More Online! by David Blair
Readers may be interested to look at three articles that are to be found in their entirety on the website of the Research Bulletin (http://www.waldorflibrary.org/ResearchBulletin. htm). The first is Saralea Chazan’s study of the
Children’s Developmental Play Instrument (CDPI), reviewed in this issue by Renate Long-Breipohl. Though not prepared by or for Waldorf teachers, the study does reflect a growing scholarly interest in childhood play and its role in learning. Perhaps after reading Dr. Breipohl’s review, one might be inclined to follow the above link to examine the actual study more closely.
To continue download the full article, link above.
Is Technology Producing a Decline in Critical Thinking? David Blair’s review of an article by Patricia Greenfield
As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to research by Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles. Learners have changed as a result of their exposure to technology, says Greenfield, who has analyzed more than 50 studies on learning and technology, including research on multi-tasking and the use of computers, the Internet, and video games. Her research was published in the journal Science Daily. “Reading for pleasure, which has declined among young people in recent decades, enhances thinking and engages the imagination in a way that visual media such as video games and television do not,” Greenfield said.
To continue download the full article, link above.
Review of Saralea E. Chazan, Observing Play Activity:
The Children’s Developmental Play Instrument (CDPI) with Reliability Studies by Renate Long-Breipohl
According to the abstract, “The Children’s Developmental Play Instrument is a multidimensional tool intended for use in observing the play activity of mainstream children.” It was developed by S.E. Chazan, who adapted the “Children’s Play Therapy Instrument” (CDPI) for observations of ‘mainstream’ children, whereas the CDPI is used to evaluate play activity of children with clinical diagnoses. The origin of the CDPI is clearly recognizable by the quality of the range of indicators, beyond the focus of educational research, which focuses mostly on developmental and social aspects of play. The CDPI observational tool is designed to examine not only developmental, cognitive, and emotional aspects of play, but also play styles and the function of play in the adaptation to challenges which a child may face in her own life. In the words of Saralea Chazan: “An emphasis on the function of play activity and the provision of a multidimensional, inclusive, structural framework mark the CDPI as a new contribution to child indicator research.”
To continue download the full article, link above.