Let's Talk about Playification!

Let’s Talk About “Playification” We may have heard of the new buzz word – ‘Gamification – which is the art of teaching our children how to create games on computers – coding and technology. But when did we stop playing with our children? – perhaps a new word ‘Playification’ is more important. We use the word play in so many other ways, we play on words, play the game and play around. When I was studying at Queensland University of Technology in 2014 I used the term ‘Playification’ in one of the courses– I like the term –so did my lecturers - I hope you do to- and understand why the art of playing or Playification’ - is so important in order for us as a society today to learn new skills and abilities in a changing world. Kathryn Hopson MIT LIS About me: My name is Kathryn Hopson and I started in the wonderful world of Information Management in the 1980s. My first role was in a Private boarding school in New South Wales Australia as an Audio Visual Library Assistant –(makes you wonder what the audio- visual technology was as this time right?–I will keep that story for another time)- I then worked my way to becoming a Library Technician in the 90s and worked in Special Libraries including Toy Libraries –yes we actually still have them, (and where I found out I can’t put block games together suitable for a three year old – very frustrating - who designs these toys anyway? -probably future gamers! ). I thoroughly enjoyed working in the The Royal Blind Society in Sydney NSW (where my deaf and visually impaired clients taught me how to play blind cricket – I bet you haven’t heard of this world class sport – and yes I was pretty hopeless- they on the other hand were fantastic at listening for the ball and hitting it with a bat!). I then worked for a short time in Westmead Hospital Library dealing with arrogant doctors and exhausted interns, and then I went into Academic Libraries such as The University of Western Sydney working in three campuses with amazing librarians and faculties and talented students and studied to be Library Technician. Moving onto Public Councils and on accepting a position as their first Library Technician in Caboolture in Queensland. I started my love of children’s services and the joy of playing with children in the world of libraries and literature. I then chose to go back to study and graduated with a Masters of Information Technology –Library Major- through The Queensland University of Technology in 2015. So now my life has come full circle and I am back working in schools. Where I have discovered my gift is to be able to set libraries up from scratch and create viable and exciting places for children to discover and to learn. To instill the love of creativity and play in teachers and parents with their students and to embrace a love of literature. For four years from 2014 – 2017 I was tasked with setting up a Private College library from scratch with over 350 day students and 700 online students with a very tiny budget. With no assistant -I catalogued over 20,000 items and created a Primary school library and a Senior school library for a day school and an online school - Prep to Year 12, and all the literacy enrichment programs that entails. It was the most stressful, but rewarding position I have ever had and it taught me a great deal about children and play and changed my perception of the value of what libraries offer them. I keep all the letters children give to me and these comments shows the depth children feel about us as Librarians and their library- When the library monitors found out I was leaving the school they wrote me so many beautiful letters, this is Bridie aged 8 “Dear Mrs Hopson -tears from my eyes, the sun faiding, this might be the last time I see you again I’m crying”. This one is from Claire aged 8. “You are the best librarian I have ever had, I will really,really,really, really, really Miss you! (Considering I was this schools first librarian they had ever had -what a wonderful compliment I was given! Another Principal who I had worked with before when He was a teacher and knew what I could do. Offered me another job to start again in his new school as their library was struggling. I knew that I had set the last library up to last and to steadily grow and could have relaxed gracefully into this role. Especially since I had grown very attached to the staff and students now that it was all set up. However, I accepted this new position in August 2017 with all the challengers it would bring, I was not disappointed. To assist another Private College’s library to get back on their feet and reintroduce library programs to their students Prep to Year 12 with a Kindergarden as well. The last six months has been amazing – but again that is another story, which I would love to share with you at another time. Let’s Play! As a Librarian professional with years of experience and a wealth of knowledge as well as an absolute passion in turning school libraries around or creating new ones. I also have a great love of supporting students going through their educational journeys in all ages and sharing with them what I do. As a proud mum myself of a grown up son and daughter who are very successful and happy in their lives both professionally and personally –I have found something quite extraordinary has been happening over the years. Where is the time for children to learn through play by themselves with others and especially with their parents -the life lessons they need? So many children play games with technology that doesn’t need a parent to explain the rules or even a friend other than the friends they connect with in a virtual world but not face to face., Or they go to sports games that parents insist they go to – (whether they are good at them or not). But when do mums and dads take the time to play a simple game with their child- one on one such as a card game or board game like checkers? Why do we not see the importance of this simple act of playing together today? Playing together as families has been going on for centuries - however just not this century? Is technology to blame? When was the last time you played a game of monopoly with your family or checkers with your child? Perhaps your family does make the effort - do you find you all have a lot of fun? Why then is this not the norm anymore? Checkers: I find the biggest change I make in creating a successful fun filled school library hub- which is not just about reading and books –(although I love to play with them too when I am reading out loud - have you read “Do not open this book” by Andy Lee – just wonderful! However, I digress). Let’s get back to the simple art of playing games with the students in a school library – my library. Take a year 4 boy aged about 8 who is shy and awkward and doesn’t know how to socialize. Take one librarian who sees said child and says “Hello there”, “Would you like to play a game with me”? The child is nervous and often looks around, reassuringly you say “The game I am going to play with you is called checkers -have you ever heard of it”? Child shakes his head and I say “Would you like to learn”? So straight away we go over to the games table and I quietly go about showing him how to play a game of checkers. After a few really short minutes he has the jest of it. All too soon lunch is over the bell rings and he has to go back to class -but not before he asks me to play with him again tomorrow. The next day comes and he comes up to me shyly and asks would I play with him? I look him straight in the eye and say “But of course, but I am not going to be kind – I am going to win and are you sure you are up for it?”