Storytelling How Effective it is as a Tool to Foster Childrens Engagement in Literacy Essay Example

Storytelling: How Effective it is as a Tool to Foster Childrens Engagement in Literacy Essay Even as the idea that the advent of sophisticated toys and digital programs have scored over the age-old storytelling as means of fostering childrens engagement in literacy continues to influence new parents, storytelling is still considered as the best method by many. What makes it so different from its new challengers? How far can it be used and what are the ways to achieve best possible results out of it? How it has evolved with time and made itself more equipped with the help of modern technology? This paper probes all these and more towards determining the efficacy of storytelling, before concluding with an approbatory note.The JourneyIn way towards fostering the kids engagement in education, storytelling remains the first and foremost tool since the advent of language, where the senior members of the family would web the stories to the children. That would subtly form the bond between generations, let alone evoking the ideas of the little, virgin minds to the nuances of the sur roundings as well as the world beyond that.It is the keenness of the children to listen to the stories, their eagerness to learn and probe about life and events on earth and beyond gradually made the early storytellers to formulate certain line of action – such as, incorporating certain values and certain do-s and donts pertaining to better living within the folds of fantasy, adventure or human-interest stories. This way, the primary concept of keeping children engaged at home to safety gradually took turns towards preparing them for the greater world. This pattern got crystallized from the print era, and the print world continued to dominate freely till it faced competition from the audio and video versions of it.New BendThough at the early stages of storytelling, there was not much emphasis on literacy learning, i.e., stressing on fostering the ability to read and write among the children, with time, storytelling added this prime responsibility of citizen-building into its fold, which now has become an inseparable part of the society. It is now treated as an extremely important tool to equip children in reading and writing before they are inducted into school, besides preparing them to express their own ideas symbolically or exchange ideas with peers or the adults. Alongside, storytelling has to add another responsibility in its bag: that is, to imbibe the computer literacy in them.Current SituationSince the concept of joint family has been on the wane, in walked the preparatory schools for the children to do the job. Again, with the advent of digital media, the children started having the scope of a storyteller in the audio mediums, and later in the audio-visual mediums as well. Now the technology has come of the age to play the social role too, as there are many digital peers with their bag of stories are out in the market. These are animated creatures made according to the likes of the children.The Greenroom of StorytellingIt might look like a vast storeroom of various bridges to an imaginative eye – where each of the bridges is made up of one or the other essential knowledge for the young mind – Covering all possible branches of it. All the bridges are decorated beautifully – that is, done up with elements that are bound to catch and sustain the interest of children to walk along the bridge, albeit unknowingly. Divine bait, one can say, to see the future citizens up and ready to take up the cudgels of the future world!How the Greenroom EvolvedThe research on storytelling would be never-ending, all because of its proven power of reaching childrens mind and bringing in the desired feedback from them. A good many theories have also come into being, such as Emergent Theory (Teal ; Sulzby, 1986).This theory stresses on gradual learning process of the children from infancy. This concept goes for concurrent development of language through a wide range of variation applied at various ages of the children. It ext ends its classroom beyond the formalities and walls.Besides this, Whitehurst and Lonigan (1998) distinguished between the inside-out and outside-in skills of literacy. The former refers to the childrens ability to decode the information in a sentence, while the later points at the ability to comprehend the meaning of the sentence from a context. It is the development of the later that matters most in life, as it deals with comprehension and expression in all areas of life.While a group of researchers have dedicated themselves to find the relationship between storytelling and the taxonomic nuances of cognitive progression, some others have devoted themselves in devising instruments to empower storytelling to foster all levels of cognitive progression in the children.Thus the digital media with its array of avenues have come out with many forms of storytelling, which are packed with features that are capable to entice, educate and entertain the little ones in one go! In todays world, computer characters (the storyteller) and pedagogical applications prove to be a perfect match (Maldonado, 2007).ImpactAlthough the quest to find the facts behind the efficacy of storytelling in literacy will ever be on, current research findings already suggest that storytelling stimulates the imagination besides helping to increase vocabularies and introducing them to the elements of the stories. (National Education Goals Panel 1997; Moss and Fawcett 1995).Young minds tend to switch on their imagination tab with good sparks. Storytelling stimulates auditory or the visual parts at a time or together; in all situations, it is capable of not only grafting the information for future use, but also of sparking the initiative in the children for its improvised usage in the future. Another researcher, Snow (1983), coined the term decontextualized language to identify the language that is not limited to spatial or the historical context. And here the storytelling weaves its magic, as it us es a then-and-there language, which the children pick up from there (Ryokai, K. et al., 2003).Through this, the intangible ideas like values or societal behavioral process can easily get into their perception. It also enhances the scope of interpersonal communication, besides providing the scope of peer-discussion in case of collective participation in a storytelling session.Emotive characters enhance the learning process. Storytelling almost always banks on the various shades of emotion. This raises a question about the efficacy of the modern-day virtual peers or the animated storytellers of the digital media. Are they capable of rising to the rank of human storytellers?The research findings, say yes, under certain conditions, they are! Researchers Marita Jong and Adriana G. have come out with their findings, where they are convinced that even pre-readers can become acquainted with new stories (Jong, 2007).Recognition of StorytellingGoal One of the National Education Goals recogniz es the importance of family/child engagement in literacy activities to children’s learning and readiness for school. The goal suggests that for all children in America to start school ready to learn, parents need to devote time each day to teaching them (Nord et al, 1999). This in turn recognizes the storytelling as the prime tool towards fostering literacy among children.DiscussionStories are the fragmented reflections of the world and its subjects and their actions and or reactions in a package that educates, informs and entertains the children. Such a package, if formulated rightly, is bound to evoke interest among the children. Such a package makes things easier towards fostering literacy among the children, as here they get close to it rather involuntarily. In its fold, storytelling can cover the entire gamut of knowledge a child requires to know and pass it on without any routine curriculum. Thus, storytelling can easily be termed as the most carefree means of fostering literacy in children.   And for the present times, storytelling has consolidated its position further through its digital avatar. Researches tell about their high degree of acceptance in the children, and thus its pedagogical application is on the rise. Even in the distant learning system, or online literacy programs, these story-packed CD-ROMs or the DVD-ROMs form an integral part of the process (Hodgson, 2005).The growing numbers of unit family has heightened storytellings significance. Gone are the days of a joint family, when the grandpa or the grandma would satiate the craving for listening to stories for their grandchildren. It is now mostly the case of Home Alone for the children worldwide. This big and dangerous void is somewhat filled up by these digital storytelling systems or attractively printed books.CONCLUSIONJudging from all aspects, it is clear that storytelling does all what it is needed to foster literacy in the children, and under the present situation, it is e ven doing more than expected, thanks to the advent of the new technology.Ranging from supplying the creative juices to providing company to the children, storytelling has now become an integral part of the life of children, let alone harnessing the literacy acumen. Thus this ancient, sublime learning system for the little ones should always be treated with care. Because, it would always remain a truth that children have to know about the past, apply that knowledge to the present and be equipped to meet the challenges of life – not to mention about contributing to the future of the world. This legacy would go on, and storytelling would ever remain a potent catalyst in the chemistry of communication among the past, present and future course of civilization! This idea again brings back the imagined picture of those tiny knowledge bridges, but in a new avatar – In the final round of imagination, all those bridges from the storytelling greenroom magically merge into one big bridge between the future citizens and the earth!

