UKLA 2011, Chester Conference Presentation

1. The Moving Image and Literacy in the Primary Classroom: 12 Points to Consider UKLA 2011, Chester Mag. phil. Sigrid Jones, MA University of Vienna wordandimage.wordpress.com

2. „Literary Learning“ Kaspar H. Spinner (2000) Literarisches Lernen in der Grundschule. In: Kinder-/ Jugendliteratur und Medien in Forschung Schule und Bibliothek, kjl6m 07.3

3. 1. Developing Imagination

4. 1. Developing Imagination Through listening, watching, reading Importance of ability to form mental images Maintaining the intensity of childrens capacity for imagination Towards increasing sophistication and flexibility

5. 1. Developing Imagination „Imagination is an aspect of the processes of sign making; of necessity it is always internal, for when its effects are expressed in ‚outward‘ signs it has again become part of a public social semiosis.“ „In my view cognition and imagination are entirely and closely related.“ „The different media make different kind of imagination possible and impose their limitations on imaginative activity!“ „One question to ask therefore is to precisely about the limitations and possibilities of each medium“ Kress, Gunther (1997) Before Writing: Rethinking the Paths to Literacy London: Routledge p.103-104

6. 2. Filling the Gaps

7. 2. Filling the Gaps Reader Response Theory: „Leerstellen“, gaps, blanks = „points at which the active participation of the reader determines the reading and comprehension of the work.“ see Wolfgang Iser (1978) The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response / Wolfgang Iser (1980) The Implied Reader Comic Book Theory: “Induction“ = cognitive capacity to connect small pieces of information in the viewers or readers mind, to make leaps in imagination in order to understand the whole. Scott McCloud (1990) Understanding Comics

8. 2. Filling the Gaps Film Theory: Kuleshov Experiment, Kulseshov Effect: Film editing: assembly of film fragments,juxtaposition of one shot with another Kuleshov Experiment: famous editing exercise by Lev Kulsehov - juxtaposition of shots of an actor showing the same expression with various meaningful images (a casket, a bowl of soup) in order to show how editing changes viewers' interpretations of images. Kulseshov Effect: the viewer inferring meaning from a montage of shots, assuming a causal relationsship see for example James Monaco (2000) How to Read a Film

9. 2. Filling the Gaps Teaching Film: Using first impressions, associations, building assumptions about the characters and the plot Speculating about, twist and turns, future events, feelings and motives in the narrative Expectations, projections will be revised throughout the story, as narrative unfolds Developing and honing the capacity to fill gaps, in dealing with greater narrative complexities

10. 3. Getting Children Involved

11. 3. Getting Children Involved Subjective Involvement Adressing personal concern Drawing connections to personal experiences Using text as canvas to project ones own feelings Making personal connection explicit Subjective involvement cannot be observed > however, leads to intensive and lasting memories

12. 3. Getting Children Involved 2. Close Reading of a Film/Media Text Focussing attention and perception Increasing accuracy in observation

13. 4. Drawing the Attention to Aesthetic Principles

14. 4. Drawing the Attention to Aesthetic Principles Learning about Language and Design: the „grammar of film“, or „language of film“ Perceiving aesthetic effects Discovering formal structures Experimenting with formal structures

15. 4. Drawing the Attention to Aesthetic Principles Order, Proportion, Measure: eg. three act structure Rythm: eg. paying close attention to: pacing, movement, music, repetition of acoustic or visual elements Symmetry: mirroring of situations or characters, visual symmetry Contrast, Tension: eg. between protagonis and antagonist, visual - between light and dark, Colour: eg. color, colour of language, tone Structure: surface structures, narrative structures Space: representation of space Time: representation of time see Paul Rand (1965) Design and the Play Instinct. in Gyorgy Kopes (ed) Education of Vision, George Braziller Inc.

