Friday, February 15, 2008

AWNM Play Fishbowl/LiveBlog Per. 4

Participants for February 15th LiveBlog:

Kelly Dignan:
Kelly is CEO and founder of PursueU a company she began for young women committed to discovering who they are and where they want to go in their life and career. Their goal at PursueU is to share stories of women doing amazing things, techniques to better understand ourselves, and ideas that have the power to change us (and the world). Kelly lives in Littleton, CO and is a parent of an LPS student.

Mike Porter:
Mike is the Assistant Director of Instructional Technology in Littleton Public Schools. He is a former Language Arts teacher and a parent of an LPS student.

Tim Stahmer:
Tim is an Instructional Technology Specialist working in the Office of Instructional Technology Integration for an overly-large school district on the Virginia side of Washington DC. He taught middle and high school math as well as computer literacy. For the past 11 years he has helped teachers, administrators and others at all levels make sense of technology in their classrooms and, of course, repaired a few computers and printers along the way. These days he works mostly with the technology trainers in elementary schools.

201 comments:

1 – 200 of 201   Newer›   Newest»
Kelly Dignan said...

Hi everyone. I'm looking forward to our session tomorrow. Here's a question: Which video games could be implemented in this class (Honors Lanugage Arts) in order to enhance your learning? Are there any? Kelly

Tim said...

Hi Everyone, it's nice to be with you this morning (afternoon where I am).

Karl Fisch said...

We'll get started in a couple of minutes.

Kelly Dignan said...

Are we using MeBeam or Ustream?

Tim said...

MeBeam is working well

Karl Fisch said...

looks like mebeam is working okay

Tim said...

Is it possible to play in a "serious" subject like science? Isn't experimenting just play in a different form?

Tasha P said...

I don't necessarily think that just because Pink didn't give very many examples means that there aren't video games that are useful. There are games that are kind of boring that are specifically designed to train a part of the brain. But the other games that are more popular may have some sort of hidden task for the brain, it's just not as obvious so people say, "this video game is pointless".

Kelly Dignan said...

I'm not a big game player. Guess I've had a strong work ethic driven into me since I was a little girl. When I read this book 3 years ago, I decided to play a little more. Video games aren't my favorite (although I can sorta play Scooby Doo). But I am playing golf more than before, since reading this book

marissas said...

Yes, I believe that there is a way to incorporate play into every aspect of learning. I think that any type of hands-on activity in school is a form of play. So, yes I think that expermenting in Science class could be considered as play.

jkeefer said...

I believe that any situation can be made into play. By doing this, wouldn't the situation become more fun?

rachelseverson said...

Yes - 'play' can take place in a multitude of contexts. I think it's more of a state of mind than a pysical action, like playing a video game.

Alexm said...

Kelly,
I really don't think that there are any video games that really help with language art skills. But there are games that boost creativity and you need creativity in order to create interesting essays, stories, and poems.

Kelly Dignan said...

I think "play" releases stress and helps us think more clearly

Tim said...

I think Pink is using videogames as just one example of play. He also mentions a variety of types of games and not just the shoot-em-ups.

Tasha P said...

I think experimenting is in fact a kind of play. You're "playing around" with different outcomes of a problem. Science can be play in my opinion; I think science should be fun, but most people don't give it a chance to be interesting so they label it as boring, or not fun.

Anna K said...

I can see how playing video games in your leisurely time helps you to relax, but how will this help you in the real world?

Kelly Dignan said...

Alexm - good point. We do need creativity to write well.

Sydney said...

Tim, I completely agree. I don't think that you have to make science a "serious" subject. Experimenting is like play in another form. For example, I still remember to this day that when I was in 4th grade, my science class played a game to learn about habitats. It was so enjoyable, it has stuck with me, five years later.

Maddie T. said...

I understand that videogames can be helpful for learning, and others can be helpful for strategizing, but I really just don't see the connection when some games have the point of killing people. Some of the objects or ideas in games,such as killing, are not necessary, and without that, I think games would be used much more.

Tim said...