Racism in Television essays

Racism in Television essays Beginning with the first television program ever broadcasted lasting up to the most recent program; racism has been a prevalent issue in American television. Stereotypical roles in society have been excessively exaggerated by television programs, keeping racism alive and breathing in America. The careful selections of ethnicities in role casting have had an exceptionally large impact on American society. Young television viewers are learning at an early age about race and discrimination and are witnessing the ugly impacts of these issues. The television industry is not only a competitive one, but money is priority number one. The best money making program with the best ratings will most always win out. What goes on behind the making of our favorite sitcoms is a mystery to most. A survey by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) found that of 839 writers currently working on primetime shows, just 55 are black, 11 Latino, 3 Asian-American, and zero Native American, meaning minorities make up just 7 percent of primetime network writers . Not only are minorities being underrepresented in lead roles of television programs, they are also discriminated throughout the entire business. The small margin of primetime corporation writers must face racial discrimination in addition to segregation. It is especially rare to find a person of color writing for a primarily white program. Jay Dyer, a successful African-American writer was told This isnt a black show; we dont need a black writer . The stereotyping of characters comes from the writers, especially when corporations are not open to employing writers of different races for the characters. Yet another section of everyday television in America shows another side of discrimination of minorities. Commercials of all kinds promote products to the public; however some do it at other races expenses. Perhaps the m...

