News for today's 2018

Teacher selected to accompany the African Storybook Project team to Nairobi!

10:54 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Submitted by Fiona Beal We are very pleased to announce that a teacher has been selected to accompany the African Storybook project team to an African Storybook project workshop as well as a Reading Conference in Nairobi in August.  The teacher is Yolandi Ferreira, the English teacher,  from Laerskiool Helderkruin in Johannesburg. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXly5EP8-z7FL9-hCqMUq6_qUDsOetW8MEXaPQwlnYZzits9lJ9RvEzFIUKEhPIZczEbdAp6Mctd-GoH4iTDNRCAjXQ5DdteLoHA63rTyC1POSwSwLeYvSTTaf_18XUm3Ue7jsr-YSUTU/s1600-h/DSCF5610%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCF5610" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgARLk1UzXtdpixoJFlXcfKOsWFYX88HrgKRsOPogD2cui6YSS4hEqsFXGgWOc6Ydi_NIc9cHXaGqN6cz_Gi4KrttfUuL-D2tDLwCT5r1lqaBqmBhEO2pOIZDE2oPS7QmbvY81KPzc2Y/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCF5610" width="184" /></a> Yolandi was competently aided by the computer teacher, Noeline van Wyk, and they sent in 63 very good stories written by different grades in their school.  They asked every child from Grade 3 - Grade 7 to develop a story using PowerPoint and a drawing application on the computer to write and illustrate their stories. <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYMvtbV1R8_aVSJMX4AZo4Jnz7TIeGnwfaRqW_qRla2LQyHbqOdjZkPaZ8isniKf1ZkTejadR0bg46_gyQlu1Bbs39so7z8y1EBOvZkUvTcBNaoPrfxJCUs8yNGdEWIcEzas56mutfWM/s1600-h/DSCF5604%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCF5604" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSPxUsdwesZM9cMFiUu4BpHN0s7WUIDKd926oGPiInuS2Nc7rqOOjYjqo-g-GSmISkv7v9cG1gTBTZFss_PHv6-p_5wjs7QNq50DJ4VcjFmPGX7L6d1eI5BRrvt9qYNjkx0w06IB8Fy0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCF5604" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2kOEE2QPWH_FSKjlLPaUPMZZ63qa3ZUcIzHxt5cr3c9TveLWin28GDMsQKeJHKuYUtZkWuMKzvxUsnPmkxoveG8PpE8oM1d7_w4YAAceKSszMuoU36dPB0tv_digLh94c7bdgLo1wkQ/s1600-h/DSCF5614%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCF5614" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbY-omPNuMFjiuicq9ZUjRPJ4ligzEQJdB3CGWXcLlAKdMDTGFVWIX_6KbQxdkwh8dVp3QPyglOnKdZPSzmYFhKcV3iAqSPgAg_7Gkkc2CITcSqos1A-4HAKYqWF8PiGH2B5V449f-iQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCF5614" width="244" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table> Megan Rademeyer from SchoolNet was invited to attend one of their lessons and she writes ‘They did a session launching the project in the hall using two of the videos from the course videos and said how useful the webinars have been. Yolandi showed a PowerPoint while I was there using some course examples that seemed to get the class excited for the task. As a class they also used the Smartboard to collectively brainstorm one example story so they could get used to the terminology like "theme", "character", "plot" etc. The kids are very excited about writing a story for a genuine audience and purpose.  They have been told that only the best ones will make it to the website - so they are really keen to make sure that their stories are good. This is a really exciting project. The portal of stories will be great - but the African Storybook Project is also doing worthwhile work in terms of encouraging good writing.” <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFKP3IV_RbHx7tO7AiBeC57-6Z-KrGSE-RFXF1Uxdp-vBqsfdnQWUMX1kVGMr-I09mPIPeD5WNEQKuoCAdIbv3sM52iOIyY4TjpMlgENg9Sq7v6NDxI1G1gI-UXD436nY9uutRWAmxvc/s1600-h/DSCF5609%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSCF5609" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWYvkH0PWU1oHNHPuQJ-uIlFuGLITtasg6LDtLboEg9QyYmoelN5fhnKtSJVeyWJKo0jyeK8J6Qq0_NQzSq5zc_gJc6BXTnxEkTC-ApYlD7b2xUtcgQe1_8IZ-oBEezCJ1c3SqGFRJs8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DSCF5609" width="244" /></a> We say well done to Yolandi. At the pre Conference African Storybook project in Nairobi Yolandi will be sharing what she did with the African Storybook team from the four pilot countires in Africa. After that she will attend the Pan African Reading Conference in Nairobi. Again we say well done Yolandi and Noeline and congratulations to all your students! Schoolnet and the African Storybook projectIt has been a great privilege for SchoolNet to be involved in this wonderful project by creating and running a four week free online course for interested teachers in South Africa in digital storytelling from 15th April to 15th May. There were several teachers who, like Yolandi, did a sterling job in coming up with a wonderful selection of stories from themselves and their classes. I am sure the African Storybook team had a difficult time selecting who would be the winner of their incentive prize. Ways of illustrating storiesWe had a number of really excellent stories from teachers who discovered their writing gift within them. Something that fascinated me during this course was the ingenious ways that teachers used to illustrate their stories. Take a look! <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="319"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikeNYlEaZvwkut3EuTOUOmDk_3TiKrfcJbzmg1-R0_-cgSz6ELz5_1cm_81Zhk_5qV3YxPZh2o4zxx9x5WqmMn00ZTVe8ClVeEc7lEmXHff4GL9DYr_z7KfS2QDwYSgulmYHu2LkZ6Qk/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image002" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXGC1jiu9WOUHhCtyex9yT1iVvhszmzpZawWXbRCEyck3R1MWxlQ_9KDVJiTlbzkxt6bNIPcOu3QZCi3qg5hfN-ltBavqfsAHILjQ3ijuLdliFbRpuAfw2wXq31X1RFIe0t1Q8ZkyPLY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image002" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="297"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPhXnQVbz3oMfnQs6lxsJzjesS4K1ZZxoyvMPgcHdp1hB1P_Qbl0Vi7PKS2ePuSlwiY-rgylmTngqInPTyb_Q4Xgw7BqQlzefrEdyQXXXISQf14rqlOfkc0qY_rQp6WPUBGkLeJ0Dp6Q/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image004" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKibtGLjrr4tKpJ34nZrcyMnIQry-nK0LRmXR7Ov2-NBKHAqr0FERQTXH-s25aJ2VHN5e-zK7tFSyPsnyfb8mT0uKkdlzAs_pk83NeZd-ibwHeYICTgesujtbY7ay-TtcbaLOL0FRMeo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image004" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="319">Fabric with felt cut outs which were then captured with a camera as shown in  ‘Emily and the Seagull’. </td> <td valign="top" width="297">Own photos with words at the side and a colourful background as shown in ‘There’s a zoo in my school’. </td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="319"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0Prryfs2fHt5gBjtYEpenhWexkZGp30ND4SfbXEi2oZ8l7K4aJ45aahygq_2cdeJR7epPZDRUK57uuGG6p7xNbn45gkFapgCcXk9C0DWto8_3rhM1t9W-uuJkGjcUeRPihQcF8RN_B8/s1600-h/clip_image006%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image006" border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ56qup-FNtYMPK2iGR36T9F-yXRJU6g_MekiJFgMvk5emU8FSZQilnv3LJXy-FL2YYwhaJxLaaR5xRkU0RIj8w0T_60Uvg-wygjfjCyIR6o55ZmXWhlicbLMhM-QGKzLjJLqDAoMWezM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image006" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="297"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusVFWRux60q2WeCqGyWgWCbhD7iSyG6w8czJR4Hj-q_DMPhT2yv2ECZ6tQosg4fKO3AOjUf8OA6AKDdtvF8WbRzDf91k8s1jvS5S_Vz5CQlCbafXGsAmAbhLf2K-0j-IB08S6oHO01J0/s1600-h/clip_image008%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image008" border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidfGY_45oieexEuSd8zjrxcduiG6_UK2o6tSuswo_mz8rYp_x67UzNvYTym33O-M6BT6IvSnZPMMTts0tGK7gFE6JwTCdTti9ApeOp9Pj70-cpxjULJ1uDozYpXcj_laIOzzxmGY3nrI/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image008" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="319">Some used royalty-free images from  the Internet such as in ‘The sheep who wanted to knit’. </td> <td valign="top" width="297">Some asked different learners in their class to illustrate each page as shown in ‘Sisipho signs away’.