11/20 In-Class Lab | Rough Draft Workshop

1. What is your topic? Play as a teachable mental state vital to thriving in the modern world.
 
2. What was the larger subject area? Play

3. How did you narrow it? By noticing that how adults can learn to incorporate a play state into their daily lives is missing from the conversation of play.
 
4. How did you search for and collect information? Through online data basses, such as ProQuest and Academic Search Premier, to collect peer-reviewed articles. Online searches for articles relating to the topics of play, neuroplasticity happiness, mindfulness and trauma. Documentaries and online videos the subject of play. Personal observations, in-person conversations, and personal experiences.
 
5. What are the main threads in the conversation of ideas?

• What are the other people saying about the issues? Play is a necessary trait which for vital reasons has survived evolution. Play is more than just having fun. Neuroplasticity now proves that the brain has the power to adapt and change bringing the argument of predisposition (to happiness or playfulness) into question. Play connects humans, and this connection is vital to both brain development and ability to form meaningful relationships with the self and others.
• What are the main areas of investigation or argument? Play from a neurological standpoint, an evolutionary standpoint, and a societal and personal standpoint as well as how the science of happiness, creativity, trauma, and neuroplasticity relate.
• Who are the main voices in the field? Stuart Brown, author, documentary producer and Ted Talk lecturer is the leading voice in the play field. Looking at the science of play is: Garry Chick and colleagues, Ivan Norscia, Loyd Rieber, Xiangyou Sharon Shen, and Marianne Staempfli. Studying the personal benefits of play, prominent voices are: James Schall, Gwen Gordon, and Tomas S. Henricks. In addition, Norman Doidge’s work on neuroplasticity and Peter Lavine’s work with Trauma will also influence my paper.

6. Is your draft as least 2,500 words in length, not including Works Cited Page?

• Yes or No? No
• How many words? 0 - However my literature review was 4,449 words and I feel confident I have enough to produce a 3,000 word final paper.
• What sort of depth or detail do you need to add? I just need to start writing.

7.  Get this initialed:  Check

8.  Is your draft well proof-read and correctly formatted using MLA style?  My draft I do not feel is well proof read.  However, I am using correct MLA style - however I am not confident all my sources are absolutely in correct format and will need to go over this.
9.  Does it use signal phrases to identify the authors/ sources you're using?  Yes, a few times.

10.  Do parenthetical citations adequately supply titles, page numbers, and other info?  Not all.  I need to work on this.

11.  Does your draft have 10 adequate sources?  Yes

12.  By what other means are you establishing credibility?  By giving brief credentials on myself through experience and work in the improvisation.

13.  What is your thesis statement?  Engaging in play conditioning exercise to develop and maintain a playful state of mind is not only possible due to these recent findings on neuroplasticity, but also critical to an individual’s happiness and ability to thrive in the modern and emerging world. 

14.  What is the main line of argument?  Through repetitive exposure to strategically crafted group and individual exercises the adult brain can rewire itself neurologically into a more playful state, allowing for a more adaptive, innovative and problem solving oriented mind.  Repetitively exposing and engaging a mind in a play state, the mental state allowing for optimum playful behavior and thought, will fire up neural pathways designed for interpreting daily work, relationship, and intrapersonal problems, in a more joyful and creative approach.  This will lead to higher level solution oriented thinking and behavior coupled with overall increased personal happiness.  However, in order to design an effective play curriculum, we must first understand and study the why, how, and what of play as well as define its benefits.  Understanding play in an overall sense in conjunction with modern neuroscience will serve as a road map through which an effective well developed play program can emerge.

15.  By what means do you appeal to readers emotions?  Through studies that show play deprivation in rats and murder perpetrators, personal accounts of play deprivation in Indian adoption centers, and personal accounts of the benefits of play in child loss.

16.  Does your draft include a properly formatted Works Cited Page?  Yes - but I will double check this.

17.  Finally, in what ways does your draft already demonstrate the grade you've earned?  I hope to earn an A due to extensive research, original thought, and well written document in a complex emerging field.