An improvised fairy tale...

Today we had about fairy tales yet again. But this time we had to - in groups - write our own fairy tales from some pictures. In our group (jacob, Anja, Henrik and me) we put the pictures down on the table, the backside up, and in turns we picked a picture and had to continue on our fairy tale talking out from the picture. It turned out quite funny;

The Mix-up

Once upon a time there was a prince. His horse was white. He also had a green dragon which spat fire and he was called "Shrek". On his way on an adventure the prince met an old man, sitting on a chair. "Hello," the old man said. "Could you help me find my lost ring? It got stolen by a man flying on a magic carpet."

Meanwhile, in the forest, a carriage was running wild - the horses had been spooked by a witch and her wolf. The witch was flying on her broomstick and the princess was sitting behind her.

The prince and the old man started chasing the thief on the carpent and suddenly they saw the witch, and the prince drew his sword.

The witch got so scared, she hit a tree, and her and the princess flew down - head first - on an deserted island.

The wolf jumped onto to the island and started growling at the prince.

The prince took forth his magic ring, and jumped to the island as well.

And all of a sudden a lightning appeared!

A magic house appeared, where the lightning hit.

Out from the house came a frog. "Hello," he said, and then he started to sing.

When the frog sang, the house turned into a large tower.

Back in the forest the thief was flying on his carpet, and crashed into the tower, which had suddenly appeared.

The Princess turned into a big eagle, and captured the thief with her claws, so he wouldn't fall to his death.

The princess aka the eagle flew to her fathers castle with the thief, because she thought it was her knight in shining armor.

The King was so happy, that he gave the thief all of his treasure and half the kingdom, for returning the princess.

The knight, the dragon, the wolf, the frog and the witch lived happily ever after on the island.

The old man is still lost in the forest, and missing his ring. This story is dedicated to him. 

Later we listened to a CD "From Scary Tale to Fairy Tale", where the tale "The Frog Prince - continued" was read out loud. It was a quite funny story, about the frog prince and his "happily ever after" which wasn't so happy as you might think. He wants to become a frog again, but he has no luck. After a series of events, where we hear some references to other Fairy Tales (Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella), he has an ephiphany, where he realizes he loves the princess. When he gets home, he kisses her, and then they both turn into frogs, and live happily ever after - together. 

This Fary tale is both funny, and very useful in the Folk School, I think, because you can work with it in many ways. Besides the traditionally work with this genre (analyzing it and so on), you can focus on the references and have the pupils find those. We also looked at some examples of what you could do with the pupils, some different tasks. 

The we had to work in groups, and my group worked with the text "Fagligheden i Storyline forløb".

I was in group with Pernille, Tina and Maja.

A little too comprehensive for one teacher.

Cross curricular (tværfaglig udervisning) for storyline - maybe two weeks.

Motivating also for the older pupils (tired of going to school) - they don't have to sit in their seats all day, listening to a teacher.

Motivating because of the co management. The pupils get to be a part of the deciding process.

The teacher has to keep the story open, so the pupils can decide, and it doesn't get boring after an hour. But it is still the teachers task to keep rack of everything and close it up in the end.

There has to be some specifics for instance: problem: "we have to do something for the environment. How will you handle this?"

What would the project evolve into?

It has to have some elements of surprise. Some of it is planned in advance, some of it just happens.

Would English lessons be enough time? I would worry about it being enough time for the pupils to "get into character" between Danish class and math and so on.

Classics storylines (most common) >< making your own storyline

A lot of preparation. Maybe a teacher who did it before can help.

The ugly duckling for bullying. New age versus fairy tale age. Internet bullying - Facebook etc. 

Maja: great exercise about bullying. Tell the students to get up and they have to go around each other and say "hello" and hi" and such. And then they had to sit down, and they got two pieces of paper. On the first piece of paper, they have to write down the worst insult they could think of, and they had to give it to the person next to them. And then they had to get up again, and every time they met someone, instead of "hello" they had to read aloud the insult. When they got back to their seats the teacher asked: "How did that feel" and so on.

Then they had to do the same exercise, but instead of an insult, they had to write down the nicest thing they could think of to say to someone.

Very interesting. Focus on bullying and how it feels to be insulted.