</td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="319"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6fRQbyj8LxTZc8xD8v8lDZcr3JTborrFef72Rb280Z6n8_HqAtejiM4HzoI80LWuGcOVfTB4t-XC7BhdBD4v9Rhik-n06plgWzhyphenhyphensritn15iANfsIwujYPZqOX32ZfcfPu3T3thty88/s1600-h/clip_image010%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image010" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-g-_Gf6o3T99fVDZRnqzqMCvp8RS7l02XxALmZFYeR6GEjL-kNS2SpMZW6lRW7vwxCgrddaoTUWW2jRzuLiydGtDvwP65Av4GHU33RjhMs-uECdkoVHMZ2ax7SWVWnWcd96m-0XvKmk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image010" width="242" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="297"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1rgluf-OQ-EiWy50PmZnWgWC_ig46-zG4yEHnMVffp5k7KsS9p7VwBJ0bUNVE6Dpfg4-TcmhnEsvBoXWQcmweOaMA0eBQVvlNIqspJVoZN-4rPX4AN0nzWVIZo-E8Ua8QrwTVrZrIiM/s1600-h/clip_image012%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image012" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoMh3EU8vsxo-D2mNyigEGS3ZdldpQ2bxS-lQnNS6QLXq1AqftxcaUANK39ABCUasC2vQTtcYxhOJORyqBmjYg_gebFgwQhQPJouU7AljLe2VR5v941jSwx3yJyellEJhagbVLAs5Cro/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image012" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="319">Some teachers asked their students  to create their own illustrations using Microsoft Paint such as in ‘Bunny  tells the children’. </td> <td valign="top" width="297">Some asked their own family to do their illustrations</td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O9fWqipXRWCRlenhuA8a59vlJkjg0T0U9J3RvVHqzY4jpL3XmD3x0Mg4lfHLpbjCIVwLhRUbjbc3FmvADlebpykI_vOJ63pGNsurOA83WYYOuJYdlUaIy9r3YEUEhBHTCgouz8AUEbU/s1600-h/clip_image014%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image014" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1rNN2WY23eyk6bOZhM8n26VgProuANydHdQwXeebUdSroF_IoPqGCJl-pz0p02D91XpCH5PfwBXrSgXPZfYWsdakw9Qt-7hxyyC23tFcT96X2_XaMgTaugFMyiLDyCvH-Cv7ow_AKS0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image014" width="242" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="301"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6d18fqQ6jrxS1ETpOTSGgfDmAA2V4dbv0ahUauGMi5aPn5tFV7uIze9KLE-NG-jLLUAZfgLsRDj7vONhoI-AFBjGSWZmWuoA-SWWv1QqLTGLAR1VUmdHdDaD1_PWE_XyzlUefKiuTyY/s1600-h/clip_image016%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image016" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs55JzybKE8jmnSrj6_i69W0aJS4rlKr4wfbQzkm4jWsCej_JTxb2FVWJ6Zw5DUNbzdfyvUd93Z2fSZtnjiCcAkcBsA88rd2d0QQ7NdGg66_R-8SbSJn3cND2W9oOse8sW1z965jJa8o/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image016" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315">Some created templates and coloured  them in such as in ‘Khotso goes to the  zoo’. </td> <td valign="top" width="301">Some asked a talented friend to do their illustrations for them such as in ‘The noise in the night’. </td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtf2aXMvq5WtnwfUFhBKUMtk7GBHuyArIaAdF-u0SaQGEHvXHjlKMqeDfBSnh1WmLcEgawRPBcc1h6V7qKhKPCB9Idwu80aExqX51ZtkO1M-oxzF_R7YT12juokr_ZISb9sgsc4ZpuqXM/s1600-h/clip_image018%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image018" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FcuGPiPpeM3IxHcrCEJ8znahxaSJ3MyibnSMX-E4Zrvfk3xZ16ss4wpXnPADnl8tORj14FzpwtHZSVofFwpcT-B5Wd5ppKPSWOeRQ1ca3_0lajz2vWC4hi65reRBf0UwaCcG97MUKik/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image018" width="242" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="301"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoLKm3LzWvpgKp02zVAqNcGckpHPjGT4gTReor5AZfdVlKjUfxZZJiscqbs_gky0GVUDt5a8O05favSfeOzUvr6tezAv9CidpfDWqZXaudBIhUN-Jj4MHhxhzt0CSlD3SRAtz962xHhA/s1600-h/clip_image020%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image020" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8i7vSz8LLvGjbdRrL0D8Ej9IDp07Q7ebp_7NK1cjN9fcUVp6QfM1oFGdg-YKrq_iUDvUXw8qUA5iD_mB1rda7SZ59A0y37SG4FiKxu-iu5xYG6c1iAfh5WVeQYMt_9B4dMwuaZUxXkoo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image020" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315">Some used royalty free pictures from  Pixabay such as ‘Angus the Dinosaur’. </td> <td valign="top" width="301">Some created tasteful collages made from different materials such as in ‘Nonyane’.</td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh1KkFtnZwqpcLY8vvXA7GU6Phtd4rCPlMNmEzAt-7vWVGy-kIi98sBi6_mQYYlI98YtkAO8-b68uWrRUH8TOe0dYl12XM8Ow_UMCCDEIzuh3_giI2kVEZHYbe1nkhyinDtwCwlkfQSo/s1600-h/clip_image022%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image022" border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIVyu7MTw24u68FNQoTRLI5XXlYHGCY6Veds_vA01mqIoMY19y-iYSgKwlSlMzEsuRli6ZgIsvdVPhxNnhDiZzeyH0UAnvCKl8oNZbICkNGOXFjVyby6o9y2R8_x8yT0lOghtMv3XblQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image022" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="301"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXDNUsC5G_SyUeznEnDO17QNk5LQZMHd5DFqtfDb95hSnVIurpLwcMgwsVl0cDvQhZg2kDekaoXsFBPKhehsXDcdTtV1Qqv7R9Z-cQGMpy0p4m8kj021pdP1kmffE4nOD3-Tqsj7tzZk/s1600-h/clip_image024%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="clip_image024" border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oLQbPgUURSpYaX4e2kc58Gsx6YXzEYzaK2HNQQTpKraW-zJIs93Tvbfj71DggwNcdI_wZFUFRn6f8p_ONzMsQI2ofL-0e3GK6Dm8rtVTjCu5OjrIJvlInzbXEtfqbhNIoHaMXenAaXM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image024" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="315">Some used whole, original photos and pasted the words in a convenient spot  as in ‘On Safari’. </td> <td valign="top" width="301">Some used commercially obtained illustration programmes owned by their schools such as in ‘Monsters under my bed’.</td></tr></tbody></table> We are looking forward to the launch of the African Storybook Project website later this year.</div>

African Storybook Project Teacher selected to accompany the African Storybook Project team to Nairobi!

