“Be creeeeatiiiive,” 11-year-old Maria Praeg urged her fellow storytellers, Jana Pellissier, 11, and Samantha Niven, 10. These Grade 5 learners were busily creating a multimedia story on a nifty laptop, using a Nokia communicator, a video recording eye, lego pieces and, most importantly, their innovative young minds.
“Be creeeeatiiiive,” 11-year-old Maria Praeg urged her fellow storytellers, Jana Pellissier, 11, and Samantha Niven, 10. These Grade 5 learners were busily creating a multimedia story on a nifty laptop, using a Nokia communicator, a video recording eye, lego pieces and, most importantly, their innovative young minds.
The eager SciFest participants delved into the Stories of Your Life workshop, hosted by Finland’s University of Joensuu. Working on a computer programme called Woven Stories, they designed a colourful, multimedia fairytale.
By typing chapters or paragraphs in blocks and connecting them with arrows, children are able to create various storylines on one page. Multiple lines leading from the same block allow for alternative scenarios within the same story. The written descriptions can be enhanced with photographs, sound bites, video clips or varied text font and colour.
The three classmates started with a plan: “Let’s make a little summary”, “what is our heading?”, “hey, don’t forget the introduction!” The authors reproduced the Three Little Pigs scenario, with a twist.
Poetic Pellissier handled the task of formulating the sentences once the plan was in place. Busy-body Niven ambled to and fro, checking up on Pellissier and practical Praeg, who improvised a lego phone and built a phonebooth – from where the wolf called Little Red Riding Hood for assistance. After Red Riding Hood helped the wolf to destroy the pig, she turned on the wolf and killed him. “Business people do what business people have to do,” retorted Niven, while placing the dead wolf’s head on a pole for the graphic photo to be attached to their closing paragraph.