The Miss Firecracker Contest

The Miss Firecracker Contest The Miss Firecracker Contest, along with other Beth Henley plays, is characterized as a Southern Gothic. The play is set in the small southern town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and tells an archetypical story of a young woman trying to reinvent herself. The two main qualities that land The Miss Firecracker Contest squarely into the Southern Gothic genre are: the story concerns flawed characters.it occurs in a once prosperous, but now run-down town. Plot Synopsis Carnelle Scott had a rocky start in life. Her mother died and her father dragged her around the state with him until he dumped her with Carnelle’s old aunt and her two cousins. Carnelle idolized her cousins, Elain and Delmount, and believed them to be the most beautiful and interesting people in the entire town. At age 17, Elain won the title of Miss Firecracker in the local beauty contest and Carnelle never forgot the sight of her beloved cousin riding atop the Fourth of July float crowned in glory. Carnelle never achieved the beauty and social status of Elain and made up for it by sleeping with most of the young men in town earning herself the dubious title of Miss Hot Tamale. Carnelle sees a chance to erase her past and start again by winning the beauty contest. Carnelle hires Popeye, an odd girl from poor beginnings, to sew her costume for the talent portion of the show. Popeye is a talented seamstress who taught herself to sew by making clothes for bullfrogs because she had no dolls to sew for. In the course of the play, Popeye falls in love with the eccentric and frazzled Delmount. Eventually, Delmount returns Popeye’s affections and finds her odd personality something worth loving. Delmount is determined to sell every item in his mother’s old house and then the house itself and move to New Orleans. He offers half the sale to Carnelle and begs her to quit the contest and make a new life outside of Brookhaven, Mississippi. Carnelle accepts half the money but wants to continue in The Miss Firecracker contest so she can now leave â€Å"in a blaze of glory.† Elain shows up and announces to Carnelle that she is leaving her husband and two children. She has had enough of their constant need for attention and wants to walk away from it all. Carnelle is thrilled until Elain’s presence overshadows her participation in the contest. Carnelle’s anger and frustration eventually cause her to explode and spew at all her relatives and friends, insisting that she wants what she wants despite all their petty protestations. Carnelle uses the moment to fling their personality flaws back in their faces and release herself from all their judgments. Within this encounter, Elain understands that she has lost Carnelle’s hero worship and decides to go back to the husband who adores her. Production Details Setting: Brookhaven, MississippiTime: End of June and beginning of JulyCast Size: This play can accommodate 6 actors.Male Characters: 2Female Characters: 4Characters that could be played by either males or females: 0 Roles Carnelle Scott is twenty-four and ready to make a few changes in her life. She wants to turn over a new leaf and be someone who is not â€Å"Miss Hot Tamale† and is instead respected and beautiful both inside and out. If she could, she would ride out of town in a blaze of glory with the Miss Firecracker crown on her head and enough money to start again in a new town as a beautiful and talented winner.Popeye Jackson grew up as an odd girl with no money who makes outfits for bullfrogs. Now she is an odd woman with no money who makes outfits for whoever will hire her. She falls head over heels in love with the eccentric Delmount but is sure he could never return her affections. Popeye puts little value on money, talent, and beauty. She makes the world beautiful by her simple actions of generosity.Elain Rutledge enjoyed a life of beauty, talent, and adoration. Her overbearing mother, now deceased, foresaw the end of that lifestyle for Elain and pushed her into marriage. Now Elain is bored with her married life in which she is only adored by only one man and has to answer to two sons she dislikes. Her will to be free and independent is continually at odds with her desire to be wanted and admired. Delmount Williams has never had any trouble finding women who will sleep with him despite his odd appearance and temper. His recent stint in a mental institution has only fortified his eccentricities and desire to rid himself of all memory and ties to Brookhaven, Mississippi.  He prides himself on finding the beauty in those who consider themselves plain, but the truth is that he has never tried to pursue anyone or anything that would be a challenge or a true beauty.Mac Sam is an ex-lover of Carnelle’s. He contracted syphilis through Carnelle but has never sought treatment for the disease. He has a magnetic personality despite his ill appearance. He and Carnelle still share a strong attraction, but she is disgusted that he won’t do anything to better his health or station in life.Tessy Mahoney is the beauty contest coordinator. She and Delmount shared a questionable night of lovemaking a long time ago and he has been hiding from her since. She is not a beauty and doub ts Carnelle’s chances in the contest, but she seems to be a sweet and pleasant coordinator despite her opinions. She is starstruck by Elain. Production Notes Beth Henley makes a particular note at the beginning of the play about Carnelle’s hair which the character has dyed bright red. Henley notes that â€Å"It is strongly suggested that the actress playing Carnelle dye her hair bright red instead of opting for a wig.† The set for The Miss Firecracker Contest is an old southern house filled with antiques in Act One and the backstage of the beauty pageant for Act Two. The play has been produced with success both with full scenic designs and minimal scenic designs. Content Issues: Language, syphilis, talk of sexual escapades.