Submitted by Fiona BealWe are very pleased to announce that a teacher has been selected to accompany the African Storybook project team to an African Storybook project workshop as well as a Reading Conference in Nairobi in August. The teacher is Yol…

Creative Writing #13: An African Storybook Project Report back from Stirling Primary in East London

12:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here is another class hard at work creating stories for the African Storybook Project.  I have written about the African Storybook Project in a number of posts. The website is hopefully going live in July with stories written by South Africa teachers. If you would like your class to write stories suitable for Grade 3 students across Africa to read, please submit them by 21 June and use the guidelines found in this post. <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/05/theres-still-time-to-submit-story.html">There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!</a> This is a picture of Liesel Kruger from Stirling Primary School in East London. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOb8laQlH29Rf9rNDq114TeN-SDgNrtpcMN5-hCPKtmb6mtU5zHgSANtT5bNj5B4pa9qlfEBrjEJweq5i93xX4xA7-1EVm4gSo8aAKKjsy2UPbweyH36r6JeChiYiHQBN4EIEEaXsR5qe/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liesel Kruger from East London</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVLhAfur3wLIMFJ8vvBENnHABegoUKgIy9-iV9cSwiSZSirY2W4Qz5s-R8Ea1xKm7JRwRIFGuQfBjboqafQkrxAdVzIQgPXcsvbtYz5n_fmtWJIjblOCLMqycX5-FKD2EU_STvPKzn4lN/s1600-h/image%25255B20%25255D.png"></a> "We are finally finished writing all the stories and I am nearing the end of the editing.  We will be using Story Jumper to illustrate our stories and then we will snip the pictures to use them in our PowerPoint shows.  My children are so  enjoying Story Jumper.  In fact, my class today asked if they could stay in at break and carry on! That says it all don't you think?  Still quite a way to go, but so far so good... Thank you." These are photos of the Grade 3s at work with their stories. <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Jcweoq03-tzlyZk6_lcV_J7Aa6AP4qvV1Si4WzFg-HS1lFG3nNWdbRu6vAS_4eiEAHYxd4GGDRI7cmAMrzdyrMl6Tmf8cmiU3POC-xKd61D_DeTii88Sl9c1cB9w5LkVSwYvmtdes8l7/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYBVfgLVhSCqJpGXt32gerkNnkWdSwwS0kS-2jLJfBFHMDWCinLO069P9UU4x-dGLnG4vGTpaooAowtkuniLorrESQp1J-1Tc3niDGNiSzg0BRaBsN82c1RbqtiaO9YN3InrgCMR9BXjv/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE0gkVNQzrI4qprB84RQ82NcFUhFFkgZZTx5-StUQzdrf9Lax3Y3t8QQK_1sDa1B0aE89zdwQfFm6oLTi5nwt58l370C3YihJy_pnsxM3yFijfp-S2xrdi2Mnk4U2PJgdYvkJ3dtucrwG/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53tbfSCCUYb_mwCZesXTL93WPRhJ15ipmidvO-qE5NIyrd46MJs3XQCTFkckVPKWLJUypPrLUfEwPEtmym94ZLnBKFDVHwDW5mFHARJuMrKsot0H8_P7dxRzkKbI2xzkU5AEVAdVHqGvq/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"></td> <td valign="top" width="200"></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpr-KjvaDF-tum00hifNZZZuHXuTG0YrfNXIj0kFKM6fThy72Y4pidxlTbevHMAapN9yq8Yn47y0oL-GsxD1-evNvgIfMYDAErEwoKSJepNlRfsWXR4O7Wtwn72q4ScfYh7hb0m3eLLTnz/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-tXDJ4FQfM0F9v8CeKPColVv6aZD_CVGiFdoraKGynh6xFf30mPlSP1RtsLC09pl13pZdU1CnFyjd8emXn15kZo4MTzoKjQQq1uyv7Aw1D0tfSq2GO1VdI_zHsyDjpm88rHghiB212Jb/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN63fcNUEalk9-fB-B7CMqyl_8e04YWPCY8wtdabpf8tFL4xgxNRvDkWPbMGp97cABu-OnCSlcJBDShPqhpeBYGnCEGwbZX6Z9HVZ7bMZUugeZsBo1jKKjE6djezqcZ_PVWMmRDxqn42A/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZAoVmRW636PEUCPSQgs2IgC23yOgP2IdnHCn8ds2KOdJbF8B_VZYwdQoTvf4wlGHos6n9FE4GMOHRv-IcBzK3tNF9IW95rLAuwD9EdsPughzY6vSmcvyT7aqju-zzt4oSQ0O_TCwujLz/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"></td> <td valign="top" width="200"></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAX1fOSK6WO38H6Ol7oXx5P8QQuS_fw-4pzSxf3BUx0kntqkgmkqvL3k3wPC8RPgP0R7td1NXbmDbR0MBeUW6FuM2aRDkUcdMfFs1PzbaHR7wb5m7zQh7rx48SlpUoAKPRzMGTgzzUKWo/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjuVJxZByJd-l48jkfrDh51UxZ30mkIS1cBMswXi-jUT0xPXC3CXbSODQmawD7Cj565SLL1AIERsv3fLx_tjQizWuODqkTEIrsHy9DQ_fvCtQ6IMWDtWgR0TI3ghs6hwUvRTZjNYC_wKP/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KRJuiyJbhjfPqh628UsLU219UUntFt97IiZ7esbN7V0BrqTiOh7DISrkXaod1eDjQO9X5_xxPtlUoourj5GDp0iEEFO9yoes5zUHdjarFxSzwYd3z13zI-8UkcUNfpSaKvIBa8S9QR1i/s1600-h/image%25255B17%25255D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpB5OQdNkAc0r3TkQ1xFcdeI0E5Wt22NlKzaXXWtAGoeEk0SHO_AbHwt9DL18T11Kc3YYuid1XcBK-3qfucgKTxdzLHIYjn-XPJe3-fmV6tDJfaumuXqZwXvyWvJBJTWOjX2UQlPOoIru-/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"></td> <td valign="top" width="200"></td></tr></tbody></table> Thank you so much Liesel for sending this lovely report back.  </div>

Creative Writing #13: An African Storybook Project Report back from Stirling Primary in East London

African Storybook Project Creative writing Writing Creative Writing #13: An African Storybook Project Report back from Stirling Primary in East London

Here is another class hard at work creating stories for the African Storybook Project. I have written about the African Storybook Project in a number of posts. The website is hopefully going live in July with stories written by South Africa teachers…

Creative Writing #12: An African Storybook Project report back from Princess Primary School in Roodepoort

1:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Thank you so much to those who are sending in their stories about how their writing is going for the African Storybook Project. This is a fantastic project for Grades 1-3 children in Africa where the plan is to create an awesome website of stories that teachers and their classes around Africa can use. The blog post that gives more information about this project is: <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/05/theres-still-time-to-submit-story.html" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;">There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!</a> The story in this post comes from Princess Primary School in Roodepoort where Eden Daniels teachers Grade 7. Listen to what she has to say: “I am Eden Daniels,the Grade 7 English teacher at Princess Primary School in Roodepoort. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7JNPzmiFqTgBoIVoUeOO3_oGyhEGhGCKv50vN_63V5r5h5memi_GbBtSdKgebnmUd0mp30saEEXq5LgeWlr9oc6MbhQJl2xoP96vtLNEWkwM9S_rg-ZMbpMiMAjl3f6X1Wp4i5oXBZ0j/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="291" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden Daniels from Princess Primary School in Roodepoort</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>When I first read of this amazing project I thought of incorporating  it into my Creative Writing Assignment for Term 3.The learners first wrote their stories in their Classwork books then transferred it to the computers in the computer centre.I had never seen kids so excited about a project before.They actually begged to remain in the computer centre  during breaks and after school. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T9I0LqMQe0JO8j2xJFhbT1sxYNAbaLs6Qae8Yya8Hwmgnz4iQNibAvGZG3IJXWMNpBMCXNK8BznoeWrFoft4BaSW9_Xx4ufB4z6D43935tUcmSsDo80ls6f8iqNXJCgv6Dm2QZKq589u/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></div> We don't have an ICT  teacher at our school any more so I don't have help at school. The 4 week course really helped.The free image websites really assisted the kids. I downloaded many pictures according to the children's requests as most of them are underprivileged and do not have computers at home.These pictures were then copied onto the computers for them to pick and choose from.Some of them brought their own pictures and others submitted drawings.” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VwupU3PszJ1K_G8vBJZZfujwGcAuUPYBdfrk3En5dddJL8ra_Ui6GhVeBt2SiccMk59mn8qFk2xv6RFT324e3D7zEWvNpKvUddfhOvRmo70GFZ2-qNsPQIgw_DWvUinCGiCEBGj77E3b/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></div> Thank you so much for this wonderful report back Eden. I am thrilled to hear how the class enjoyed writing. </div>

African Storybook Project Creative Writing #12: An African Storybook Project report back from Princess Primary School in Roodepoort

Thank you so much to those who are sending in their stories about how their writing is going for the African Storybook Project. This is a fantastic project for Grades 1-3 children in Africa where the plan is to create an awesome website of stories th…

Creative Writing #11:An African Storybook project report back from Karin Horne

12:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I am always so thrilled when teachers send in some information about their writing for the African Storybook Project. I would like to thank Karin Horne, the Deputy Principal from Crawford Preparatory in Pretoria for sending in this picture and information. Karin says, “This is a picture of me down loading photographs from my camera and phone, to use in my story.” <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iv2lyP1uPNDNWAnXTlgGBpV_w62D9oL4YC9z2MRhXAk9G0vVpEuBxhY7bLSKC_bmgTfRuG9FXlk5y8oPJ5eobVVhxNhfaQH7oeYXYPJe2-u23b_hP_2UwU-1-6vKRu73kNMe_x-VfDpJ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="330" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karin Horne from Crawford Preparatory School in Pretoria</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Karin has also sent in the delightful story she wrote called ‘The sheep who wanted to knit.” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto8P6fumb2dUF6tx7SB2JsPRCV8F4vTSCu0sZpT1KRna877q8F2sC_0ScACe2S-Gu3sl79jDKAR1MZlC8wxLESz4K2Xq7O4y2LhynWJbd3dNAn5kvRS5alNHsTsviDqWnwmlsZEwZuiRy/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="339" /></div> Thank you so much for sending in all of this to us, Karin. Perhaps you'll write another lovely story as well? An opportunity for you the reader <div style="text-align: left;">If you are reading this and you feel you would like to write a story for the African Storybook Project yourself or with your class before the 21st June, Please could I invite you to do so. The following blogpost has the details...<a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/05/theres-still-time-to-submit-story.html" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;">There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!</a></div></div></div>

African Storybook Project Creative Writing #11:An African Storybook project report back from Karin Horne

I am always so thrilled when teachers send in some information about their writing for the African Storybook Project. I would like to thank Karin Horne, the Deputy Principal from Crawford Preparatory in Pretoria for sending in this picture and inform…

Creative Writing #10: An African Storybook Project report back from The Rock Academy…

4:11 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I am SO thrilled when teachers send reports on how their Digital Storytelling writing is going for the African Storybook Project. This is an amazing project. The plan is to create a huge website of stories for the Grade 1-3 children of Africa where the stories can be read, translated and adapted for use by teachers and students across Africa. The website is due to be launched in July and the idea is to populate it at its launch with donated stories created by mainly South African teachers and students.  Today’s report back comes from The Rock Academy in Fish Hoek where the Grade 6 teacher, Christine Venter, is working in conjunction with the ICT teacher, Lisa Gair, in engaging the Grade 6s in writing for the project. This is what they say: “Mrs Gair & Mrs Venter reporting… <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWtrfN0q7Bt4zSLLJ_hI25Bj3lb4eAT12__9zNLkaD-WPa0ARZ0mfliJE0JMS-LuRu0_lFpUrRewy1fKWSqqs56YSDVQI4qRQxSTMZkyNa8L_ADCpKEXTqVy6cOJ6oNOqcFMaGslK36g/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Gair (left - ICT teacher) and Christine Venter (right - Grade 6 teacher) </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Grade 6 Rock Academy kids have loved taking on this writing adventure. They started off with a bang, ideas were pouring out, and constant chit chat was happening while comparing their ideas. They knuckled down quickly to get their thoughts on paper and developed their story line.  Some were so eager they took their writing home to complete in one afternoon (even though they had 2 weeks to get it done). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANvOD1Ds7mOeAOvleicgmb-rzvpGjqfxf0qhqVCO8JlsMJ4u_yf8o900f8ka2Cykv7LjnPntreso7HU8749bXOElgDbBGUuhj9ApvIR-ihTclyHCUPdSXBtdHBoxSVpie1GXGhcoXbK8/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfdbatspCXN7rSgWnqo4L37Vfjrr0JySUDzzJJ7AMT4xmc6iwoMzG5ilfOXUNqq6FVau07kMve0YPGnRznkmVnZXC1Kq9jdOLD2uM1DQY_Ig8V9slFVNu-YcvkUPbLBGnypsivBp4lMw/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div> Now we're on our animation stage and they are also loving this too. It has been a growing, and fun experience for each child individually and as a class. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sEgyEtKk8Um5N2RtwnF1HCWi3WKs3q0wcLfoa5iU39nlvltTdfDfV-wWzaWRWgXOX2h6qnbXE1xTTj2j9XfEEDZpRtOH5fwvVNHZxBXCUjq1CtbjTE7RudbRedaaevvNC6iYwUyz_TM/s1600-h/image%25255B18%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYkoykLchtnzdbgOFYGLd7fQ4bwGZJ0Wag1sUDv-xhmA6Ujg1am491AfKy3QYTrCexmjFQjpUQ4uyCDgauXpwyC_SESBv5kUZbbXz8dbBVuX3y2Vi7BGWWN64GrUt_t98WebR9Oo8Gt0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jWRyulG4j3ZGLqqyRxgModT55n0rEK3VhU7nShhyphenhyphen_ZDuGbge1NkcqDqY2X5eGOWfsxsr5gdGK8RuyrQPFt7ZTjnanInjrkCmCXyIDZFw_A0Y8Dutqk_x3WAuORsywxxx129S2fY-f4Q/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="267" /></div>They have moved to the ICT Centre and are busy typing up their stories in PowerPoint and doing their illustrations in Paint. We are learning lots of new skills in both programs and are looking forward to reading their final products!” <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvDZrE2kqxt5ic5pwmRFF6oEFHOIm9WZrPhjHdbIZvXHnfiTZJ1G5dAbFe_yhGwYuvnzNBgq7HeS8yo5KBeQNlrgVbqiwxNtZrqQ2F1CnnwcPEjIrGdRKOPYl6Zgld1DT4rrA3L_iz2w/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs Christine Venter with her Grade 6 writing their stories</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thank you SO much for participating in the project and for this wonderful report back Mrs Venter and Mrs Gair – we can’t wait to read your stories!</div>