Alexm: would it be possible to create games to improve language arts skills?

Alexm said...

Jason,
Can even big deadlines at a workplace be made into play? If so how?

KiraW said...

I find that play is not a very crutial part of life and everyday work. The quote "Work before play" it is clear that they are two seperate subjects. Are they merging in our generation?

Mike Porter said...

Has anyone looked at the workplace environment at places like Google or Nike--do they incorporate play into their work force?

Jacque said...

Tasha-
You raise an interesting point. Do you think teens and children are ever going to play the few games specifically designed for educational purposes. Most view these games as boring and thus play only the pointless “mind-numbing” sorts of games.

Tim said...

Madisont: some games have killing as one of their objectives but are those the only form of play that Pink discusses?

marissas said...

this is Karly
What do you think about the educational gaming software now avalabe to young children? Are there better ways to learn important skills then gaming?

Anna K said...

I agree with you kiraw. Play and work are different. You should love your job, but that doesn't mean that you have to play. If you love your job, you will put in a lot of time and effort.

Kelly Dignan said...

Good question about deadlines in the workplace. When I was leading a fairly large company, we created "mini-games". We'd set a quarterly goal and a reward (like a limo ride or chair massages). If we made the goal, we all got the reward. It worked.

DennisRocks said...

In my opinion, video games can assist an individual in visualizing a problem and ultimately solving it using wit. A substantial population has adopted the stereotype that videogames are simply point and shoot platforms and have no useful value; this may be a factually correct title for a minority of games, but a sizeable majority of videogames actually have adopted beneficial qualities. Some more notable include solving problems abstractly (as noted above) and improving hand- eye coordination, a necessity for many outdoor "more productive" activities.

Tasha P said...

Kelly, I agree that play releases stress because it's a way of letting go and relaxing. It clears the mind of virtually everything so it can concentrate on the game or whatever form of play it is. Also, I think that play can create more focus (mainly video games). If you concentrate really hard every time you play a certain game, that could eventually lead to focus in non-video game situations.

jkeefer said...

big deadlines? If course they can,by making the project into a sort of "competition". By having this competition take place, would you not think that the result will be quick and high quality?

Mike Porter said...

World of Warcraft is used by European and Asian students to practice their English--merger of play and practice

Sydney said...

Kira, I think that it's a personality difference between "Work before play." Many people like to relax/play before getting a job done, and some find it rewarding to play after work. They could be merging, but I think that people will do what they want.

Anna K said...

jkeefer
If you love your job, you will want to do well and get the project done with out "competition"

Kelly Dignan said...

My kids just went to a Teens for Peace camp with kids from the Muslim school, the African American Community Center, the Jewish Community Center, the Chinese School. The whole weekend was playing. The kids all learned about leadership, character, trust and peace.

rachelseverson said...

I agree with Madison - the only affect I can see games centered around killing having is desensitizing people to violence. These types of games are not the only ones Pink discusses. When we look at games in general and how they relate to play, however, it's hard to ignore the negative affect many of them can have.

Maddie T. said...

Jason:
But if you had a competition, do you think the quality of the work would turn out better?

KiraW said...

In the inner circle, they are talking about interactions by the phone. How does this connect with play?

marissas said...

Kira,
Yes I think that people are getting tired of the same old thing.. like going to work day after day. They think that incorporating play and hands-on activities into their daily lives will make their lives more exciting. Personally I think that work is a time to work and play is for your free time. People shouldn't get paid to go to work and "play."

marissas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kelly Dignan said...

I think we can play games in the workplace that aren't competitive. If the whole teams works together, they can get a prize or "win".

Tasha P said...

I agree with Anna and Kira, play and work should have a very distinct line between them. You should enjoy the kind of work you do; but you should know when to stop the play and focus with effort. Play should be a part of almost everything we do, but it shouldn't be an enormous part of everthing we do.

Mike Porter said...

http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/essay/bryant-MMORPGs-for-SLA

Kelly Dignan said...

I heard the term "plork" - play + work.

It seems too much like "dork" to me. :-)

Anna K said...