. With a huge grin he accepts my challenge, soon we have a little audience and we start the game, of course I let him win a few – the crowd goes wild for the student - but I of course I take quite a few more of his pieces–always with relish, which the crowd loves, backwards and forwards with me egging him on “Is that all you have”? and him answering me with “I am going to beat your Mrs Hopson” – all shyness gone. In the end I win the game – he looks down cast -but I say to him – “Do you know how much better you were today? - I think tomorrow I am in trouble” and I thank him and teach him how to shake hands for good sportsmanship – “It’s not whether you lose or win but how you play the game” I tell him, we smile and pack up the game. The next day you can guess – when he won- I said to him “You played so well -how about teaching one of your friends who was watching and cheering you on”? Of course this is how it goes, it happens like every single time and I never get tired of it, a shy child without any friends is now a hero of checkers and checkers is becoming the best game to play in the library. Autism and Play: Now let’s talk about the students suffering from autism, in one school library I worked in, the Principal banned devices at lunch times. (Personally I think this is great because your brain gets away from laptops and phones and relaxes). There was a group of young male high school students with autism who usually sat by themselves, they would not socialize and were often loud and rude to the surrounding students. They were in High school and suffered from anxiety, too much loud noise in the library was distracting and often created angry outbursts. These students read, but not the quality books you would want young men to read. One day when I spoke to one of these young men’s mother, I asked her could I suggest another type of reading material. She basically told me that it wouldn’t work. I was often having to tell them to be quiet and stop disturbing the others, then I asked one of them let’s call him Jack if he would like to read a book as he kept wanting to use his computer. I explained the rules to him again and then suggested the book instead – his angry outburst was something to behold –autism in all its glory. However, I quietly but firmly said “Well its either a book or a game- make a choice -he looked at the checkers and for the first time in history this young man and his friend chose to sit down to play a game -together. I explained the rules – (autistic children are so bright they quickly picked it up and went with it). After 10 minutes of quiet play I discreetly invited my Principal in to see what no one else had ever seen before - two highly autistic children playing together. The Principal said if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he would never have believed it. You might not think this was a break -through but for the rest of my time at this school these students played together. His mother came to thank me one day and said she couldn’t communicate with him, Jack her son was sitting there and I said to him – “Would you like to play a game with your mum”? His mum said “But I don’t know how to play – I’ve never played with Jack” – and I just smiled and said “Go easy on her Jack” I watched as a mother and son played together for the first time in their lives, an autistic child who I was told by all his teacher would not communicate- explaining the simple rules of checkers to his mother. I think as a Librarian this was one of the best times in my entire library- life watching them play and hearing their laughter, in what is usually a very stressful family home, and me trying not to show any emotion- that it’s a completely normal thing that happens every day in our library. I taught this group of young men good sportsmanship and how to thank their opponent. I also found out that they loved computer games and I suggested they create their own. Many pieces of paper and wild stories and drawings lead to amazing games, which they painstakingly explained to me - I then told them - I think this would be a good career for you – I believe one has gone into acting and radio the other into coding. The art of play: Let’s talk about library monitors, each new library I go into I invite students to write to me and let me know “Why they think they should be a library monitor” - usually by this time they have seen the fun we have in the library and the ‘helpers’ that love to assist the librarian often receive treats. However, the letter is important and often the students who simply take the time to write to me become a monitor - at this stage I have about 10 –girls and boys. To receive a badge, they have to survive and go through Library monitor training - ‘’boot camp’ – nothing nerdy or wimpy about being in the library! It requires among other things as monitors to learn how to make others in the library feel welcome – the number one rule is that no child sits alone – and if they are without a friend they must - offer to play a game of checkers. At any one time in the library we have at least three games going on. The other important life lessons games teach us is to acknowledge that everyone is different, some of the monitors find it difficult to go and talk to a child that looks a little different or acts a little strange. I remind them that when we play a game together we are all on the same page, some are proficient, some are learning and some are very competitive, but the majority of all the children play just for the fun of it! And Oh yes the challenge to Mrs. Hopson occurs regularly when one small child thinks they have what it takes to beat the Librarian at play.