Why Is There A Lack Of Men In The Early Years Workforce Essay

Why Is There A Lack Of Men In The Early Years Workforce - Essay Example Since early childhood centres are usually considered the second homes to these young children, then it should simulate the home setting whilst reflecting the situation in the real world. However, children usually just have women teachers and support workers in their early years settings. Only 2-3% of the early years workforce are men (Men in Primary – Early Years, 2007). Although the tradition of having women as early childhood educators has been long practiced, there are now recognized benefits of having more men join the early years workforce. Primarily, it is advantageous for young children to be in an environment that reflects the real gender mix of the world (Parents demand more male childcare workers, 2011). Society may not be ready for more men entering the early years workforce. The inherent expectations of a career in early childhood care and education is usually perceived as more suited to women due to their nurturing nature. Lynn Trodd, head of the Children’s Workforce Development Council contends that research shows that men perceive working in an early years environment is not as prestigious as corporate jobs, have fewer career opportunities, has a vague career structure, the pension system is not in place and there is less in-service training. To top it all, it does not pay well. Being so, it is seen as a far less professional area of work (Men in Primary- Early Years, 2007). Trodd elaborates that most men already in the early years setting have chosen to shift to it after they’ve pursued an earlier career. This phenomenon needs to be studied and the barriers to men entering the early years workforce earlier in their prime need to be investigated and broken down because men can be a great resource to the children’s workforce as they bring with them their own special skills and experiences which women may not be able to. Parents are also beginning to see the benefits of having male teachers and support workers in the ear ly childhood environments their children attend. The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) reports that 55 percent of parents express their preference of having male childcare workers to work with their nursery-aged children. Two-thirds of single mothers say they would like a man involved in the care and development of their young children because they need to have a male father-figure in their lives even if they do not have regular access to their own biological fathers (Parents demand more male childcare workers, 2009). Currently, 17 percent of children from lone parent families have fewer than two hours a week contact time with a man and more children have less than that. 36 percent of children of single mothers have only under six hours male contact each week. Having male early years workers can ensure that such children have enough quality contact time with men. This is especially significant for young boys who need adult men to look up to as role-models. 37 pe rcent of parents believe that male workers provide good examples for boys and that 25 percent of parents believe their sons will behave better with a male worker than with a female worker. Thus, 52 percent of parents believe that early childhood settings need to have male workers because these settings should reflect a real gender mix of the world. In addition, the benefits to their children will increase since men and women have different skills to offer them (Parents Demand More Male Childcare Workers, 2009). On the side of the children, Thom Crabbe, the National Development Manager for Early Years at the CWDC believes that young children in the crucial years of their development (first five years) need to have quality contact with both male and female