16. 4. Drawing the Attention to Aesthetic Principles Order, Proportion, Measure: eg. three act structure Rythm: eg. paying close attention to: pacing, movement, music, repetition of acoustic or visual elements Symmetry: eg. mirroring of situations or characters, visual symmetry Contrast, Tension: eg. between protagonist and antagonist, visual - between light and dark, Colour: eg. color, colour of language, tone Structure: eg. surface structures, narrative structures Space: representation of space Time: representation of time see Paul Rand (1965) Design and the Play Instinct. in Gyorgy Kopes (ed) Education of Vision, George Braziller Inc.

17. 5. Following the Point of View of Characters

18. 5. Following the Point of View of Characters Identification with thoughts and feelings of fictional characters, their experiences, memories Dissociation, separation: distancing from characters and their actions, provides opportunity to be confronted with new, strange things, situations, characters the unknown, the „other“ Understanding the relationships of characters within the narrative Understanding the relationship between story and plot - the plot vs. interior journey of the protagonist Understanding literary perspectives, point of view, change of perspective as narrative tool,

19. 6. Understanding Narrative

20. 6. Understanding Narrative Joining the dots: relating parts of the text, of sequences to each other, relating text and image Understanding causal connections Understanding the overall story arch of film plot, of a feature length film has to be learned(children remember fragments of a film, the „best bits“) Scaffolded learning process with narratives of increasing complexity

21. 7. Telling Fact from Fiction

23. Relating the world of fiction to the world of experience outside the text, to the life world of children

24. Tension between fiction and reality (eg. speaking animals)

25. Fictional texts follow interior logic, often to do with genre conventions, not necessarily related to actual world

26. Rules, laws, logic which which govern fictional worlds based on literary conventions, culturally specific aesthetic conventions

28. 8. Understanding Symbols and Metaphors Understanding symbols, metaphors, similes, on a verbal level, visual level, conceptual level Symbols, metaphors, codes, tropes, motives are reproduced, reinforced, developed across media Acquiring Cultural Capital: cultural knowledge, metatextual knowledge. understanding intertextual references

29. 9. Allowing for Meaning Making as Open Ended Process

30. 9. Allowing for Meaning Making as Open Ended Process Relates to concept of Audience in Media Studies: acknowledging the semiotic openness of a text Text will direct the reader or viewer along a certain path, but can never entirely determine, dominate the interpretation Relates to constructivist views in the sense that it validates the personal interpretation of reader, listener, viewer Allowing for diverse readings in the classroom, being prepared to live with ambivalences, double meanings Younger children seem to need clear structures and closure in a narrative, older children are more capable in dealing with ambivalences, open endings in film or literature

31. 10. Learning to Talk about Text

32. 10. Learning to Talk about Text Talking about literature, talking about film > acquiring cultural capital Taking part in a shared cultural space, ability to do that is influenced by education and class Practicing exchange of ideas about textual or mediated experiences Learning to accept, respect and appreciate the point of view of others Open ended conversation about media text, not to arrive to some predetermined conclustion Conversation as a joint journey in the search for meaning

33. 11. Gaining an Understanding about Genre

34. 11. Gaining an Understanding about Genre Genre: well known concept from English and Media Studies Understanding about genres is socially constructed and always subject to change Learning about structural similarities, the use of specific codes Assuming that children have a large body of experience with media text >this can be used as asset, funds of knowledge Making implicit knowledge about text explicit

35. 12. Developing Historical Awareness

36. 12. Developing Historical Awareness Learning about History and Cultural History through art, music, literature, film Particularly vivid experience through encounters with film eg. silent film, black and white film Introducing historical context Discussing technological developments Discussing cultural developments Discussing intertexual relationships

37. Illustrations in this presentation are by Paul RandPicture books by Ann and Paul RandSparkle and Spin: A Book about WordsI Know a Lot of ThingsLittle 1Listen! Listen!

38. Thank you!sigrid.jones@univie.ac.atsigrid.jones@bikum.atwordandimage.wordpress.com