Story Circles, Preserving Language and Promoting Literacy

One indigenous language dies every two weeks. Not only do the words die but a whole way of thinking and being. In a world bereft of solutions we need diversity. We need ways of looking at the world that challenge our thinking, to keep us fresh and revitalised.

Story Circles addresses this problem. We work with children, teachers and community groups to gather their stories, songs, dances and artwork. We then work with this rich material and publish it on www.pixelhouseonline.com  We publish this material in the language of the group we are working with e.g. Somalian, Tokelauan, but we also publish alongside, the English version.

Parents, teachers, children and community groups can then use these resources, for free, to listen and read in their language. Together they can retain their words and their world. At the same time they can learn English together. The songs, stories, artwork and ideas come from within the group and make a deep connection.

Learning to be literate is more than learning the alphabet and its sounds or sight words and sentence structures. Literacy is about connecting to the words and stories in a deep way. Learning with meaningful depth that has strong connections to the world of the learner. This is the essence of the Story Circle's process.

Nature Deficit Disorder

Ten years ago when I began making Digital Learning Objects, now Apps, it was in a response to technology arriving in my New Entrant classroom. Digital learning was being hailed as the great new educator, some magical way of learning, that would completely change the way we teach and children learn. Everyone seemed to be getting a bit carried away.
In response to everyone getting carried away, and with Resn, an amazing Wellington IT company, we made The Bridge. With The Bridge I began to put the possibility out there, the possibility using technology, digital learning, to promote learning in the real world, the environment. To integrate technology with the way children have always educated themselves, through their senses and through their natural world.
What I was promoting then, and continue to promote now with my Pixelhouse resources is BALANCE. Pixelhouse DVDs and apps are not something that children click on and repeat the same experience over and over.  Our resources are teaching tools, prompts for teachers and children to explore and deepen their learning through drama, art, dancing and playing in the sandpit, engaging with their natural world.
Now I hear all this getting carried away with the technology has got a name, Nature Deficit Disorder. Which basically means growing and learning is not balanced. Children are so occupied with technology they don't have time for real experiences. Children need hands-on experiences, they need to use all of their senses and physical abilities to grow and learn.
Technology does offer new ways. It has got some fantastic possibilities, but don't let's get carried away...and use Pixelhouse resources, they promote balance.

A Big Book Literacy Lesson Plan.

Literacy Lesson Plan Example 

"Look at Me"

 

Literacy Skills  in this Lesson

 

Concepts About Print

Prediction

Sequence

Rhythm

Picture interpretation

One to one matching

Vocabulary exploration

Left to right tracking 

Sight Words

look   at   I  am   me  a

 

Phonemic Awareness

Identify environmental sounds

Differentiate between sounds

Recognise beginning,  middle and end sounds of a word  

Recognise the sound "t" and the letter name for this sound
Identify rhyming sounds for "ook"

 

Comprehension Skills

Reading is much more than mastering the mechanical skills of print, sight words and phonics. When we enter the world of literature, we enter the world we create in our minds. To have meaning and to want to repeat the experience, reading needs to be personalised.

For older children comprehension is often their weakest skill, the missing link that will give their reading meaning, value and purpose. To grow comprehension skills we need to grow imagination. This resource and lesson plan seeks to nurture imagination. 

 

Lesson in Action: Introduction 

Place the Big Book "Look at Me" in the Teaching Stand.

Read slowly allowing for interruptions and comments; a free flow of thoughts and ideas.

Choose a favourite character and probe for understanding. Where do they live? What do they eat? Where do they sleep at night? What sounds do they make? What is the colours of their coat or costume?

Invite the children to move like each character, and develop a story for each character. You may only get to do this with one or two characters. It will depend on how deep you probe with your questioning and the energy levels of the children. Always question yourself as the teacher: Is everyone still engaged or do we need to move on?

 

Follow-up Action

Have painting material ready; big brushes,  clean paint and large paper so the children can paint their favourite character. As each child moves off to paint ask them to show you how their character moves, what their character might be doing and what we might see in their painting, so the imagination is activated as they begin to paint.

Or  use this process with collage paper ready in a range of colours and textures. Also have available large clean pieces of sturdy paper to create the collage on, with easy to manage scissors and paste.

Phonics

As children complete their work, set the artwork aside.

Gather together and turn to the Tiger page in the "Look at Me" Big Book.

Ask the children to guess the sound that this animal begins with.

Does anyone in the group or class name begin with this sound?

Are there any objects you can see that begin with this sound?

Play "Eye Spy with my little eye something that begins with the sound "t".

 Make a large card for display with the word "look", encourage children to tell you words that rhyme with this word. Clap, jump, hop and dance with the these words.

Reflect

Re-read the Big Book "Look at Me"

If there is time allow children who wish to show and talk about their artwork.

Name, frame and display everyone's artwork.

 

Repetition

Repetition allows the child to feel in control of their learning, as the activities associated with the reading of the Big Book become more and more familar to them.

The next day return to the Big Book "Look at Me".

Ask a child to act as "teacher" and guide the group or class through the reading of the book.