African Storybook Project Creative Writing #10: An African Storybook Project report back from The Rock Academy…

I am SO thrilled when teachers send reports on how their Digital Storytelling writing is going for the African Storybook Project. This is an amazing project. The plan is to create a huge website of stories for the Grade 1-3 children of Africa where t…

Creative Writing #9: How are teachers going about writing stories with their classes for the African Storybook Project? Here is one example from Laerskool Heledekruin…

3:54 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We have just completed our online course on Digital Storytelling and now we are waiting for stories suitable for Grade 3 readers around Africa to be submitted from teachers and schools in South Africa by June 21st. It is planned that these stories will be displayed on the African Storybook Project website when it is launched in July.  SchoolNet was thrilled when we were invited to view a lesson presented by one of the teachers who participated in the course and I thought I would write a blogpost about this exciting lesson. Megan Rademeyer from SchoolNet went to observe the lesson at the school and this is what Megan says: “The school is Laerskool Heledekruin an Afrikaans School in Johannesburg where Yolandi (the English teacher) and Nolene (the computer teacher) are busy running with the African Storybook project. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpVrGT2a7JJm2NzkJBGyOSYNhYBL_XmXIcxsvVLBnqaaQ240GyWA98-IlWeMfl87isq2dOQu8ntuK56szxYa3NZGVRR_zfxCJ1pEXclFTN2VQuROOc2n5AE04n1le-wksXe3xIXSMSnY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="331" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yolandi from Laerskool Heledekruin in Johannesburg</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> They are asking every child from Grade 4 - Grade 7 to develop a story and I saw the pictures and text that they had started on using PowerPoint. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffsSMkLQeXIDL76fT_t0gwCYnOQpQm3sDHSHvL8cjxclSOBbDEDwwzXWbVyUU5I2vh3XhIBX302k6Tc55AOuEBFizdo7NOkjBlhx0taEtoxz7LjPBiJ1DVI3KfiFH9UjTjmKNu6C35E4/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></div> They did a session launching the project in the hall using two of the videos from the course videos and said how useful the webinars have been. Yolandi showed a PowerPoint while I was there using some course examples that seemed to get the class excited for the task. As a class they also used the Smartboard to collectively brainstorm one example story so they could get used to the terminology like "theme", "character", "plot" etc. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBlKyFPhhSlFY97bWZxCUHtnL0fBFZ8wypBf4v55y_T4fnyANPsRYPY_fZQpShkdjCoG-NObih24H5vbVvkXxUPyRHjOikISlNgh4fzi8yTVTWvq7rtVI8tAYsuA6isHb0suEJ3LFiS0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></div> The kids are very excited about writing a story for a genuine audience and purpose.  They have been told that only the best ones will make it to the website - so they are really keen to make sure that their stories are good. This is a really exciting project. The portal of stories will be great - but the African Storybook Project is also doing worthwhile work in terms of encouraging good writing.” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeq_TWNaTQc81yeOWdxMmnt_5M8cEMwY_7Rcd8fwB8mgNir8mpO26zqrne6_MYvFzi1ZHo8cx5aykU2xoMbUvAhNhXcAgjrS0-KQwH7UIzH5oZBzfCoDbs3GRGngGTEitQNOUKnF1cyk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></div> Enter your story for the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert competition Thanks to Yolandi and Nolene for running with this project at their school and presenting such a fantastic lesson. We would like them and anyone else who is writing with a class to consider entering their Learning Activity for the Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert Competition. They way they present teaching about the story at their school will be unique and really worthy of using for the competition. See the blogpost <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/05/microsoft-innovative-educator-expert.html">Calling all innovative teachers! Apply to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert</a> Write for the African Storybook Project before June 21st If you would like to find out more about your class writing a story for the African Storybook project and the incentive for the school that submits the most usable stories see the blogpost <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/05/theres-still-time-to-submit-story.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!</a> Send us your 'writing' story If you are writing for the competition please send us a short report and some photos to use as a blogpost. We’d LOVE that. <img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" /></div>

Creative Writing #9: How are teachers going about writing stories with their classes for the African Storybook Project? Here is one example from Laerskool Heledekruin…

African Storybook Project Writing Creative Writing #9: How are teachers going about writing stories with their classes for the African Storybook Project? Here is one example from Laerskool Heledekruin…

We have just completed our online course on Digital Storytelling and now we are waiting for stories suitable for Grade 3 readers around Africa to be submitted from teachers and schools in South Africa by June 21st. It is planned that these stories wi…

There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!

2:12 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeh3Zy-kPK3F-wWNEbLiYvoOSQsAEtCMf6L2jZzgnjneNp_NsmymcoTItm_oCYUdbupQKh71uj86JDFP1maPrs_Vd26Ncp6id223UbM1vumE8A0X_Y4jJExH5IVS0XRDeXCn4SBYf4Ss/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="240" /></div> We have just completed our course on writing and now we are waiting for stories suitable for Grade 3 students around Africa to read to be submitted from teachers around the country who have completed the course. WE hope that many of them will get their classes to write as well all in time for the launch of the African Storybook Project website in July. If you would like to contribute a story, please consider it. Here are the details. 1. The stories must be written in PowerPoint or similar and must contain a Tilte page, an End page and 6  -  16 'chunks' or paragraphs each with an illustration which could be on a separate slide. (If the stories are written in another language they need to have an English translation sent in on a separate Word document.) Here is a guide for writing: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GHJth8ZMV4GFcbWm-FY1lY6VQwrBisVonirKxGXg0o7gorVEdnEG2Z26jksboFTkeVPy8CW0iZXU0U6crDCASzLh99SRPYxX6JSmpyIc41B4uaSvTDrhtlcoByQ2IR346vLEwZnkvJI/s1600-h/requirements%25255B2%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="requirements" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a_87J3Wog_paIXQ_3pKZwZZFooXtgzQriGfcG5rAUnRYpoJx5njmUqIqz9WEjFdYI9DBu3g6VZJNI-xg6-ACW44PaHput01uMdpf_a8x4-WV9Q-as-hGbU7vE3sb1dmyoq2eikB2KKA/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="requirements" width="400" /></a></div> This screenshot of the requirements can be downloaded as a PowerPoint  here for easier reading: <a href="https://www.box.com/s/vc4oep6cko76emvb5cj3" style="background-color: white; color: #7de700; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">https://www.box.com/s/vc4oep6cko76emvb5cj3</a>  2. There should be a creative commons license copied and pasted under the author's name as shown below. You can download the PowerPoint with the six copy-and-paste licenses from from this link: <a href="https://www.box.com/s/ojw9pv80pu6m739vsnkl">https://www.box.com/s/ojw9pv80pu6m739vsnkl</a> This means the story can be changed I(for translation into the vernacular of a country etc) but always attributed to you and you are the only person who could ever sell your story. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWEuVL2aKAQ97mrLH1cqFLAlaeelQX2D0lefj5BesS9h9hH8lYTS2tXsqEi1HRN7U8lKxfribq_a6bJqd8xhleicmKMIJJipQSvyphpKLzWwwiBEK6nenRVfaq0IJFSewSbmlmzF8KCE/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESfxCtp1EYkrc7P32tE4HZBJwfKm8lNhPq4J6IeuKcfjSKLwX_yKymR4-ZmSr-4Htq9jV7nIEN0XBM_zlItqI4-k4KfklMrbppwfiMYk6CeyWu_2zcUWwaURjsrI73qjThibNS-dLk7U/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div> . 3. Stories must reach us by email 21 June 2013 or before to. fiona (at) schoolnet.org.za 4. The school which submits the most usable stories will qualify to have someone from the school sponsored to attend the Reading and Writing Conference in Kenya in August as a part of the African Storybook Team. Thank you so much for considering joining us on this great venture! </div>