It's a wonderful thing to play after your work is done, but work is serious and you need to do your best. If you love your job, you will.

Alexm said...

Tim,
I think it would be difficult to make a game that boosts language art skills because language is a left side of the brain activity and play is a right side of the brain activity.

Kelly Dignan said...

There are companies like eBags who have foosball tables in their offices. Personally, that seems a little distracting. I'd rather see work-related games going on.

Tim said...

marissas: isn't it possible to play at your work? Play not the form of videogames necessarily but playing with new ideas that might improve whatever your job is.

jkeefer said...

but what if you don't love your job? You can't always just leave it and go to one that you do...

Kelly Dignan said...

If you were a leader/manager, what would do to make sure people had fun at work and that they liked their work?

Anna K said...

Why do we need "competitions" to be able to do our best? Shouldn't we already be motivated enough?

Tim said...

alexm: Scrabble?

Maddie T. said...

jkeefer::
if you don't like your job, what are you doing there? you can leave it if you know you will be more successful with the job you do want

Anna K said...

If you don't love your job, you should try something else. You need to love your job to be able to have a great life.

Jacque said...

Last night, I was surfing cnn.com (obtaining my daily fill of everything political) and saw that there was yet another school shooting which occurred yesterday. For as long as I remember, these shootings have been a part of my life. As a child, I remember seeing news of the Columbine shootings, and being unable to comprehend this. Within the last year multiple shooting rampages have occurred in schools, malls, and even places of worship. As I discussed these horrific occurrences with my father, he sighed and told me when he was a kid school shootings just didn’t happen, but now they are almost a commonplace in the news. I’m not suggesting video games are the only cause of this violence, because I don’t believe that is true. But, I think they are a major part of a culture in which we “play” at violence and this saddens me greatly. I think in this sense “play” actually undermines empathy.

DennisRocks said...

Like Natasha said, there should be a distinct barrier differentiating between work and play. Play is good, but not necessary to accomplish strict left brained tasks such as math.

Alexm said...

Jason,
I think making a deadline a competition might make the work higher quality because competition makes you work harder and if you work harder on something it is often higher quality.

Tasha P said...

Jaclyn
I think that children should be exposed to those sort of educational-building games at an early age. I know that me and my brother played games like that (we played Math Blaster, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Adventures), and I know that we aren't the only ones who played those games. I will admit they get a little boring after a while, but I'm not suggesting that kids play educational games for 4 or 5 straight hours; maybe 1 or 2 hours. And I know that when kids get older and they start playing all the games that popular opinion thinks as "pointless and mind-melting", they can get just as sick of those. I get sick of the video games I play after a while.

jkeefer said...

what if you are doing it for the money? And, what if the job/profession that you want is not available? Are you just going to wait 2 years on welfare?

marissas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
marissas said...

Tim
Yes, I think that it just depends on the type of "play". If the play relates to the type of work getting done and work is actually getting done I think it is ok to incorporate play into work.

Sydney said...

Anna, that's a really good question. Why do we need competitons to be able to do our best. I believe that it has to go back to what Pink keeps saying that Americans are in routine mode. Competitions make rountine more interesting.

Anna K said...

Money doesn't make people happy. It's their success in life that does.

Tim said...

Anna K: I agree! If you have to work (haven't won the lottery yet :-), you should always strive to find something you love and that someone will pay you to do. To me, that's the definition of success.

Maddie T. said...

jkeefer::
In the world today, many people do it for the money. Then why would they want the competition if they want to be the best at what they do?

rachelseverson said...

Play doesn't always only refer to games - I think play also has to do with opening your mind up to new, crazy ideas that you otherwise never would have considered. When you play around, new combinations and solutions can arise amoung all the wierd ideas.

KiraW said...

There are many ways to foucus our attention. Is play a way that some people can fousus in?

Alexm said...

Tim,
Scrabble is a good game that increases Language Arts because it requires creativity. You have to come up with the most interesting words you can with what you have.

marissas said...

This is Karly
I think that when you are having fun learning and workig you are able to relax and learn better. This can also make your work more creative.

