge you to contact Milk Media, the company running the “Milk Rocks! Plug in. Drink up.” campaign in schools. You can email them at info@milkmedia.com or info@milkrocks.com. They claim to be concerned about children’s health and well-being, but their motivation seems unclear. Urging kids to go online and play video games isn’t in children’s best interests. To me, Milk Media is taking advantage of the trust that kids have in their schools and pulling a fast one on parents who don’t even realize their kids are being marketed to this way.

I also contacted my local dairy, which supplies my son’s school and heard back for them today. They are “no longer participating in national campaigns promoting websites, movies or any media venue.” Now that is the type of email that makes my day.

For related posts, see

Healthy Media Choices: follow-up, reflection and new directions

Geralyn — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Thanks to all of you who tuned in on Tuesday to the Healthy Media Choices Hour radio show. It was great fun for me, and talking with Mary Rothschild was a perfect opportunity to cross-pollinate and share ideas. Look on her site for a link to Mary’s blog, too.

We talked about so much, but of course afterwards there was even more that I thought about. Luckily the on-going blog gives me the chance to continue the conversation. One great resource, which I am honored to have contributed to, is the book So Sexy So Soon by Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne. The book is now available in paperback it is an invaluable resource for all parents (toddlers through teens). I know that Jean has been on The Healthy Media Choices Hour talking about the book, and this is a shout out about the new paperback edition and the newly launched blog!

In the interview did I make clear that good teaching is a craft? That one reason why good teachers are leaving the field due to No Child Left Behind. They are too smart and too creative to be fulfilled in a job of scripted curriculum. Good teachers are good thinkers and need to be in places that are interesting and stimulating. Losing skilled teachers is part of the fallout from NCLB. As I’ve said in the past, Debbie Meier is an expert at starting schools that are interesting places for students and for teachers. It is not only possible – it is essential.

I also loved the question one listener emailed, about me getting money from companies I endorse. As I stated on the show, my endorsements are free. I simply believe that people who are doing good work on behalf of kids deserve to be recognized. Parents and kids are constantly marketed to by companies more concerned about growing cradle-to-grave consumers than they are about growing thinkers and doers. I also aim to celebrate great toys simply because the current world is saturated with absolutely terrible toys.

Finally, I recently added a link on my blog for folks who are looking to host workshops for parents and teachers on the topics presented in the blog. I have been presenting for years at schools and conferences across the country, and now that my sons are starting school, I will have more time for presenting again. Thanks, again to everyone – we’ll see where the new (school) year brings us…

"I have an idea!"

Geralyn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

This morning, my sons and their cousin spent and hour playing a game they have invented. They call it “Hot Wheels Checkers” and it involves a chalk-drawn grid and sets of like-colored cars. The elaborate game continues to evolve in complexity every time they play it. “I have an idea!” one of them exclaimed to the others as he offered a new twist on the game.

“I have an idea!” These are four of my favorite words. When listening (both as a mom and a teacher) to young ones playing, I cherish hearing children use those powerful words. To me, it is evidence that their brain is fully engaged in the activity. I’ve heard it many times when children are building with wooden blocks or Legos, making up stories with puppets and dolls, or just playing outside together. I had a group of students one year who were fascinated with building domino chain reactions. They built, tested, came up with new ideas and retested – continually sharing ideas to make the chain reactions better.

My husband once told me about a study he read about (in a column written by movie critic Roger Ebert). Researchers studied the brain activity of children playing a video game. The children knew nothing of the rules of the game, and at first recorded high brain activity. But as soon as they had figured the game out, brain activity lessened considerably. I haven’t been able to locate the study, and am interested in reading it, as it is evidence to support my idea about ideas. If you know about this study, and can forward the information, I would greatly appreciate it!

Hmm, I am now thinking about dusting off and re-reading my copy of Eleanor Duckworth’s book,“The Having of Wonderful Ideas” and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning and Deborah Meier’s The Power of Their Ideas !