African Storybook Project There’s still time to submit a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader for the African Storybook project. Join us!

We have just completed our course on writing and now we are waiting for stories suitable for Grade 3 students around Africa to read to be submitted from teachers around the country who have completed the course. WE hope that many of them will get the…

The African Storybook Project downloadable brochure

1:44 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxFGCHACZiL0qhCZH_RSX0yKIIYPJuFqF6Zi65mIz4QYgEB1egQ_2m8R6bjLgTlmZponrIs4KBD8gS6Q-P_UvHLTSio0W7bvGyU_sdFXduxM6QV96YlMtLx6N8_db70yhz79j4PUPLzE/s1600/African+Storybook+Project+Logo+FINAL-3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxFGCHACZiL0qhCZH_RSX0yKIIYPJuFqF6Zi65mIz4QYgEB1egQ_2m8R6bjLgTlmZponrIs4KBD8gS6Q-P_UvHLTSio0W7bvGyU_sdFXduxM6QV96YlMtLx6N8_db70yhz79j4PUPLzE/s200/African+Storybook+Project+Logo+FINAL-3+copy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> Below is a brochure about the African Storybook project that has been put out by Saide (South African Institute of Distance Education) in Johannesburg . Saide is administering this great project which aims to facilitate availability, access to, and use of sufficient good stories for early reading practice for African children ages 2 to 9. It will do this by setting up an interactive website with stories for early reading and by encouraging educators and literacy development organisations working in early literacy of young children in African countries: <ul style="text-align: left;"><li>to access openly licensed digital reading resources of various levels and types on the site</li><li>to translate and/or adapt the stories into a familiar language and context for the children they work with</li><li>to create their own stories and upload them in the templates provided,</li><li>to contribute already published stories and make them available under an open licence,  and</li><li>to use them in a variety of ways for literacy development.</li></ul> Free online short course 'Digital storytelling and the African Storybook Project' Next week (15th April) we start with a free online four week course for interested teachers around the country entitled 'Digital storytelling and the African Storybook Project'. If you would like to know more about the course and possibly sign up  please visit out SchoolNet blog on this URL: <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/p/courses.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/p/courses.html</a> Downloadable brochure Here is the brochure put out by Saide on the project. This can be downloaded if desired. To download click on the image and when the e-book appears go to the bottom right and choose the icon which has an arrow pointing down. Follow the prompts.  <a href="http://www.youblisher.com/p/600590-The-African-Storybook-Project/" target="_blank"><img alt="The African Storybook Project" src="http://www.youblisher.com/files/publications/101/600590/200x300.jpg" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></div>

African Storybook Project The African Storybook Project downloadable brochure

Below is a brochure about the African Storybook project that has been put out by Saide (South African Institute of Distance Education) in Johannesburg . Saide is administering this great project which aims to facilitate availability, access to, and u…

More about the African Storybook project and the free online course starting on 15th April. Please join us...