Maja also told me about a "Tænk før du poster" campaign about digital bullying on Facebook. Everytime the girl gets an insult on facebook you hear the facebook sound, and someone puts a post-it note on her, with the insult. Very interesting and shows how it's probably "easier" to bully online, because you can't see the reaction, and thus can't feel the shame or the bad conscience. STOP DIGITAL BULLYING!

Fairy Tales and Teaching Course

Today we talked about Fairy Tales again, and worked with a couple of texts. we started with a warm-up exercise called "The Fairy Tale Landscape", where we had to work in pairs, and through talking had to find the missing items on our pictures. Then we worked in group and prepared a teaching course with Fairy Tales as the theme. I think today was very productive, and I learned a lot. It was especially exciting to prepare a teaching course, as it really prepares us for our future as teachers. :)

Fairy Tales Questions

Bosma, Bette: Fairy Tales, Fables, Legends, and Myths

Ch. 1 pp. 1-14 The Tale ch. 3 pp. 26-42 Understanding the Story ch. 6 pp. 84-97 Creative Activities with Folk Literature

Chapter 1

  1) What are Bosma’s arguments for the importance of using folk tales in the teaching of English?

Guided reading of folk literature, directing attention to this story structure, helps the child become a better reader.

To read folk lit is fun and it's easier to learn when you enjoy the task.

2) What is your attitude to the quoted evaluation-list on p. 7?

Positive, it'll help the reader find suitable reading for the children.

3) How does Bosma define a fairy tale, an animal tale, a legend and a myth?

Fairy Tales: an enchantment, has other supernatural elements - imagery like talking animals (personification), witches, once upon a time and so on.

Animal tales: one of the oldest form of lit - characters are animal acting like people. Teach about life, usually with lessons concerning personal traits and getting along with others. Native-Americans legends and myth. The form of the animal tales fit into three main categories:

1. Trickster tales - one central character, usually a wise trickster in animal shape. Brief and direct.
2. Fables - Brief animal stories with a specific lessons, generally stated at the beginning or end.
3. Etiologica (origination)l - States the origin of certain characteristics of the animals. Entertainment.

Legends: Folktales, typically believed by the storyteller. Set in historic time and place. Typically something that goes from "mouth to mouth" - tradition.

Myths: Told as fact and set in remote past. Storyteller doesn't necessarily believe the myth.

Chapter 3

 4) What is your position on Bosma’s methods of reading aloud?

Makes good sense, to stop and discuss the text - make sure everybody is following.

Repetition is good, because language will recognizable and practice pronunciation.

Practice makes perfect.

5) Do you think it is a good idea to ask pupils to predict what they think the story will be about?

Great for the imagination. And vocabulary exercise.

Maybe hard if they know the story beforehand.

Questions while reading.

6) What do you think of her way of doing it? (pp. 28-29)

Good to have a plan beforehand - dividing it in steps. Does the prediction come true? Maybe stop sometimes in the story - predict what happens next or was what happened what you expected?

7) How do you find her idea of letting pupils reading to each other in small groups after they have read the folk tales silently? (p. 29)

Great for vocabulary and pronunciation, and better understanding of the text.

8) Comment on Bosma’s assertion that “Folktales can be used with children of all ages because of the tales’ many layers of meaning. The subtle messages that delight the older child are not picked up by the younger reader, but that does not lessen appreciation of the story. The experienced teacher adjusts the lessons to challenge children at their appropriate developmental level.” (p. 30)

Agreed, fairy tales are for all ages, but of course the exercises have to follow the ages.

Small children: entertainment

Older students: analyzing

9) Explain the object of and take a stand on Bosma’s concepts of “story mapping” and “directed reading-thinking activity”

It's about making a summary, it's analyzing. Putting the story in a box - very manageable. Doable for all ages.  

Chapter 6

10) What do you think of Bosma’s many forms of creative response to folk literature such as pantomiming, drama, mask making, storytelling, music, dance, reader’s theatre, puppetry, visual art, visual imagery and language exploration

It's great, active while learning. Creativity - great for imagination. And improvisation. It doesn't get boring and the same - "writing on the board" but the pupils get to do something. Not everybody learns the same way, some need to see, some touch, some listen and some do. With these styles everybody has a chance. Motivating.