Tim said...

rachels: I think that's exactly what Pink is trying to get at.

DennisRocks said...

Anna, money does help personal in fulfillment. This can result in happiness, so money can procure happiness.

jkeefer said...

what if money is your definition of success? You can't critique someone who has a higher goal than happiness. An example would be the movie "family Man". Cage plays a man that does it solely for the money

Kelly Dignan said...

How much do you laugh? Does it make you feel better when you do?

Sydney said...

Dennis, if money can produce happiness, then why are Americans so unhappy?

Anna K said...

But you don't have to play to have fun. You need to take work seriously. Say your a doctor, you have to take your job seriously. You can't have fun and relax. You need to know when is the time to play and when is the time to concentrate.

Sethd said...

I believe that the most successful way to incorporate play is to find equilibrium between enjoying what task is at hand and working. If there is no element of play one can get a lot of work done but it would be less enjoyable. What do you think is better: work and no play or play and no work? Why?

marissas said...

This is Karly
Play can be a useful part of learning but their needs to be a balance and it needs to be constructive and help us learn because that is what we are here for.

Mike Porter said...

Great comment in the inner circle about the difference between focused play and goofing off... that can be a slippery slope.

KiraW said...

Rachel,
I agree! I think that play is a state of mind as well as the physical part of it. Think about it. If you have a PE class and you play volleyball, you are playing, but do you always love doing it?

Anna K said...

Money could be your definition of success, but that doesn't mean your going to be happy when you get it.

Tasha P said...

Sydney
How many Americans are unhappy? I don't know very many unhappy people. Can you clarify that?

jkeefer said...

Sydney, are they really? A poll can't tell just how many are happy vs. unhappy. You can't take a poll of everyone in the U.S. that would be a Huge result.... Good luck gettin that #

Kelly Dignan said...

I just went to a whole class on happiness. Everyone has a different definition of what makes them happy. But there's a guy named Marty Seligman who has researched it. You can go to www.authentichappiness.com and a take some assessments (for free) to check out how happy you are.

rachelseverson said...

Something discussed in the inner circle was that we don't go to school only to learn. I think this is a great point, and that we go to school not only to become knowledgeble about new information, but also to be able to bring in aspects of play to make our work more enjoyable and creative.

Jacque said...

I think some of the best classes I’ve ever taken involved absolutely no play. I have to work hard in math to achieve the grades I desire, and (based on my own experiences) the classes in which I learned and understood the most were those that involved little or no play and were completely “nose to the grindstone.” The absence of play in the classroom actually allowed me to play more because it halved the amount of time I forced to spend doing math in the evening, allowing me to do more of the activities I enjoy.

DennisRocks said...

Sydey, how can you make such a generalization- where's your evidence supporting the claim that America is "unhappy"? On the contrary, the United States is the most technologically advanced planet; we earn hordes of cash to produce the highest quality of life available.

Alexm said...

Kelly,
Laughing always makes feel better. When I'm streesed out one of the best things I can do is to go see my friends and just hang out and laugh. Is there ever a time laughing makes you feel bad?

Maddie T. said...

jkeefer::
But do you feel money is happiness? To some people, maybe, but think about the evolving culture we have. There is so much we all have to learn, and from the proof of our world today, (consider ipods, cell phones, and houses, cars), our world is happy most of the time when we have money. It might be insincere, but most people need money to be happy, at least in the US.

Sydney said...

Tasha: Pink states that people aren't flfilled in their lives. For example, if you remember in the video we watched. People's happiness rate has stayed the same, while money has increased.

Tim said...

TashaP and jkeefer: I agree. I don't think large numbers of people in the US are unhappy. Even people in unhappy circumstances tend to find ways to laugh and have fun.

Mike Porter said...

And there have been surveys on a country's happiness index--they are controversial, but you might be surprised to see how countries stack up against each other. Generally, the US does quite well. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_national_happiness

Kelly Dignan said...

