The value of working with others

This year I have been involved in a lot of group projects.  This has made me appreciate the value of working in a group situation.  The most noticeable benefit of being in a group is the exponential reduction of the workload as there are more hands and minds attending to it.  When in a group it is also easy to share ideas and experiences of problems encountered, and you have more people to offer you solutions.  When in a group different people bring to the group different knowledge bases and skill sets, sharing of these makes the achievement of any task regardless of how difficult it may be possible.

my book club experiance

working in our book club was beneficial both to me and my group members as we were able to achive more when we were working together and complete tasks and read novels which we would discuss and gain the different veiws of my group memebers.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, readers meet orphan Harry Potter just before his 11th birthday. An orphan, Harry is living an unhappy life with the Dursleys (his awful aunt and uncle and their mean son, Dudley) when his life is totally changed by a message delivered by an owl. Unlike the Dursleys who are Muggles (non-magical), Harry learns that he is a wizard, that the jagged scar on his forehead was caused, not by the car accident he'd been told killed his parents, but by Lord Voldemort, the enemy wizard who murdered his parents and that he's been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the Dursleys best efforts, Harry goes off to boarding school. At Hogwarts, he discovers mysteries, magic, enemies and friends, as well as the game of Quidditch, a team sport played on flying broomsticks. The book is filled with adventure and humor, with just a touch of the serious issues that make the series darker with each book

My experience of working in a book club : Lessons Learned

When reflecting on the experiences encountered within the book club, I came to the conclusion that the value of a book club is based on the reason for the existence of that book club.  If you are a reading enthusiast and interested in discovering different things while reading, then what a book club can achieve for you is immeasuarable.  If you are student (such as I am) and have textbooks, assignments, tests to contend with on a weekly basis, you hardly have time for leisure reading.  So, what purpose would being in a book club serve?  It is more reasonable to form a study group instead, as that will help you achieve your weekly obligations. It is therefore my conclusion that scheduling time in this book club was both time consuming and achieves things which are not for our immediate benefit.

Feelings about Chip's Robot

In order to analyse this book we first looked at the language that has been used within the book.  The book has a simple sentence structure.  The book itself is used for teaching reading with the focus on reading of first sentences by the child.  The book makes use of a repeating structure throughout to ensure that the children get enough opportunity to practice.  It was because of this I selected this book because of its simplicity I believed that it would be easier for the children to follow it. 

The plot depends on the child's understanding of what a robot is.  Once that has been determined then the child can simply make predictions on what will happen in the story.  Also when reading the story, you can ask the children the same questions that Chip was asking his friends, while showing them the picture.  This ensures the child's participation.

The story itself is not very high in entertainment value, which gives me as the reader an opportunity to bring it to life.  This story appeals to the logic of the children rather than their imaginations, and therefore will have a  hand in developing their thought patterns.

Chip's Robot - The Story

The story Chip's robot is about a boy named Chip who is meeting with his friends.  Chip has a robot which at the moment of the meeting has been disassembled.  Chip asks his friends if they can see his robot.  So, because at the moment it does not look like a robot, his friends reply that they cannot see it.  Chip then begins to put the parts of the robot together, and while he is doing this he asks his friends the same question whether they can see his robot.  Finally, when Chip has completed putting his robot together one of his friends shouts out that he can see Chip's robot.

Reading Book

This is the book that I was reading at Maponya Mall.

Tie me up - Lessons Learned

The lesson that we can take away from this story is that if we work together using the skills that each person has we can achieve amazing things.  At first it seemed impossible for the animals to get into the garden and have access to that food but by working together they were able to outsmart Rhamuncwa.  Another lesson is that you should share what you have with others, you must not be greedy because you will end up losing everything that you have and no one will help you out.

Tie me up - Story Themes

Difficulty/Adversity
In the beginning of the story it is stressed how the animals are struggling due to a lack of water and food.  Some of the animals have died off due to this.

Determination
Giraffe and Elephant are introduced to us as good friends that decide to journey together in search of food. Even with the difficulty they do not give up until they reach Rhamuncwa's garden.
 
Greed
Rhamuncwa is introduced to us as being greedy, he has all the fruits and food for the animals to have but he is not willing to share.

Intelligence
The story shows us that with intelligence you will not struggle because Nogwaja never struggled even if it was the dry season.  He also used his intelligence to provide a solution to the struggling animals.

Community
The sense of community is highlighted as the animals work together in unison in order to outsmart Rhamuncwa and gain access to the food in his garden.

Triumph 
The animals are able to triumph over the difficult situation that was plaguing them.