Competitiveness and Customers Satisfaction Research Proposal

Competitiveness and Customers Satisfaction - Research Proposal Example Although current recession continues to be evident, economists project that as soon as the economy recovers local and international travel businesses would again progress. The US government (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2008) calculates that their number of international visitors will rebound by year 2010 and beyond. Thus, this is certainly a good news in tourism business; particularly those with high number of travelers as customers like hotels, restaurants, car rental companies, tourist attractions and online merchants. This study investigates he business competitiveness and customer satisfaction in "Airline Ticketing business", which is group in two varied settings: The Online booking and purchasing versus Office ticket booking and purchasing (Traditional booking and purchasing). Travel agencies would most likely benefit the study, since results can be one of their ultimate basis of In the totality, this research aims to assess by comparing the competitiveness and customer satisfaction in both Airline ticket online booking and purchasing, as well as Airline ticket Office ticket booking and purchasing - popularly called as the traditional booking and purchasing. The study intends to assess by comparing the competitiveness and customer satisf... 1. Determine the marketing strategies adopted by Airline ticket online booking and purchasing and office airline ticket booking and purchasing businesses' 2. Assess the level of competitiveness in Airline ticket online booking and purchasing and office airline ticket booking and purchasing businesses in terms of: a. Number of successful airline ticket bookings b. Number of successful airline ticket purchases c. Companies' Net Income d. Current total number of customers 3. Find out the level of customer satisfaction in Airline ticket online booking and purchasing and office airline ticket booking and purchasing businesses to the companies' based on: a. Customer Services a.1. Customer-Customer Service Representative Interaction a.2. Customer assistance b. General facilities & accessibility c. Costs Office and Online 3 4. Test the significant difference in the competitiveness and customer satisfaction of Airline ticket online booking and purchasing and office airline ticket booking and purchasing businesses. 5. Establish the significant relationship between the level of competitiveness of Airline ticket booking and purchasing and the level of their customers' satisfaction. Problem Statement The study intends to assess by comparing the competitiveness and customer satisfaction in both Airline ticket online booking and purchasing, as well as Airline ticket Office ticket booking and purchasing - popularly called as the traditional booking and purchasing. The entire course is further directed to answer the specific questions below: 1. What marketing strategies are adopted by Airline ticket online booking and purchasing and office airline ticket booking and purchasing businesses' 2. How competitive are