3:31 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> The African Storybook Project is really something to get excited about. We have written a number of blogposts about this exciting venture on this blog: a)  <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-is-fiona-beal-from-schoolnet-on.html" style="text-decoration: none;">Introducing The African Storybook Project...</a> b)  <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/30-days-of-writing-1-welcome-to-african.html" style="text-decoration: none;">30 days of Writing #1: Welcome to the African Storybook project</a> c)  <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/an-exciting-free-digital-storytelling_25.html" style="text-decoration: none;">An exciting, free digital storytelling course and writing opportunity for South African</a> <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/an-exciting-free-digital-storytelling_25.html" style="text-decoration: none;">educators. Please sign up</a><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/an-exciting-free-digital-storytelling_25.html" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">…</a> The ‘Digital Storytelling and the African Storybook project’ short online course for teachers The African Storybook Team has asked SchoolNet to create and run a free short online digital storytelling course for teachers around the country starting on 15th April. This course is open to any educators who want to improve their own writing skills and perhaps discover the writer within them! It is hope that they will donate the story they write during the course to the website, and that they will encourage their learners to write a story suitable for a Grade 3 reader. This means the writers could be foundation phase, intermediate phase or high school students – even tertiary students who would like to help the children of Africa with reading material. There is a great prize for a teacher from the school that submits the most useable stories for the website. There is more about this course and the incentive on our Free online courses page on this blog - we invite you to sign up <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/p/courses.html" target="_blank">here</a>.  It starts on 15th April. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQqcdNk_qMC_dNFwZX1iGOHKVbcRODOxn2QC2a6CNzwqJ3RPiKdSl4f8hJcPs4SyjkpghyphenhyphenDjpU4kNtPQrhz3Q0sKu_cTMJs3VeHHMJXi3Xi_sKxD7sxC_mq9-bPK7mJRMTzKUX18Fuds/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caption taken from <a href="http://digitalclassroom.co.za/digitalclassroom/index.php" target="_blank">Vodacom's Digital Classroom portal</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Now to add some background to this project and also add the brochure about it as an e-book… What is the African Stoybook project again? The African Storybook Project (ASP) is a project that will create and encourage the use of a digital library of stories for the first few years of reading in digital formats, openly licensed, with a process and tools for translating and versioning stories for local African languages and contexts. These will be shared on a website which is in the process of being created.This will enable users to upload and share versions of the stories in their local languages, providing numbers of stories in a range of languages way beyond the scope of conventional publishing. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-Hv3nYZzuesReZCZ6dghFIDV5gR649zVqBJJQd0ziDyQOjUdePc375UImdoEEqD-C0wy_qPgq7-UZYBGDpyCjjx9nkcbLCPJYFqsjareu_tNXsSlGxRyBc0rNFoTwlIxEGTQZukuY-c/s1600-h/image%25255B10%25255D.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBgD4_J91UElmLGeW7WD53JZ8vnpUwQXQIwu6nwvOahUQCNjTBIaKkwmj0j6BtL6QFZTFUs27x0jkMVCtd6RdNswXn9K2Am7RyX2M2mSX33Bw_0i7j8O7UY-1niQvRSkWfCOxBzfPLIE/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the African Storybook Project brochure</td></tr></tbody></table> <h4>How will the African Storybook Project help to meet the literacy needs of children aged 2-9 years old in Africa?</h4>The African Storybook Project will facilitate availability, access to, and use of sufficient good stories for early reading practice for African children ages 2 to 9. It will do this by setting up an interactive website with stories for early reading and by encouraging educators and literacy development organisations working in early literacy of young children in African countries: <ul style="text-align: left;"><li>to access openly licensed digital reading resources of various levels and types on the site</li><li>to translate and/or adapt the stories into a familiar language and context for the children they work with</li><li>to create their own stories and upload them in the templates provided,</li><li>to contribute already published stories and make them available under an open licence, and </li><li>to use them in a variety of ways for literacy development.</li></ul> The project will initially operate mainly in the pilot countries (Kenya, Uganda and South Africa) in schools, community libraries/reading clubs, early childhood and family literacy settings. The main advantage of openly licensed stories on a website will be that educators and parents who want stories in their own language or dialect can translate some or all of the text to suit their context, without having to ask permission or pay any fee. And the adapted version of the book will be available for reading and printing immediately. What are ‘good stories’ in this context? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_lC6W-YohftxAwiLRL1lAZS_sqnVWw70VIfU3LjwNx1s3EqbgTvWTBHctXk3ZuqyQlOx-qrcNIiqH5JP2e44J2y4qFKayfaK-D0RsbUYDowHfmTJL-1BD8LHXnNiPQrAvrsf49LGF-I/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKTz4TTBCa8wJIRJZFREhYK6NV8Sy0BucqJ-9XTtuAjl0Tr8Vu11uMiEKIkxqTs4jWDkbUZIuRWuPl-qOcvFnqiN5beZUOOBphGwExz7v4icALhRunu6ZipS-WfYDfdhqvi0uARiePZY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the African Storybook Project brochure</td></tr></tbody></table>Good stories in this context: <ul style="text-align: left;"><li>speak to children’s reality and contexts;</li><li>have rich visual images that make sense and can support the reading of the text; </li><li>encourage interest in the sounds and shapes and meanings of words; </li><li>have a story, a happening, an event or sequence of events, and characters with which children can identify;</li><li>can be scary: it’s OK to be frightened and take risks in a story. </li></ul>But above all, they need to leave children ‘panting for more’! How will the African Storybook Project get their stories? We will draw on African oral literature and traditions of storytelling, songs, riddles, rhymes, on high quality published stories that the copyright holders are willing to donate, on openly licensed material already available on the Web, and on stories developed through workshops and competitions specifically for the project. But our main intent is to encourage creation and adaptation by users themselves in the ‘easy to use’ templates we provide on the website. We will develop partnerships with literacy development organisations across the continent (but particularly in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa) to use the stories and the website in their project, contributing both lessons of experience to improve the website, and stories or versions of stories. The brochure Here is the brochure for the African Storybook project presented as an e-book. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youblisher.com/p/600590-The-African-Storybook-Project/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The African Storybook Project" height="400" src="http://www.youblisher.com/files/publications/101/600590/200x300.jpg" width="282" /></a></div></div>

African Storybook Project More about the African Storybook project and the free online course starting on 15th April. Please join us...

The African Storybook Project is really something to get excited about. We have written a number of blogposts about this exciting venture on this blog:a) Introducing The African Storybook Project...b) 30 days of Writing #1: Welcome to the African S…

An exciting, free digital storytelling course and writing opportunity for South African educators. Please sign up…

11:15 AM Tukiyooo 0

African Storybook Project An exciting, free digital storytelling course and writing opportunity for South African educators. Please sign up…

If you like, you can read about the exciting new African Storybook project before you sign up by clicking hereLoading...…