Tie me up - Character Roles

Giraffe
Elephant
Nogwaja
Rhamuncwa
Lion
Baboon

The Giraffe and Elephant are good friends that travel together in search of food and water during the dry season.  They came across a garden filled with food but is inhabited by a greedy monster called Rhamuncwa. Rhamuncwa threatens them and they are forced to retain back without anything. Upon arrival they share their findings with the other animals.  This is when Nogwaja enters and proposes a solution since he is a trickster.  The Lion is a fierce animal that is also ravaged by hunger and thirst and is mentioned in the story to put Nogwaja in his place.  The baboon assists Nogwaja when they are tying up Rhamuncwa.

Tie me up - Story Analysis

Nogwaja the Rabbit is popular in traditional African stories especially due to his trickery and intelligence.  In this story we see a different side to Nogwaja.  Our perception is that Nogwaja is a selfish animal that is always out for his own benefit, but in this story he does uses his tricks to benefit the other animals.  We also discovers that Nogwaja does not like bullies.

Queen of Tortoises - Lessons Learned

There are three lessons that I learned from this story and they can be shared with the children listen to the story.  Firstly, everyone is special and different. The second lesson is that you must be proud of who you are.  The last lesson that can be taken from this story is that anyone can be anything that they desire.

Queen of Tortoises - Story Themes

Discontent
The main idea of the story is being dissatisfied about who you are.  Tortoise is very unhappy about who she is and does everything in her power to change who she is, and atleast stand out.

Individuality
This is then introduced as the solution to Tortoise's problem.  In order for herself to become important she has to differentiate herself from the other tortoises.  By being different she will gain the satisfaction about who she is.

Friendship
Tortoise creates a friendship with the two ducks.  The ducks are true friends because they are willing to assist her with her problem.

Pride
When tortoise achieved the attention she was seeking, she could not hold her pride back.  Which lead her to falling and breaking her shell.  I guess it is true about what they say that pride comes before a fall.

Queen of Tortoises - Character Roles

Tortoise
Mother Tortoise
The Ducks
Python
Lion
Eagle

Tortoise is our main character in the story, she thinks that there is nothing special about being a tortoise. Her mother intervenes and tries to make her accept herself because there is nothing she can do about it. As tortoise tries to make herself stand out by being the cleanest tortoise she meets two ducks who become her friends.  The python is mentioned in the story, as being a possible leader of all reptiles while the lion is mentioned as the supreme chief of all animals.  The eagle is also mentioned as the paramount chief of all birds.

Queen of Tortoises - Story Analysis

In this story we meet tortoise who is in a state of depression and feels that there is nothing important about being a tortoise because of this she feels jelous of the other animals.  She refuses to accept this fate or what others tell her about being special the way she is.  She embarks on a journey to distinguish herself from the other tortoises.  Her journey leads to a tragic event, but it is this event that leads her to being unique and assuming her role as Queen of tortoises.

Brave ox Bathome - Story Analysis

This story brings to our attention the relationship that exists between a boy and an animal (ox).  The story magical in nature and will enable the children to escape their reality while stimulating their imaginations.  The brings elements of sadness, anticipation and joy all to the fore.  This kind of story I would read it to the children during story time.  Not only is this an entertaining story but is filled with a lots of events that may enable the children to develop their sequencing skills.

Brave Ox Bathome - Story Themes

Magic
The events that unfold in this story exhibit elements of magic.  For example, the ox Bathom does not die even when stabbed with a spear.  Bathom also later resurrects from the dead causing all the ogres to die, except the woman ogre.

Courage
When the other boys were in fear of the ogres and ran away. Dumile remained and tried to round up the cows with the assistance of Bathom.  The true courage is exhibited by Bathome defiance of the ogres.

Friendship
The story shows us friendship that exists between boys of the same age who have to carry out certain tasks.  The quality of this friendship is compared to that of Dumile and Bathome which proves a stronger friendship.

Obedience
The story also highlights that Bathome will do anything that Dumile asks him to no matter how nonsensical. For example, there is a point that Dumile suggests that Bathome should die.

Fear
In the story we are exposed to the fear that the boys as well as Dumile have for the ogres.  We can explore this theme further in that as the readers of the story we are also in fear of what will happen to Dumile, and a hopeful for a pleasant resolution to his situation.

Roles
The story also highlights roles in society.  Everybody has a determined role that they must play. The boys look after cows, the Grandparents read stories and share experiences with the children.  Even the ogres have their own community structure where each one has a role they must play.

