Class of the 02/04/2013

Hello Everybody !

It's been a while ! (Just joking)

This is my first post about the class itself. "Why" you ask me ? Well, it is quite simple.
The first week, we did not create the blog yet. The second week, I was very sick (flu, I hate you!). I am still sorry for Brintha, because I was looking forward this class so much, and I really did not manage to be absent. But, well, the blog was still unknown. The third week I was cured. Salima was here too, but Brintha was absent. Well, bad luck happens...

For my first post, I will exactly follow the document with the points to reflect on. For my next posts, maybe I will do it with a different presentation.

To summarize briefly, during this class, we learnt how to use a freeware called "SimpleMind Free". It is like doing a brainstorming, but that you can directly re-organize. Each main theme has a color, to prevent us from mixing up everything. You can create as many mind map as you want, and save them. For us, the purpose was to brainstorm about the benefits of a good story and its characteristics.
In the end of the class, we saw pictures of different known characters and learnt how much the appearance is important. By facial expressions, clothes, colors, a child will instantaneously classify the character in the good or the bad guy category.

Language Improvement : 
I did not really have problems to understand. My true problem is that sometimes, I know the word, but it does not want to come out. It is the same for ideas. I always have plenty after and before, but when the moment comes, it is like they hide from me. I do not know where it comes from, maybe self-confidence, but I will definitely try to settle it.

Pedagogy :
Decisions are important while making a story for children. You have to think about the language, how you will increase their curiosity and their open-mindedness, maybe about a moral... And moreover, you have to create the story itself, with its hero, its other characters, its plan, its dialogues, its happy-ending... It is not that easy. I think it takes time, patience and motivation. But I like creating, and I look forward to it! Before this class, I knew all this, in general, but now it is more clear and detailed.

Use of Technology :
Nowadays, children are used to computers, TV, Cinema... Technology are part of their world, and our. Thanks to computers, software, and others, it is easier to catch their attention since the pictures (characters) can move. Even if, it is not the only important thing, it is quite helping. For now, I do not have problems, since I am used to technology.

Collaboration :
We did not know each other to begin with. We gave each other mail and phone number, but the communication is quite a problem. I speak about the blog for a while, but if I had not take the decision to create it, it would not have been done. I also wanted to add my comrades, but no answers. Maybe I would be luckier on Monday, who knows. I hope, we will solve this problem, because making a story like that is not the best way. But, well, I am optimist, we will do a great story! :)