Research shows that laughter increases catecholomines in our body which balances out Cortisol. Cortisol is BAD!! It comes from stress and causes heart disease, cancer, wrinkles, gray hair, puffy eyes, all that stuff none of us want to get.

Sydney said...

I'm not trying to make a huge generalization, I was just trying to ask why people's happiness rate has stayed the same, while money has increased.

Anna K said...

I believe that laughing is great! I love laughing! I agree with the inner circle you need to have something to laugh at. Why do we need to go to certain places like a laughing club?

KiraW said...

Kelly,
I love to laugh, but I find that there needs to be a point to your laughter. If you laugh it is better if it is sincere rather than not.

rachelseverson said...

Despite America having a relativley high quality of life, depession medications are at the same time a huge industry. What do you think this says about America's "happiness" level?

Alexm said...

Do you think people who have been through worse situations in there life are more likely to be happy because they have appreciation for life?

Tasha P said...

Jaclyn
That's exactly how I feel also; if I'm taking a really intense class with virtually no play, I'm motivated to do well so I can say "I passed a hard class". I feel better saying that than I do "I passed an easy class." It gives me a more accomplished feeling. Also, in my case, if I'm constantly doing work for hard classes and I have not much free time, I'm even more motivated to do well and get done with the work or the class so then I can play when I'm done, like Jaclyn said. Play is like a reward for me, and I'm sure that's how other people feel also.

Maddie T. said...

I feel that laughing is not just something that you found funny. Laughter is something that makes you feel better, even if it wasn't funny. Think about when you have laughed with your friends- I am laughing because I am happy to be in their company and I am having such a good time.

Kelly Dignan said...

uh oh. Just lost the sound of the inner circle. Anyone else ?

Tim said...

Do you think your teachers take school too seriously?

Anna K said...

I think happiness depends on the person. They need to love what they do and really appreciate life. You don't have to have been through a bad situation to appreciate life and what you have.

Sydney said...

Kira, I completely agree. I think that there needs to be a point to the laughter. During class when we paricipated in that laugh activity, I did not leave that activity feeling any better than I did before.

Karl Fisch said...

@kelly - still no sound?

Kelly Dignan said...

Kiraw - good point about having something real to laugh about. I made a list of my friends who make me laugh. Not all friends do - some are kinda a drain. Anyway, I make sure I see my funny friends more than the others.

Jacque said...

I don’t think happiness can be measured by any sort of test. I don’t even think people ought to call themselves “happy” or “unhappy.” There are so many different aspects of our lives which we can be happy or unhappy about. What is “happy” and how can we create accurate statistics when we are basing the research on divergent definitions of happiness.

Tim said...

Lost the signal from the classroom. I guess we're back to just text. :-)

jkeefer said...

It depends on the teacher I believe. Some teachers are happy-go-lucky, other are "let's get down to business".

Tasha P said...

Sydney,
How does Pink know for a solid fact that people are unfulfilled in their lives. True, he says that the weathiness has increased, but how does he know that the happiness in this ENTIRE country is the same? And like Tim said, people always find some way to enjoy something, in most cases, laughter.

Sethd said...

alex
I believe the more a person appreciates life the happier they are. They learn not to take something for granted and love it.

Kelly Dignan said...

Karl - no sound. Ideas?

rachelseverson said...

I agree with anna k - to incorporate more laughter in my life I would prefer to laugh about genuinely funny things, not be with a group and say "ha ha ho ho" over and over again. This type of laughter seems more fake and manufactured.

marissas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
marissas said...

Hilary, I totally agree. It doesn't characterize your gender. When you are young you just do whatever seems fun. My little brother used to play with barbies and I was completely opposite. I hated dolls and always wanted to play sports. As young children you don't care what "society demands".

Tim said...

sound and picture back

DennisRocks said...

I completely agree with Jaclyn and Natasha. Classes with an abundance of play are too easy and unhelpful. We attend school to learn, not to play informally.

Tasha P said...

Jaclyn, I agree how do you know that someone is really happy?

Alexm said...

Is play always a reward or can it be a way to blow off steam?

Anna K said...

