Rewind to the days of make believe...

In the excerpt from Exploring Castles: Authentic Teaching and Learning through Drama, the overall idea presented so far is awesome. Reading through I imagined myself as a young girl playing make believe and letting my imagination run wild. When I was younger I spent what seems to me like my entire childhood outside. From the moment I woke up till the time the night time swallowed the day I was an explorer of all nature had to offer. I was a doctor creating medicines by crushing up leaves and flowers on rocks, an artist, a gymnast swinging from my swing set with chalky hands of green, blue and pink side walk chalk, an archaeologist digging in the dirt for bones and fossils. The possibilities were endless and as you can see, the memories and lessons still vivid in my memory. So why, when and how do our imaginations seem to diminish and get replaced by reality? When do we stop using our imaginations and push make believe to the back of the shelf with the toys we have outgrown and left to collect dust and cobwebs? After delving into this reading I cannot help but think that we shouldn't. Although there is a time and place for make believe...it is evidently beneficial for not only students but teachers as well. An assignment like this would be beyond fun even in a high school classroom. It reminds me of a trip to the science or history center where the visitors are able to interact and see through different eyes or walk in different shoes. If by me, a 20 year old, merely reading Exploring Castles made me feel like going outside or finding other ways of using my imagination I can only imagine how exciting something like this would be for students of all grade levels.