Though Bosma’s book is intended for American native speaking children do you think we can extract some useful ideas and tools for our teaching of English as a foreign language in the Danish folkeskole?

Yes, learning is the same all over. We can use her ideas in Denmark.

Fairy Tales Questions

Christensen, Jørgen Riber: Fairy Tales

pp. 10-26 Introduction Fairy Tales

1) How does Riber define and characterize a fairy tale?

2) What is meant by upward social mobility? And could you give some examples of fairy tales where this phenomenon is represented?

Upward Social mobility: change in persons status resulting in that rising to a higher position in their status system.

Example: Cinderella.

3) How does Riber characterize and define a literary tale?

4) What is a fable?

literary genre. A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities such as verbal communication), and that illustrates or leads to an interpretation of a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly in a pithy maxim.

5) What is a myth?

Myth is something you don't know if it's true or not. Like gods - for instance Nordic mythology (Thor, Odin etc.)

6) What is meant by the concept of motif-index?

It's another way of characterizing/labelling fairy tales- looking for motives etc.

More for teachers than for pupils.

Use this to prepare for class.

Will mention all fairy tales with motives in common.

7) What did the Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp become known for in 1928?

He talked about making the perfect fairy tale. 31 functions of what should be in the tale (not all in the same).

Yet another way of "labelling" a fairy tale.

8) What did the French A. J. Greimas become known for?

Actantial Model

9) Explain the idea of the actantial model

Subject looking for an object, which is send by a sender. The object is received by the receiver. There's a helper to the subject, and an opponent.

Can use it for analyzing fairy tales. Usually fit in with the folktales better than literary tales.

10) Try to think of some fairy tales where this model could profitably be used

 Simple Simon

Sender: King              Object: Princess                 Receiver: Simple Simon

Helper: The tings        Subject: Simple Simon       Opponent: The other men (princes, brothers etc)

11) Try to use the actantial model in an analysis of some of the fairy tales you probably have come to think of

 Simple Simon

Sender: King              Object: Princess                 Receiver: Simple Simon

Helper: The tings        Subject: Simple Simon       Opponent: The other men (princes, brothers etc)

12) What is meant by Jung’s archetypes and what have they to do with fairy tales?

A clear-cut character - like a stepmother = mean/wicked or fair maiden = sweet

Like stereotypes. 

Teaching Course Fairy Tales in a 9th grade

	Læringsforudsætninger	Mål	Rammefaktorer	Indhold	Læreprocesser	Vurdering
Emne	Fairy Tales	Learning about Fairy Tales and being able to analyze it	Write the plan on the board Warm-up exercise - The Fairy Tale Landscape, talk about what we did last time Talk about what we did today Kompendium: 2 different Fairy Tales List of the 31 functions Analyzing models	Reading out loud, Analyzing, writing own fairy tale	Individual work Group work Pronounciation Vocabulary	Did the pupils learn the intended material? What did they think about it?

Lesson plan

	Warm-up	Main Content	Evaluation	Homework
Lesson 1	Fairy Tale Landscape	What is a fairy tale? The 31 functions (Class) Read and talk about "Jack and the Beanstalk". Which functions are used? (group) Break: surprise exercise "Jack and the Beanstalk" (class)	What did we learn today? What did you think about it? (class)
Lesson 2	What did we do last time (groups)	Analyze "Simple Simon" and find the functions. (group) Break: surprise exercise Start writing a fairy tale (to hand in in a week (lesson 4)) (individually)	What did we learn today? What did you think about it? (class)	Read Simple Simon
Lesson 3	What did we do last time (groups)	Choose between "Simple Simon" and "Jack the Beanstalk", and prepare a scene to play in front of the class. Everybody has a role, and afterwards the class should identify the fairy tale functions. Write it down (group)	What did we learn today? What did you think about it? (class)
Lesson 4	What did we do last time (groups)	The last perfomances. The teacher reads a fairy tale out loud and the pupils have to find the functions and write them down (Class) Fairy Tale Landscape	What did we learn this week? What did you think about it? Would you like to do something similar again? (class)	The fairy tale is to be handed in today!

