Meeting with Paul

After meeting with Clive, I was feeling excited about his ideas and was intrigued to see what type of advice Paul would give, just as I (and Clive) had expected, Paul took a completely different outlook on my ideas.

Paul was very interested in the idea of play and looking into that specific area. I was working with the words play, education, learning, fun and whether these were linked in some way or whether they were all independent. Below are the ideas and questions that came out of meeting with Paul, in concentrating on the significance of play:

• Are play and education related?
• Can we (being children in the nursery) learn through play?
• Does play 'sugar-coat' the idea of education?
• Education is perceived to be boring, whilst play is seen as something fun.
• Can children only really just play, is there not always going to be an element of learning?
• The significance/role of toys in play.
• Does this apply to adults as well as children?
• Do we have fun learning when we are adults?
• How do adults see education?
• The teaching methods that Professionals use in Universities, Schools and Nurseries.

Although this was a helpful and productive meeting, I felt more enthusiastic about Clive's direction than Pauls. I liked the idea of play, however I felt that there was not much to work with and I would find myself becoming bored with the subject and therefore I would lose interest in the whole Independent Study. Yet, with the policy document idea, I was already running away with it!!! At this point, I am very excited to begin the project!!!!