Victory In Reading! -Creating a Library Culture.

Currently I am working at a beautiful College called Victory College in Gympie Queensland I started in July 2017. A Kindergarten to Year 12 school working with approx. 570 students. The library is set in beautiful grounds and has a computer lab, a Lecture theatre, classroom area, Senior Reading area and a junior area that includes a Home Reader section, and a Teacher Resource, Primary and Textbook room. I am fortunate to have a part - time Library assistant and two reliable volunteers to help with end processing of catalogued materials. The biggest challenge I faced in this library was the lack of a 'library culture' at the College. This was very evident when I first walked into the Library. As their first qualified Librarian to have the privilege to accept a position at this school. I realised there were many things missing from the library. Yes the building was called the Library and yes students came and went from it and borrowed books. The library assistant was a casual TA and there were classes that came and went without any library lessons as such. The library was not what I consider to be a successful healthy reading environment with an active reading culture established in the school. The first aide was the priority and was located in the library, so for the first few months I was greeted with ill students sitting outside the sick room and everywhere else in the library. The Chaplains also were located in the Librarians office and were there to support students in need of emotional help. There was one day when I stood at the front circulation desk and had one student say "I think I am going to be sick" and the other student emotionally saying "I need a quiet space to talk to Chappy Josh" , I was very tempted to say 'Would anyone like to read a book?. It took quiet a few months to negotiate with college members, however with the wonderful support of the Principal -the First Aide was removed from the library. I think what drove this to a head was there are no toilets located in the library. Students literally were vomiting into plastic bags, all over the floor which is carpeted and every where else. The Chaplains soon realised after I carefully explained to them that we had two years of cataloguing not touched, as well as the entire collection had never been weeded over a decade of old books needed to be removed. All this needed to be addressed, as well as recognition for library staff and what we are capable of doing and needed to do. I then found out the entire library collection was incorrectly catalogued and labeled. So the work to re-catalogue the LF collection (little Fiction) into Junior Fiction - Kindy to Year 3 and Fiction -year 4 to year 6 and Young Adult year 7 to 12 commenced. The building of the Young Adult collection has seen new items with a classics collection added and the first Senior Book Club called the VIP Readers where they have boarding passes to enter the library at a certain time. The 'Quiet Readers' club is for our students who have autism or suffer from sensory issues and need a quiet time once a week to access the library by themselves. The lights are lowered and students also have a boarding pass to access the library. As an inclusive school recognising the divergence in our students, I feel libraries are the perfect space to be proactive in this area, it is very important. We now have nine year 4 Library monitors who are training students on how to use the Library catalogues for the first time. Prior to this students did not know the Dewey Decimal system and simply asked the library staff to find a book for them. The beginning of library lessons now sees 17 classes booked in each week into the library including two senior classes who borrow fiction regularly. With access to parents for information being difficult- I created our library weebly - https://victoryinreading.weebly.com a QR code on the outside of the library along with a large sign that says (in part) 'This is your Library all welcome" has started to change the library culture. Students are actively participating and winning library literary competitions. We are steadily building our seniors up with reading stamina to eventually participate in schools Readers Cup events. Students have a story read to them each week, this is vital in creating an enjoyment of reading and introduces students to the many forms of literature available. Teachers are encouraged to participate and join in or borrow for themselves for class readers and other books for classroom use. The cataloguing is almost caught up and the Young Adult is now allowing Year 7 and 8 students to borrow fiction over the holidays. No one degree, no one lecturer can train and teach a professional librarian how to tackle the immense divergence needed in Information management in libraries today - from Councils, to Universities, to State Schools, to Private Colleges to Special Libraries. I have had the pleasure of working in all of these libraries. This College library I am presently working in has had its challengers. One of the joys is I am now networking with Council libraries and I am happy to say I am also mentoring other non-qualified librarians in other schools in the local area and sharing my knowledge in how to make their libraries progress. While I enjoyed mentoring librarians in the International Librarians Network, I forget how satisfying it is to train and teach other librarians locally where we area able to support each other in building Libraries together and creating a library culture for our communities.