30 days of Writing #1: Welcome to the African Storybook project

4:02 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">_____________________________________________ If you are a South African teacher reading this we would like to tell you about a writing opportunity and a free online writing course that is coming up with SchoolNetSA  as part of this amazing <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2013/03/30-days-of-writing-1-welcome-to-african.html" target="_blank">African Storybook project</a> and website that is being developed for Africa. Our 30 days of writing posts will lead up to giving more information about this. WATCH THIS SPACE! __________________________________________________________ Submitted by Fiona Beal. Portions of this post are adapted from the Saide December 2012 newsletter. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Saide (South African Institute of Distance Education) has launched an exciting new project aimed at contributing to the improvement of reading and literacy for young African children. The project, known as the African Storybook Project,  is funded by Comic Relief in the United Kingdom. The exciting thing is that SchoolNet is participating in this project so you'll be hearing a lot more about it from us!  I have previously submitted a post on the initial workshop of the African Storybook Project in Johannesburg – <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-is-fiona-beal-from-schoolnet-on.html">Introducing the African Storybook Project</a>.  Tessa Welch of Saide is the project leader in this exciting venture. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtO3v-uRKwkYdl-8TLHbEignc4hwJ9xiMmSwyaUiPEi_t58dllaz_MTdRT9wJwobCex4CFxyBbey2KZwTNZxHAq8xKQSymCFB2fO7-5pS0rR_6w4568MXtXgVEPUIzLYMQhqQr0xeXBU/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtO3v-uRKwkYdl-8TLHbEignc4hwJ9xiMmSwyaUiPEi_t58dllaz_MTdRT9wJwobCex4CFxyBbey2KZwTNZxHAq8xKQSymCFB2fO7-5pS0rR_6w4568MXtXgVEPUIzLYMQhqQr0xeXBU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div> What is the African Storybook Project? The African Storybook Project (ASP) is a project that will create and encourage the use of a digital library of stories for the first few years of reading in digital formats, openly licensed, with a process and tools for translating and versioning stories for local African languages and contexts. These will be shared on a website which is in the process of being created. This will enable users to upload and share versions of the stories in their local languages, providing numbers of stories in a range of languages way beyond the scope of conventional publishing. In this way we aim to provide African children with sufficient familiar language stories for enjoyable reading practice to create a firm basis for literacy development.  The initial pilot will take place in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. The initial workshop An initial workshop was held  on 10th November 2012 to explore the key issues before starting the project. The poject leaders thought it would be a good idea not only to discuss but also to experience different ways of creation, presentation and translation/versioning. The presentation on the Japanese art of Kamisihibai by Jemma Kahn held us spellbound, and this was followed by a discussion  of how the techniques and rules of Kamishibai could work digitally for children’s stories. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90SoDrDvaOKpFGNJTGgXPEFUpf5F0Cs9_o5FqjCBN4zcK77OXa-e66CsMVbffC5JqblUliVJUG4t056x-UbWJ5IJ7MHwJO6KwErZ7nu_-ABmjFmhtWrO-TWQQVcucGZn7DghH965LzR0/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90SoDrDvaOKpFGNJTGgXPEFUpf5F0Cs9_o5FqjCBN4zcK77OXa-e66CsMVbffC5JqblUliVJUG4t056x-UbWJ5IJ7MHwJO6KwErZ7nu_-ABmjFmhtWrO-TWQQVcucGZn7DghH965LzR0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jemma Kham illiutrating the japanese art of  Kamisihibai</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> A session of games, riddles, and tongue twisters was led by Sheila Drew. One of the activities involved taking a portion of a cut up puzzle picture, finding the group members with the rest of the picture and creating a story together. One member of each group related the group's story to all the participants. <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVHSZ2ppoqv2scV5XIGUsnXtTBiFL-sw9gc3Y8UHjjeP7T-R3QkgHUaHnv2EzdeoJXCipP3tEJ7Lr0AJJpMX1VCGvZibJ3a457Pikl5QfrIwGDgxYB27q-LMGk4gOi0aQzHOwGXQ66eM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheila Drew</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fEKxZRweGClLhIRUVqYw_Ts2vacfWma-X7Y0FewrhG4bLEtqM1Om4e6FZZz8LXVU57i_BsXRkNSsOShm_JDTZExxdOEG4h5jwH8wVDxc0quijnPoWAj_lB_v9a7bAZ6afVKSRgVR9pI/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGoCRmDSS2W2_EnAOSs-Rd_gyzhZTBUgNV2GsLW_zBXSRl6-nknckNkx0EPtFnJPyDHrVey-CTvhcywTbzvQoHDbNpWCad7yH6Jx9k_d2BynPAlZeTCDePZYmEkx7-eQWxapbMGf6cY8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group creates a story</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVm9gduioO_CV2IVuMoZZCoRklbMZAgwrv7_mH4hxLdbFFsPkWBoH1K5LWGkp8pCKmvRGNnfVwC_ArWYWQiFqgO1REkVAceKTilsYeCrkgltcpq1LfKEJ6SC6Vi-eWOEJwtNXSedWMOU/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"></a></td></tr></tbody></table> The presentation of child created/illustrated stories, with ideas for how this kind of project could described and replicated was given by Glynis Clacherty. Glynis elaborated on the process of story development she used with refugee children during a holiday programme in Johannesburg. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghheu6HH8InLBc5QFzMsIU9JfNwRIaZOwKgx3Vt4zZMHCRaoUCbqLJVDzTtObksstlAbuvA-3hp6XKJ5s6yHzeUnjKA8v8mFJ_75c1cSdgvf29vTJ1ZXZB-miQa9CcCax23kg-rrQPPhQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glynis Clacherty</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The translating and versioning of stories session was based on a humorous story called Refiloe and the washed chickens. It centred around performances of a section of the Refiloe and the washed chickens story in Setswana and isiZulu with a discussion of translation issues in treating comedy led by Nicholas Welch and Jeremiah Mntonga. We were exposed to improvisation techniques which encouraged all the workshop participants to contribute to the version. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJEGD8pkHozf7EkpR9L5dQ_whMQ1PtEH1-pqQRiS_8nt7DMNzmqxY9X_DUa1DSiZlPhyphenhyphenebEuXzvwvhNL-k43JyTbthM1U7Ev0V5l7NYpEfZ2CFy0RRM2geqFpwXjCeF2nbjCxE4Rm2_Y/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicholas Welch and Jeremiah Mntonga</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jefferson Shabalala led us in a humorous performance of the Xhosa weatherman. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDGcwdfV6BohgO_l7QoveouEXwM_ANnvTCHEtkexaoIgJiU1wHG-hXQr5c4seRvoqWIraM1a80SVNeehpdzrnBwcW4XRyQoVPA0ZDDMakx3Sbbg3aEORkw3JiLLK9ZCdYhPOJhkFU2DY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferson Shabalala</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A project of partnerships The African Storybook Project will be a project of partnerships - we do not see ourselves in competition with other projects, but cooperating with and complementing existing initiatives in ways that are mutually beneficial. Through the work of Judith Baker over a number of years, the project has a list of over 40 potential partners in the three pilot countries of Kenya, Uganda and South Africa, but also in Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone,South Sudan and Zambia. In addition, there are possible partnerships through organisations that work across Sub Saharan Africa such as the TESSA programme and the Canadian literacy organisation, CODE. <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 400px;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVevuWCzMuK-jcxrr2lGCdZxedowV6KUE8njFOIV1VFuuwVBxGbos-tqMhoEIsK-6aQ_n1cahz9aA8I07lVvIWrMExcNlgBNkmfwQRsDEyMqV1DOt8iMRmzzg4bYXAUMWLx5NWZ0mUG-c/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judith Baker</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGPRF6jDzPCMucO2TD6SQUa5lTIC2lL0RRLIi6s8cQuMzC4V9-ypJbBfCQJrlx5TJwwF8LURoKU7Vae2djjBb6paDyuIHlnjeLi0zLn-sp7Ks_UBnMzeqoxHXNJko3mLM6zQpbsC3ZmA/s1600-h/image%25255B23%25255D.png"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvflIRysytzuQNfDWuLRScNKJ2Lw3_9iqxtJ5RGGKkPP5984T-ocbOrfE9kZM-UiDfTJL7Day4Vy6Z8tLtUZhlX98haLjMEjDgM9_vsaDpMs3B_2Zt17rIMA42i_xheKcPXcwzKJ4GJM4/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="267" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judith Baker leading a discussion</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjXYy4RWCgxclVZDxN-A6RFiYsGXeiWz7bbvXzUm89Fw5LsQc5-bexAz7l3OpjwlqWlsyzsHL5DjclTb9FoxptzMIFCJcPNdl5RmJYfE3DOYTmggvSm7QbLhyphenhyphen7fdbFeagBXRegMg_wQQ/s1600-h/image%25255B27%25255D.png"></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Story Acquisition We need a critical mass of stories in a range of languages in order to be able to start work in the pilot countries in the middle of this year. We are aware that there is quite a lot of free material already on the website and we already have a process for exploring, assessing, downloading and categorising this material systematically. We are also inviting all interested parties to submit stories to us. If you are interested in helping us by donating a story, here are the guidelines: <ul><li>Our main interest is stories that children can read themselves when they're in the first stages of reading - a few words or a sentence a page, with an accompanying illustration - although there is place for more difficult read-aloud stories as well.</li><li>We're looking for African stories in languages spoken in Africa that will appeal to African children up to the age of 9 or 10.</li><li>You can send us typed up stories with or without illustrations, or scanned PDF stories with illustrations, or recordings of stories, songs and games.</li><li>When you send us a story, please also send the information about the story as per the<a href="http://www.saide.org.za/resources/newsletters/Vol_18_no.6_2012/Content/Information%20to%20submit%20with%20story.docx"> attached form</a>.</li><li>Send the stories to: tessaw@saide.org.za and jennyl@saide.org.za.</li><li>If your stories are too large to email, let us know and we'll invite you to our Dropbox folder where you can upload large files free of charge.</li></ul><div>If you are a teacher that would like to get your class writing stories for this project, please consider participating in our free online four week course Digital Writing for the African Storybook project which starts in mid-April. Please watch the SchoolNet blog's<a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/p/courses.html" target="_blank"> Free online courses page</a> to sign up and to see the requirements for the stories that are subitted. . A teacher from the school that submits the most useable stories will be invited to accompany the African Storybook project to an international reading and Writing conference in Niarobi in August 2013. </div><div> </div>You’ll be hearing a lot more about this exciting project in the months ahead. </div></div>

30 Days of Writing African Storybook Project 30 days of Writing #1: Welcome to the African Storybook project

_____________________________________________If you are a South African teacher reading this we would like to tell you about a writing opportunity and a free online writing course that is coming up with SchoolNetSA as part of this amazing African St…