Imagination and language

Today, we worked a lot with imagination, and we did so in small groups. I think it was quite interesting. We ended the day, by starting the movie "Prince Charming".
 

Use Imagination 

1. Do you agree with the statement that imagination is a tool for learning and a “mental muscle”? And what would you suggest to do in terms of teaching and learning to develop it? (p. 1)

I agree, since imagination is such an important part of the mind, and especially for younger people, when they can relate to their imagination it will become more interesting to learn.

I also agree on imagination being a mental muscle, since you can learn things about yourself and practice seeing things in other ways by using your imagination.

Imagination is a big part of playing as well.

Combine the ugly duckling with bullying and use your imagination to relate and maybe to come up with some solution (and maybe another ending for the story).

Give them a picture and tell them to use their imagination - what do the see, what's the story? Or just some lines, like "Once upon a time" and "They lived happily ever after" and they have to come up with the story on their own.

It makes the pupils more independent when they have to make up their own stories and use their own relations and personal interests.

2. What do you think of the picture of imagination being a 7th sense? (p. 1)

The idea of imagination being a sense is a quite nice idea, since everybody has it, and we just have to develop it.

Problem: if it get's too much, psychotic condition, when they can't tell the difference between reality and imagination.

3. Comment on the assertion: playing and imagination are the ways in which pupils learn (p. 2 line four)

I agree, especially the younger ones; when you got a well developed imagination you can describe things in other ways, and maybe it's even good for developing the skill of discussing things from another point of view (for instance in Social Studies) - aknowledging other peoples point of view.

4. Decide your attitude to the statement that imagination is a tool for empathy, co-composing, and creativity (p. 2)

Empathy, because you have to use your imagination to understand other people and their situations.

Cocomposing, because you can use your imagination to combine different ways of experiencing things.

Creativity - it's a given. You have to have imagination to be creative.

5. Do you think that our pupils could learn from the activities described on p. 2 where the theme is family, and where the pupils have produced plays about family life in drama workshops?

Well, it's always easier to do stuff, when you have your own experiences to relate to. The plays are all about family life, which (hopefully) most of the pupils can relate to.

It also gives them an insight in what their parents and/or siblings do, when the pupils are not present.

6. Make a stand on the assertion that they have identified themselves with and expressed themselves on the theme, they have demonstrated and developed language skills and linguistic awareness. Their wealth of ideas and inventiveness have made them visible for themselves and each other. (p. 2)

Through your imagination you also have to show who your are, and you get to see who other people are. You can't take on a role, unless you have some imagination.

Use language

  

7. Take a stand on the comprehensive language concept described in the text consisting not only of verbal language but of various language functions and language forms such as body language (gestures and facial expressions), figurative language/imagery (the pupils leave their visual marks), sound language (spontaneous songs, musical expressions) or music as language (p. 1)

8. Try to account for the asserted connection between the development of verbal language and things, activities, and the development of imagination this causing the verbal language to be linked up with recognition, awareness and experience (p. 1)

If you haven't seen a tree before, you can't imagine a tree.

Try to imagine a color you haven't seen before.

9. Comment on the claimed fact that it is combinations of many language forms which are vital for the development of both intellect and imagination with the pupil (p. 1)

For instance imagery - look at the fairy tales (her eyes are like a deep lake).

Intellect: to know the eyes aren't like a lake.

10. How does the text define the practical musical dimension in the teaching and learning process including aesthetic production and experience? (p. 2)

The work with the different languages and their possible productive expressions gives a foundation for the aesthetic experience.

11. What are the main ingredients in the educational and character-building process which is quite central for the pupil’s cognitive and affective development and for his versatile participation in culture and society (p. 2)

 Imagery, verbal language, musical language and body language are the main ingredients.

12. What does the text say about the connection between aesthetic learning and the interplay between pupil and his surroundings? (p. 2)

Why does the text contend that aesthetic learning can never be regarded as an isolated phenomenon? (p. 2)

 

13. What is said about the aesthetic expression and different forms of expression? (p. 2)

 

14. Please, account for the main characteristics of the Story Line Method / the Scottish Method. What are the principles? (pp. 3-4)

 

How would you characterize the intended learning environment?

 

Pros and cons?

  

Would you like to use this method in your English teaching?

Why – why not? (pp. 3-4)