Focus on one to one matching, voice pointing and left to right tracking across the page.

Ask the children to find words they know.

Have the sight words: look, at, I am, me, a, on cards so the children can match them to the words on the page.

Also have the letter "t" on a card and ask the children to indentify the sound this letter makes.

Look at, discuss and enjoy their displayed artwork.

Retell the stories of each character or animal and repeat the movement activty. Add new stories.

Make large pieces of material available for the children to dress-up and dramatise their story in small groups or individually.

Video these stories and view them as an introduction the next time you read the book.

Practice

Place the Big Book "Look at Me" in the Teachers Stand and place it on the mat or a table for the children to read in their spare time.
Create a display for the sound "t"  and encourage children to add to the display with found objects and pictures that begin with this sound.
Read the Big Book many times together and support individual children to show their growing literacy skills by reading it aloud to the group.
For those who have good grasp of the sound "t", look and listen for "t" at the end and in the middle of words. build a list of these words and/or images. Move to another character beginning sound once "t" is a easily recognised sound and letter.
Display sentences from the book as caption cards and make word cards available for children to match the words and make the sentence.

Make a mural of the characters in the story and place them on the mural left to right as the appear in the book.
Write stories for each character together as a group or class story, describing the character's world where they live, what the do and imaginary happenings. 

Go to www.pixelhouseonline.com and read this book as an interactive ebook for a whole new experience with this book.



Performances to Develop Curiosity and Logical Thought

Pixelhouse would like you to know about:

Two Big Kids

Two Big Kids introduces young children to the world of science, performing arts or simply enthralls them in an entertaining and rewarding adventure.

 We know that the road ahead of our kids isn’t an easy one. We know that their hopefulness, their kindness and spirit will have to stand up against the confused selfishness of previous generations. We know that in the fleeting moments of their childhood it is our job to give them the armour and the tools to fight these battles, and to come out the other side the heroes we know they can be.

These tools, creativity and rationality, are developed only in an environment of empathy, where children have the bravery to think independently. Independence of thought – the power to lead their own learning – flourishes only when children know that their silly games and ideas aren’t so silly after all. We step in and provide the prompts, guiding their play away from cartoon characters constructed by corporations, towards moral tales, towards rationality and creativity. This allows us to develop every child’s ability to contribute new ideas, as well as every child’s ability to learn from the contributions of others.

Fortunately, developing this independent thought is strictly a matter of fun. Two Big Kids gives children a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with world-class performers, allowing them to explore their own creativity and save the day. Available in both Auckland and Wellington for early childhood centres and kids’ parties, Two Big Kids not only teaches the value of play, but with the help of another big kid who recently represented New Zealand in a world physics tournament in Vienna, they also now offer performances specifically focused on introducing children to the world of science. These performances introduce rationality in an engaging way that leaves children with a curiosity and a logical thought process that will be with them for the rest of their life.

The Two Big Kids, Robbie Nicol and Maxwell Apse:
Currently studying Mathematics and Political Philosophy at the University of Auckland, Robbie recently returned from performances on the Globe Stage in London, while Maxwell, currently studying Film, Theatre and Philosophy at Victoria University, recently finished a season with Young & Hungry, a platform that showcases up and coming New Zealand talent.

Hugely passionate about theatre and the crucial nature of play in education, both Robbie and Max look to use their stage presence to develop the empathy and cooperation needed to promote playfulness within a group of children. An admirer of philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell, Robbie could not agree more that it is our job to discourage possessive impulses and encourage creative ones within our children. Robbie and Max live by the maxim that growing into a happy and confident adult, capable of making lives worthwhile both personally and for society at large, requires the kind of independent thought only possible through play.

The Mad Scientist, Evan Simmers:
Currently studying Engineering, Ancient History and Philosophy under a BA/BE conjoint at the University of Auckland, Evan Simmers is the big kid who recently represented New Zealand in a world physics tournament in Vienna. Evan recently realised that his proficiency at physics merely grew from the teachable qualities of an insatiable curiosity and an ability to think critically. Children are perfectly capable of leading their own learning, it is simply our job to provoke interest and ensure that we have created an environment in which they are able to continue asking questions, to invent their own answers and to then seek out more information if their proposed solutions don’t seem to do the trick.

Go to www.facebook.com/2bigkids
to find out what people are saying about the Two Big Kids performances and workshops.

 Contact Two big Kids at
                   twobigkids@gmail.com
                          027 7862 490 

The Perfect IT Set Up: Getting the Hardware Right

Carterton Kindergarten needs to be celebrated.
In this ever evolving world of IT they have got it right.
They have the IT hardware set up so children can learn in meaningful ways.

           Why and how have they done so well?

They have a clear understanding of learning and they seek to understand the child's perspective. What adds to the child's learning and what deepens their experiences of their world. With the focus on the child, the answers are easier.
They think things through. They don't just buy because it is the latest fad. Fads fade. They discuss and imagine and then they believe in their decisions and do it for their children. With this commitment they make it work as best the can. They follow through.
Plus they have spoken firmly but politely and demanded that the providers follow through.... sometimes this has taken a lot of perserverence and resillence from an industry notorious for selling and running.

