Flipping through the “A Plea for Communalist Teaching” (1971) written by Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner again filled me with joy as I (again) found more links with the idea of play as a teaching method. My overviews really take shape with every other book I read, not sure wether it’s fate or my obsession with play that makes me find these links and analogies, and play is now my priority in designing teaching methods.
”A Plea…” argues that the traditional classroom model of teaching is inadequate for preparing students for the modern world and suggests an alternative approach, which the authors call “communalist teaching.” The authors start by criticizing the traditional classroom model, which according to them is based on a hierarchical structure that emphasizes competition, individualism, and a passive learning experience for students. The model is no longer relevant in a society that requires collaboration, critical thinking, and active participation from its members. And here is where a play, which by definition is activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation could be a method delivering communalist teaching. Firstly, it encourages active participation and secondly more often than not also sharing. Of course, if teams come into picture, then competition naturally surfaces, yet competing in a team and as a team is of a value and in opposition to individual aim to achieve.
Creating a community of students in which everyone brings something different to the conversation and where no question is stupid, facilitating such exchange and encourage students to share, is what I would like to explore. Coming from architecture background where, especially during university years, every person works very much for their own image and to be perceived in a specific, one-of-a-kind performance gives me of ‘how it would be like if…’ instead of feeding the ideology of narcissistic romantic (similarly to artists and their work) is simply healthier (recreation is aim of the play) to teach about togetherness and company. Individual ego should remain nurtured and the importance of having one’s own agency is unquestionable, but when paired with partnership and teamwork can bring more fruitful outcomes.
To briefly sum up, a call for educators to rethink the traditional classroom model and embrace a more collaborative and community-based approach to teaching and learning is needed, and play (where for instance the subject discussed or the problem to solve becomes an object that would bounce off the team – group of students – and lead to brainstorm) in turn is not only a more effective in preparing students for the modern world, but also has the potential to create a more equitable society (where everyone plays).
