¡This is PLAYLEE Colombia!
We have often heard about experiential education in different contexts, but little is said about its impact on current education, which leads us to show how various learning techniques based on play-recreation that generate meaningful experiences allow participants to access knowledge in a creative and fun way. Taking advantage of these experiential techniques we demarcate a path of mental limitations that deny us the entrance to the world of learning.
PLAYLEE arises as a bet that seeks to face the traditional limitations that emerge when learning English, creatively using different activities that will be detailed throughout this report, in order to demarcate the learning styles that can be applied in the educational praxis. 10 years after its first implementation, it is necessary to convene all PLAYLEE coordinators nationwide to agree on the express guidelines on the methodology of teaching English, not through a lecture session, but from the concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract construction and active experience, which finally as mentioned by Kolb, Honey and Mumford "education should be a connection of the lived and the unknown to ensure lifelong learning". This camp reinforces what has been learned during the 10 years of program implementation and sets new teaching guidelines for the children who come to our program seeking knowledge, fun and play.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP
Juan Fernando Arango, Psychologist, founder of Equipoder Consultores, has been working with his team since 1998 in the management of learning through experiential workshops with educational, business, urban, rural and local populations in Cali and Valle del Cauca. Juan had the privilege of co-creating with the PLAYLEE volunteers in Colombia through the Win-Win methodology, where everyone learns new experiential education techniques. This workshop provides new perspectives on the implementation of the experiential education methodology and allows volunteers to structure a series of experiences so that they can generate a positive influence in the future lives of children. This new training cycle for volunteers is aimed at helping children to prevent them from abuse at an early age, which tends to lead the individual to close and withdraw from others, building a personality characterized by distrust and fear Likewise, the experiences of love will allow them to forge personalities of greater openness towards others, towards the world in general and towards future experiences, as well as to educate them in human rights so that they can become leaders in their communities and defenders of life and good treatment. This camp will seek to develop new materials oriented not only to the teaching of English but also to develop modules in values and human rights for our children.
P L A Y L E E
C H A L L E N G E
The volunteers had the opportunity to lead activities that are implemented in each of their PLAYLEE groups. Each one of them led a game, a song or an activity, individually or in teams, showing the integration between experiential education and knowledge building.
REBUILDING PLAYLEE
Knowing the volunteers, the needs and challenges of the program in the different cities becomes fundamental when a methodology is being implemented in multiple cities, evidencing the cultural diversity of the 8 cities that represent us in the camp For this purpose, a PLAYLEE style integration was carried out, where each participant described their role in their program, their commitments and challenges, carrying out a positive feedback challenge expressed through cards that were decorated and delivered. Each participant made a small card with different representations and colors, then their experiences were shared, as well as ideas for: developing creativity and new activities, training in peace building, generating commitment to teamwork, games to educate in values and human rights, inclusive dynamics, adaptation of new songs, time and dedication of volunteers in the program, how to give the best of themselves, as well as ideas to continue impacting new communities. Each recommendation was explained and posted on a mural
The creation of material workshop was developed in different groups, four activities all with the aim of bringing new activities to PLAYLEE . The first group created a story, where a main character is called "Yuyu". Yuyo represents each girl and boy in our PLAYLEE`s group, and tells how this could be in a different space to their daily lives, in addition to learning English, and perhaps in the future to achieve some goals with the help of learning that can be acquired through PLAYLEE The objective of this character is to educate in values and human rights, as we see the need to improve the program and expand it to new training topics for our children
The second activity was to build dice to recreate important topics in English beyond the everyday ones, such as feelings, values, and virtues of each child. Each one of them will have a question, where kids will answer with their own argument. This activity is aimed at developing the personality of each child who participates in the program as well as providing leadership skills.. The third group had the mission to create situation cards for the children and for the volunteers. These cards will describe situations where short cases of what would you do if... are expressed and will identify children's rights violations as well as strengthen values and talk to them about human rights. The last group contributed to create a game based on human rights and restructure the PLAYLEE ZONE to these new activities
New situational games will be implemented in PLAYLEE to teach values and human rights. Yuyu will be the character to teach through stories and experiences about human rights.
PLAYLEE GAMES
Volunteers had the opportunity to experience a circuit of games focused on the games implemented for evaluation in each of the PLAYLEE. These games were combined with physical activity, games, songs and mental challenges, to provide meaningful experiences not only for them but also for our children Each game station had an experiential learning purpose, which provided our volunteers with tools to develop the planning of the sessions for the children.
CAMPFIRE
The volunteers gathered around the campfire to sing the songs adapted in PLAYLEE, as well as to share typical sweets that each of them brought from their city of origin. This space allowed to reflect on the implementation of the program, share experiences to develop new leadership activities, and to share the movements of the songs This integration allows the cohesion of the group and streghtening of the PLAYLEE family
THANK YOU!
This camp was possible thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Colombia and the support of the Binacional Centers -Colombo Americanos in the cities of Cali, Manizales and Pereira. Thanks to all the volunteers, local coordinators, leaders, members of the Board of Directors of Youth Colombian Leaders Foundation, who make this initiative possible in the 10 years of implementation. PLAYLEE will continue to contribute to the (non-formal) education of children in Colombia. Thank you all for your support!
YOUTH COLOMBIAN LEADERS FOUNDATION has developed this initiative framed in three approaches:
Gender Equality Approach; seeking the balance of participation between men and women in their interventions and spaces.
Multidisciplinary Approach; promoting the inclusion of different participants with academic disciplines or professional specializations in the same field, as well as participants from different programs of the U.S. Embassy in Colombia.
Human Rights Approach; we consider our participants and beneficiaries as rights holders, this is why we promote Human Rights standards and principles derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments including all civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights, and the right to development.
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