Here's their successful set up.
1. Two laptops (there is another one alongside), no mouse here.
The children reflect and parents find out about important and everyday events in their centre. The teachers are growing a library of  DVDs with edited films; photos, pictures, text and video. These are availabe to the children everyday. They provide resources for conversations and oral language development. They provoke deeper thinking for new ideas and new experiences. The "this time maybe we could...." thinking.

2. The IWB (Interactive Whiteboard)
Carterton Kindergarten was one of the first centres in their area to install an IWB. Initally their projector did not give a bright enough image so they have upgraded and also gone for the shorter throw projector.This makes the shadow less of a problem as well.
They installed their board low to the ground but they still provide a stage/large step in front of the IWB so children can access more of the board. The board is near their communal mat space so can be used to share and introduce other software and of course their material from their growing library of DVD.
Most centres I visit do not use their IWB to their full potential. I think using them well takes more training than most teachers have time for...they have a day job....  but they do provide a community focus, a learning and sharing together reality and feel. Carterton children use www.buildyourwildself.com , www.poisonrouge.com , www.pixelhouseonline.com Pixelhouse Nusery Rhyme ebooks with eActivities

3. Companion Devices/Other Stuff
a Camera
They have ten cameras. This is number five camera. Children use the cameras to photogragh their world, their findings and their activities. The resolution in the camera is set low so that uploaded photos don't stall the computers.

                                                       c      

b. Digital Photo Frame
A viewer is used to display these photos and teachers photos are displayed here  too. The loop of photos is continuous.This is a very popular place for parents and friends.





c. Book Making
Children print artwork made on the IWB. They can laminate their work, and then with or without lamination they can bind their pages to make a book using a ring binder.
                                                   

d. Sound

The sound system allows for good quality sound. Sound doesn't have to be loud...but it does have to be clear and a good sound sytem provides this quality.  Children can perform and record their stories, their songs, their mihi, their plays all important for their confidence  and oral language growth. The IWB has its own speaker system too, for great sound production and quality.

e. The Viewer
Something that I don't have a photograph of, but something Caterton teachers find useful, is the Mimio Viewer. The Viewer allows smaller objects or pictures to be projected as a  large image for all to see. Carterton teachers use this when children are off to school, in their send off session, they are sharing their Portfolio Learning Stories, their favouite story. Children don't have to wait with forty others in a circle for their turn to view, they can enjoy it together and move on.

Congratulations Carterton your IT set up is fantastic. It's integrated and allows children to take part  at their pace. In this the digital age Carterton is leading the way.

 

Written by Noeline Anderson,

 Director of Pixelhouse.

www.pixelhouseonline.com

I am independent.

I am not affliated to any hardware company.

The Incy Wincy Challenge : Mat Time at Miramar Kindergarten

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Hi Everyone,
Great to see you here today.
I'm Noeline from Pixelhouse.

Here are my Pocket Full of Rhymes ebooks
 with e-activities that we made for you.

Incy Wincy Spider is all curled up.

He stretches out one long leg.

He stretetches. He climbs.
He gets right to the top.

Then down comes the rain.
Pitter. Patter.
Pitter Patter.

Out comes the big warm sun.

Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout
....the ebook.

Here's his ...what's this... yes... Incy's web...
the e-activities.

So here's a water spout, a drain pipe.
Guess who's inside?

Yeah... the drainpipe goes against
 the side of the house.
Why is it there?

Yeah... Incy is sliding down.

Here he is.

But how does he get up again?

The Incy Wincy Challenge
How would you solve the problem?
How would you get Incy Wincy
 up the spout again?

 

Imagination, our greatest learning tool

On Saturday I presented at the Autumn Arts Research Seminar at Victoria University....wow... quite a few...over a hundred... turned up to my workshop. Great to see so much enthusiasm for imagination.

Imagination is our greatest learning tool.

Imagination is our greatest learning tool.
Imagination in IT is suffocating. It is suffocating because the software developer is in control. This is not a place to explore. This is not a place to make mistakes. If a child heads off down their own discovery path a road block appears, a warning about this course of action. Do as the software demands or delete.
If you do the right thing, the thing that the software demands of you, there are all sorts of bells and whistles to tell you you have been good, that you are the most fantastic, amazing individual. You did what you were told. Now you get to move on. Too bad if you liked that activity and would like to try it again.... NOOO!  Move on. No repetition is allowed.
Good luck at finding an adult to join you in these mind numbing tasks. Content is deemed to be "good" if it requires no teacher input. If you the child can do it all day, everyday without assistance. What happened to support for learning, extension and motivation. What  happened to integration....and what happened to imagination.

My presentation didn't complain on and on about these things in a downward spiral, it offered some solutions. Like the opportunities for integration for hands-on learning that our  resources  promote. The openness of these resources that let children think, create and imagine.

Learning is fluid, dynamic and limitless. It is an art. Let's open up the digital space to imagination and  spark the greatest possible learning.