Writing a Satiric Piece Essay Example for Free

Writing a Satiric Piece Essay Step 1: Identify the Topic With your group, choose a topic that is relevant, current, and debatable. Remember that the flaws and foibles of all aspects of society—from government to celebrity to religion, from teenagers to presidents to soccer moms—are grist for the satirist’s mill. Once you have all agreed on a topic about which you all want to write, have it approved by your teacher. For Example:Students being late to class (tardiness) Step 2: Choose an Appropriate Structure, Type of Satire, and Audience for your Piece Review the various samples of satire we read in class over the last week, and determine which one would be the most appropriate (in terms of its structure and techniques) for your group to use as a model for your satirical piece. After choosing the piece that your group will use as a â€Å"satirical model,† make a list of the conventions you need to use in your satire. Decide whether your piece will be more Horatian or Juvenalian. Finally, identify your audience. To whom will you address your satire and why? What tone will be most appropriate for this audience and for your purpose? For Example:The satirical piece â€Å"Gambling in Schools† is the most appropriate model for a satirical piece over tardiness, because it uses wit irony, sarcasm, and hyperbole to make its point. We plan to use all of these techniques in our Horatian satirical piece. The most appropriate audience for our satire over tardiness is the student body; many students feel that the tardiness problem is exaggerated in our school and will find the exaggerated claims we will make and our sarcastic tone amusing. Look more:  what is a process essay Step 3: State the problem in Hyperbolic Terms Make the problem sound much worse than it actually is to dramatize the need for a solution. For Example:â€Å"The staggering lack of students at the beginning of class  leaves teachers paralyzed.† This diction, specifically words the â€Å"paralyzed† and â€Å"staggering,† overstates the severity of the problem and helps develop the satirical tone for which we are aiming. Step 4: Propose an Ironic Solution Come up with a solution to the problem that seems counterintuitive and ridiculous because it actually adds to the problem you are addressing in your piece. For Example:â€Å"If students are late, they must stand outside the door for 20 minutes.† This solution doesn’t solve the problem at all. Ironically, it actually adds to the problem because it keeps students out of class even longer, thus keeping them from learning. Step 5: Use Wit (Wordplay, Clever Language, or Rhetorical Analogy) Include as many puns and clever wordplays as you can to help develop a satirical tone and illustrate your point. For Example:Punishment will be doled out in a timely manner. (Word play) This problem is a ticking time bomb! (Rhetorical analogy) These examples of wit add to the author’s creditability as a satirist. Step 6: Choose a Clever Title for your Satirical Piece Consider the broad satirical ideas in your text, and brainstorm appropriate titles for your piece. With your group, choose the title you feel best captures the essence (topic, tone, etc.) of your satire. The more clever and amusing your title, the better! For Example:â€Å"Tardiness: Are we too late or just in time to fix this  complex problem?† This title introduces the topic of the satiric piece while simultaneously suggesting that the piece will be a satire with its clever wordplay. Step 7: Draft, Edit, and Revise your Satirical Piece Work together to draft your piece, keeping in mind the conventions you identified in step two. After completing a rough draft, collectively revise it to clarify ideas, refine structure, and enhance coherence. With your group, complete a SOAPSTone analysis of your piece to gauge your effectiveness at constructing a satirical piece. Revise your piece based on the feedback generated by your SOAPSTone analysis. Use all available resources to correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling and edit accordingly to prepare a technically sound document. Step 8: Finalize and Format the Final Draft of your Satirical Piece Type your final draft in MLA format. Make sure that your final draft is a minimum of one and one half pages, is free of grammatical errors, and properly adheres to MLA guidelines. Step 9: Present and Submit the Final Draft of your Satirical Piece Be prepared to share your satirical piece with the class on Friday, November 11th. After presenting your satire, you will submit one copy per group. In addition to your final draft, submit your group’s evidence of prewriting and SOAPSTone analysis. The final draft of your satirical piece will be worth one test grade and will go on the 3rd six-weeks. Your group’s prewriting and SOAPSTone analysis will each be worth one classwork grade on the 3rd six-weeks.

Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

REVIEW 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discuss the novel as a psychological journey. Discuss how Henry Changes throughout the novel. What causes him to change? Henry Fleming is a young solider fighting for the union army during the civil war. Throughout the war Henry ventures on a long psychological journey to discover himself. Often referred to as â€Å"the youth† Henry comes into battle with the naà ¯ve fantasies of being a war hero with out ever having faced a single battle, making him extremely self centered and vein. His desires to be heroic are far from noble but are based solely on the desire to be accepted and admired by men. He is motivated only by the idea of being immortalized among men and really holds no sense of right and wrong. Many times he justifies his coward ness by saying that the other men are not â€Å"wise enough to save themselves from the flurry of death.† And somehow restores his own self pride. He convinces himself every time that his lies are truth. But mid way through the novel Henry finally faces battle and the turning point of the novel occurs, because Henry fights, he no longer cares about himself but is part of the bigger picture he is a vital part of the â€Å"fighting machine†. As Henry forgets about the immature fantasies of a reputation he begins to earn one and quite a good one. Many of the officers are even offering their compliments and praise. Henry’s character comes full circle when he let go of his earlier mistakes and abandons the hope of a great heroism and trades it all for the more gratifying understanding of what it is to be a man. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discuss the religious imagery in the novel. How does Crane’s background influence his opinon What point is he making? The is tons of religious imagery. The most obvious is Jim being portrayed as Jesus Christ his initials are even JC and in his death he even depicts him with the â€Å"piercing† on his side and his blood covered hands. Crane was probably most influenced by his father who was a Methodist minister. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How is the novel an example of Realism? Give specific ezamples that show the novel as a realistic novel. What descriptions of battle make the novel realistic? By definition realism is, â€Å"understanding of nature of real life: a practical understanding and acceptance of the actual nature of the world, rather than an idealized or romantic view of it†.