What does this show about society? We have to go to a laughing club just to laugh? If you can laugh for no reason all the time, why do people have to go to a laughing club?

Sydney said...

Tasha,
I believe Pink's solid fact was that products on how to live a more fulfilled life are going up.

marissas said...

This is karly
I LOVE laughing! I disagree that you need to have a reason to laugh, as long as it is sincere. I laugh for no reason all the time. Is it wrong to laugh just cause?

jkeefer said...

People go to laughing clubs so they don't "stick out". Some people are more insecure than others

Karl Fisch said...

@kelly - should be back. If you don't have sound/video, try exiting the mebeam room and coming back in.

Tim said...

Think about how you learned before you started school. Didn't most of your learning come from playing?

rachelseverson said...

I think when we view difficult homework or classes as things to be comleted or only passed, play can make them more enjoyable and bring in more depth. Instead of working to finish homework so you can go play, wouldn't you prefer to be having fun doing the work and learning?

Anna K said...

jkeefer How does laughing make you stick out?

Sydney said...

jkeefer, could you clarify what you are trying to say.

Sydney said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sethd said...

marissas
I think you have mixed up spontaneous laughing with laughing for no reason at all. Unless you sit in you room and laugh which I highly doubt.

Maddie T. said...

I as a child, was always playful- I could never stop playing, and thats what got me in trouble lots of times- but to me, I was always laughing, and I am told I was a happy baby. So, now being an optimistic person, I feel that looking back, my childhood might have had something to do with my life right now.

marissas said...

Yes, I think that before we went to school, we just subconsciously learned from our environment.

jkeefer said...

Laughing out loud in a library...that's a tad weird. In a laughing club, everyone is laughing. BONDING OCCURS!!

Tasha P said...

Anna, I agree because I think laughter clubs are taking laughter a little too far. It seems a little odd to laugh for almost an hour. I'm not against laughing, I just feel that if people aren't positive enough on life then sure, go to a laughter club if you want; but you don't HAVE to just to be more "playful". If someone is already happy in life, why should they go to a laughter club if they laugh regularly?

Jacque said...

Laughter can not be sincere unless there is a reason behind it. When people laugh at everything like they’re “slap-happy” 24/7 it really bothers me. If there is no reason to laugh, the laughter is meaningless and often superficial. If there is no reason to laugh the laughter is by DEFINITION empty.

Kelly Dignan said...

Karl - I'm back on

Sydney said...

jkeefer, why a library?

Anna K said...

There are plenty of places to laugh besides a library. What about at your house, a movie, at work? I don't think laughing at nothing creates bonds. Laughing at a legitimate reason creates bonds.

Maddie T. said...

I hate the gender issue! I was never brought up to play with dolls- yes i was given dolls, but i preferred to play with the dinosaur toys and go outside and play and get dirty. I was quite the tomboy. And that was natural. But think about the society's standards. What if a boy wanted to go fix his hair with bows, or play with a doll. People would think that was strange. Have boys been choked down in our society because of what is popular or what is politically correct?

Tim said...

Is a laughing club any different from other activities people do in a group? I think it's pretty silly when friends go out in groups of four to hit a little ball around 18 large parks.

marissas said...

This is Karly
Why do you doubt that I just sit around and laugh? I love to laugh. My greatest fear is that I will loose the ability to laugh.

Tasha P said...

I agree with Jaclyn. Laughter is important, but if you're someone who laughs at everything or giggles obnoxiously at everything, then it definatley annoying. If you laugh at something that is actually funny, then that's OK.

KiraW said...

Awesome question! What is "society"?

jkeefer said...

Maybe reading a funny book.... At a horror movie, are you going to laugh hysterically?

Jacque said...

Tim-
When I was a child, though I did learn from play, most of my learning came from questioning.

Kelly Dignan said...

Is society synonomous with culture?

Just curious.

Tim said...

KiraW: good question. Are the multiple "societies"? Could you belong to more than one?

Alexm said...

I don't think you have to go to a laughing club to laugh, you just have to enjoy the people around that are around you and laugh with them.