Brave Ox Bathome - Character Roles

Dumile The boy
Bathom The ox
The Orges
The leader of the orgers
The woman orger
Grandparents
Dumile's Friends

Dumile and Bathom form the main characters in our story.  They have a special relationship in that Bathom assists him specifically with rounding up the cows.  We find out as the story unfolds that Bathom does whatever Dumile suggests which shows us an unconditional friendship.  The Orgers are the feared man eating beasts which roam the land.  Even if they are orgers they have certain roles for example there is a leader who assumes all decision making, there is the other orgers who are responsible for finding food, then there is the women orgers who are responsible for cooking the food and preparing the household.  Dumile's friends play with him and also share the same duties of looking after cows.  The Grandparents are also mentioned in the story, their role is sharing their immense life experience through story-telling at night around the campfire.

Brave Ox Bathome - Lessons Learned

Since Dumile triumphs over a dismal situation, it is for us to take a lesson that no matter what situation we find ourselves in we should never give up, because a resolution may be on the way.  When growing up I was always interested in the supernatural and I think by including the magic element makes the story more appealing to children. I would read this story so that they can fantasize.  The story also takes you on an emotional journey in that you become sad, hopeless then finally happy when Bathome comes back to life.  I think this can be used to teach children to manage their emotions.

The Sun and The Moon - Lessons Learned

From this story I picked up that when teaching abstract concepts such as Geography to young children.  You have to think outside the box.  This story is a perfect example of out the box thinking.  It humanizes abstract ideas making it easier for the children to relate to.  I think this lesson can be carried forward when we begin our practice teaching. This can serve as an important resource.

The Sun and The Moon - Story Themes

Love
The story  expresses the love that exists between The Sun and Moon explicitly.  In fact their love still exists even when they had split up, as they met periodically during eclipses.

Family 
The idea of a perfect family is highlighted in the beginning of the story and it is central to the story.  I think everyone that reads the story would want to aspire to have a family as illustrated in the story.

Discovery
The Sun was very determined in understanding his world.  He was fascinated by his environment and was always on a quest for new experiences.  What reinforces this theme is that The Sun's discovery was not limited to him, he shared his experiences with his family which meant that they discovered about the world as well.

Sharing
Besides the sharing of experiences which ties in with the previous theme.  The Sun and his family were willing to share their food and company with The Sea and her many children even though they were not in a position to accommodate her.  They made it a point to share the little they had.

Conflict
The turning point of the story was when a disagreement causes The Sun and The Moon to split up, and therefore this theme is important to the story.


Greed
The Sea is used to express the theme of Greed.  It is highlighted how fat she is.  We can also see when she has been invited to The Sun's home she can hardly greet them but rushes to eat the food prepared.

Sun and The Moon - Character Roles

The Sun - The father
The Moon - The mother
The Stars - The many children
The Sea
Dolphin, turtles, sharks - Some of the children of the Sea

The sun is the father role, who is married to the Moon and they have many children who are the stars.  The sun always goes out on discovery journeys and returns to tell his children stories.  On one of his journeys he meets The Sea and they build a sudden friendship.  The Sun decides to invite The Sea to his home to meet his family.

The Moon, Sun and Stars are meant to portray a happy family.  Then comes The Sea who causes a rift between them.  The Moon becomes angry and decides to leave with the children (The Stars) to the sky.

The sun and the moon - Story Analysis

This story opens Gcina Mhlophe's book "Our Story Magic" on a high note.  In this one she moved from entertainment value and decided to focus on education.  There are many discovery elements especially for young children.  The story telling technique that she has used in this story is giving inanimate objects human qualities.  I think she did this so that when children hearing the story they can identify with them, as they are familiar with human behaviour.  The story also tries to explain why the moon, the stars,water and the sun behave the way they do. Obviously, the facts of the story are far-fetched but to a child who has very little life experience, they may seem believable.  I think when actual facts are introduced to the child, they will be having the basics of how the sun, moon, etc work.  I would read this story in a Grade R class as an introduction in Life Skills.   

the group will be discussing the book Harry Potter

About Harry Potter

the book introduction,Harry Potter has lived a miserable life since his parents' death. Left to survive with his horrible aunt and uncle, the Dursleys, and their spoiled son Dudley, Harry has been forced to live in a spider-ridden closet under the stairs. But as his eleventh birthday approached, all this was about to change. A mysterious letter arrives by owl messanger, inviting him to attend Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is astonished to learn the truth about his parents — that they were wizards of the highest renown — and that he is destined to become one too. At Hogwarts, Harry finds friends and becomes an expert in Quidditch, an aerial sport played on broomsticks. But soon he becomes involved in a life-threatening struggle against the forces of darkness, and finds himself fighting for survival against those who would rather see him dead before he can come into his full powers.