Literacy Session Using Children's Popular Culture

We have decided to base our popular culture literacy activity upon the following year 4 Unit 1 PNS objective: -

Phase 1:

Read several short stories set in the past and a longer story with a historical setting as a serial to run throughout the unit. Identify the details in the text that describe characters and setting. Select a character. Children discuss their own response to the character and way that an author achieves this. Write a character sketch using evidence from the text. Watch a short extract of a TV drama set in the past. Discuss how differences in time and place are represented.

Overview:

Select a character. Discuss own response to the character and way that author achieves this. Write a character sketch using evidence from the text.

Our activity involves using the 'Sleeping Beauty' sequence in Shrek in the classroom compared to the original Disney version of the story. We chose this cartoon story because children will be familiar with it. The original version portrays a more stereotypical view of how a woman should be; eloquent, accepting, grateful, beautiful and obedient, whereas in Shrek the princess has a more modern, and some might say realistic character. She deviates from the typical stereotype by exhibiting personality traits of independence, determination and pride.

Initially the small people will be asked to record their ideas of how a princess should be, on a concept map, and why they believe this; perhaps by stating evidence for their point. Following this the 'age-challenged people' will watch the original version of 'Sleeping Beauty' identifying and expanding their concept maps. Next the kiddy-winks will watch the 'Shrek' version of the scene comparing and contrasting the characteristics each show, highlighting how they challenge and/ or support the stereotype disucssed. This could be achieved through the childers creating a character sketch of the princess from each version.

Sorted, Job Done!

xXx

Critical Literacy

We believe that, ironically, critical literacy receives a lot of unnecessary criticism. Is it really that damaging for children to be able to deconstruct texts to gain understanding of an author's true intentions? It does not need to be seen as ruining a child's ability to read for pleasure, rather more increasing their awareness of how and why the emotion is being evoked. In turn this will enable them to utilise the techniques observed through being crtitical, about other texts, when creating their own.

Therefore, we find it difficult to understand why there is so much trepidation over the issue of making children aware of audience, purpose and persuasive techniques through critical literacy. Especially, with reference to the increasingly sophisticated techniques being used by advertisers to sell their products; and language employed by newspapers and politicians to sell "their" version of current affairs. Surely by denying children access to these issues we are putting them at risk to being exploited and manipulated by 'modern consumerist trends'.

*Climbs down off their soap-box*

Byeeeeeeeeeee

xXx

Talking About Myspace

We chose to look at www.myspace.com because, with reference to communication and multimodal text, the opportunities are endless. The navigation through the site has plenty of variation depending if you are setting up your own site or searching through other people's. People, generally, find the Myspace website through their friends, e.g. one of their friends has a page and sends it to them so they can look at it and comment on it. Rikki gave us the link to his Myspace page and so we jumped straight into his page, bypassing the home page. His page includes music, images (both of himself and apparently random choices), text detailing personal information, and a video. Not being interested in everything that Rikki is we scan the page to find elements where our tastes overlap. The first link we clicked through was the video, because it provided an enigma: we did not know what it was, so we wanted to find out. Within Rikki's area, you can navigate your own way round the page and make links to other friends that he has. For example we could click on his brother's name and this would take us straight to his page. Within anybody's profile on myspace you can alter font, colour, visuals and music to your own taste and needs. By being able to add in music, films, attatchments and photographs this makes it multimodal immediately. It would give children opportunities to learn in a range of ways, not just plain text.

As far as implications for reading are concerned, there are many opportunities for children to skim and scan across the page, and pick out the areas they are interested in. This way, you don't have to read every section.

This resource can be used to meet the National Literacy Strategy requirements:

Year 6: The range of work needs to include 'autobiography, diaries, journals, letters, anecdotes, records of observation etc which recount experiences and events. '

This links directly with Vygotsky's theory that learning is a social construct, as Myspace is a social environment which provides purpose and audience for learning.


Thanks for listening...

and goodnight.

xXx

Welcome to the wonderful world of Wotsits

There comes a time in a man's life when he comes to question what is a wotsit? Louise on the other hand dislikes wotsits greatly and would prefer not to be associated with the afore mention amore of the group.

The wotsits are John Sandow, Rik Livermore, Louise Harelle and Claire Murphy.

Enjoy...

with a nice warm glass of milk,

Love Us xXx