Maddie T. said...

jkeefer::
again, it just depends on the person- some people laugh so they can not feel as scared during a horror movie- maybe it isn't the right time and definitely not something you are using to bond, but there are still ways to laugh
it is very individualistic

Kelly Dignan said...

What role does the media and trends play in culture or "society"?

Sydney said...

Jkeefer, I have laughed hysterically during a horror movie.

Anna K said...

You are only giving one example of a place where someone might not feel comfortable. There are plenty of other places where you are able to laugh without feeling uncomfortable.

Sethd said...

alexm
i agree with you. when people enjoy those around them, it is basic human instinct to interact and eventually you will laugh

rachelseverson said...

I agree with Karly - without laughter I think I would loose a huge part of my life. Laughter is a big part of how I interact with people, and it's important to incorporate it into everyday life.

Tim said...

Jacque: "most of my learning came from questioning" Keep doing that!! I've found that asking questions is usually the best way to learn and continue growing.

Alexm said...

Tim,
You can belong to more than one society, I think being bilingual might qualify you to be part of a different society.

DennisRocks said...

Sydney, Anna, the main point here is that laughing can sometimes be detrimental. When its out of context, laughter should be avoided. Like Pink says "there is a time to play and a time to be serious".

Maddie T. said...

If laughter was non existent in this world, I don't know what I would be like- I know I am laughing almost all the time, just because I am happy- I am very optimistic, and I love to hang out with friends- I find many things funny and almost everything amusing- does that set me apart, just because I laugh perhaps a little more than other people?

marissas said...

This is karly
I have laughed during a horror movie before and I do not think that is strange because often times producers will add really funny stuff inbetween the scary stuff.

Kelly Dignan said...

Thanks for getting us back on the topic of play!

Jacque said...

Tim-
The difference is that sports are an expression of skill and passion in that sport, while laughter clubs are supposedly an expression of “joy”. I completely disagree with this, because I believe that forced, meaningless laughter actually robs the laughter of joy.

Tim said...

Dennis K: "there is a time to play and a time to be serious"
Is there an easy way to tell the difference?

Anna K said...

Dennis, exactally! Pink just contradicted himself if that is really what he said. He is saying that we need play to be successful. If he said that there is a time for play and a time to be serious, then that just proves that they are not related.

Tasha P said...

Dennis, I agree with you because play shouldn't be put into every part of your life. There are times when play should be avoided. Now that I think about it, play and enjoying something are two different things. If you're enjoying something, that doesn't mean you're "playing". It's not OK to play at work but it is OK to enjoy it.

KiraW said...

Marissa,
I agree. To have a girl playing with boys and doing boyish things is not totally crazy, but a boy playing with "girl" things is wierd. It's kinda like the time of women sufferage. It was wierd back then to have a girl in sports, but now nobody even thinks about it. Do you think that we will see boys doing these things that are "wierd" as normal in our lifetime?

Maddie T. said...

Anna::
but if Pink admits himself that the time to play and the time to be serious, then where is the contradiction? He did say we need play to be successful, but he never said we need it to be in every second of our lives

Tim said...

Jacque: the way my friends play golf its more about socializing than skill. :-)
But socialization is also largely the point of the laughter clubs.

DennisRocks said...

Exactly Natasha! Joyfulness can still be encountered in the absence of play!

jkeefer said...

I admit, having a mixed gender football game is a lot more fun. It can sway in either way... and everyone usually gets a chance to shine.

rachelseverson said...

Traditionally, the distinction between a time of work and a time to play has been when you're working at a job and when you have time off and you're tyring to relax. Do you think this has changed?

Anna K said...

MadisonT He said that we need to use the sense of play in everyday life in order to be successful. If he also says that there is time for play and time to be serious, then he is saying two different things.

Maddie T. said...

I agree with Dennis- joyfulness can still be there, even when you are not in play- i agree because even when i may not be playing a game, or laughing at a joke, I know I like feeling happy

Anna K said...

I agre with you jkeefer. Having a mixed football game is a ton of fun!

Anna K said...

I agree with Dennis and madisont, you are able to achieve happiness without play.

marissas said...

Exactly Anna, I feel that Pink contradicts himself by saying that play is a necessitiy and that there is a time for play and a time to be serious. So which is it?

Maddie T. said...

Anna::
"we need to use the sense of play in everyday life in order to be successful"

if he said this then why isn't this statement correct? he specifically says that we need it in everyday life, but in that statement he never says that play should be evident in every minute of your lifetime

Sydney said...

Are there times where laughing is inappropiate? Is the Conceptual Age going to make those time appropiate? For example, in class when I laughed, that was considered inappropiate, but if play should be involved in everyday life, why is it inappropiate?

Tasha P said...

Anna, he's saying that play should be exercised in everyday life, that doesn't mean that it's used in every single minute of every single day: "there's a time to play and there is a time to be serious"

Anna K said...

Madisont, by saying that there are different times for both of them, he is saying that they are two different things.

jkeefer said...

Sydney:
I believe that there are different times and places for everything.

Maddie T. said...

jkeefer:
exactly- i know how much fun it is for me to be able to play "tackle football" the mindset that girls can't play "guy" sports is completely off- i know how much i love to hang with the guys and do tomboy activities

Jacque said...

Tim
I don’t really think heaving your diaphragm up and down (laughing) meaninglessly is a form of socialization. Socialization involves TALKING and THINKING together. But you cannot talk when you’re making meaningless “ho ho ha ha” sounds, and Pink states the point of these clubs is “thought-free laughter.” Thought-free laughter is superficial and hollow laughter.

Sydney said...

Jkeefer: What about during the Conceptual Age, will that change?

Maddie T. said...

anna, isn't it possible to have two sense in one day? are you saying it is impossible to be having fun one minute, and then be serious the next?

Tasha P said...

About my earlier comment, I'm saying that he's not contradicting himself.

DennisRocks said...

Madison, I completely agree! Play just seems out of context. His whole book revolves around the three A's- why doesn't play? Pink never actually justifies his claim that play is needed- WHY is it needed- to be healthy, sure, but how does this pertain to automation, abundance and Asia??

rachelseverson said...

Sydney - great point. However, I think laughter during class is discouraged when it distracts from the learning. When I laugh in class, it's usually not about anything connected to the lesson. Maybe classroom learing could change to incorporate more play by offering more opportunities for laughter connected to what is being taught.

marissas said...

Sydney, I think it just depends on the situation. Obviously you are not going to burst out laughing at a serious place like a funeral or a business meeting. I don't think Pink is saying that play should be incorporated into EVERYthing. He is just saying that sometimes play can help in learning.

Kelly Dignan said...

On the topic of socializing, I think we're all wired to be in groups - even if we're introverted. We need "community". Sports and games are one way we get that.

jkeefer said...

I doubt it, by having a time and place for everything, it makes that time when laughing, a lot more special.

Tasha P said...

Thanks Madison! That's exactly what I mean!

Sydney said...

rachel, but aren't we trying to say that play or laughing should be involed in learning?

Tim said...

Jacque: good point. Maybe the laughter clubs are not the best example of what I was trying to say. :-)

Anna K said...

Of course it is possible to have two senses in one day. But what Pink is saying is that you should apply them in the same thing you are doing like work for example but by saying that there are different times for both, then you are saying that they are different things.

Kelly Dignan said...

Are there any introverts in the room there who still like to belong to a group?

rachelseverson said...

I completely agree with Dennis - play seems like an aptitude more suited to a self-help book, not a book about staying ahead in business. Are there ways that play protects against the 'three A's'?

Tim said...

Thanks for the good discussion.

Kelly Dignan said...

Thanks for having me join!! Kelly

Karl Fisch said...

The bell's about to ring. Thanks Kelly and Tim.

Sydney said...

Marissa, good point. However, I know for a fact that during some business meetings that they usually say a joke or something of that sorts.

«Oldest ‹Older   1 – 200 of 201   Newer› Newest»