Group 1 - Fairytales and Creativity

PETRA While reading Bettelheim's book The Uses of Enchantment I was wondering how it goes with fairy tales at Czech schools. I have found, I hope, one good example . It is a kindergarten in Sluštice near Prague. The teachers don’t read the fairy tales but tell the stories, every day before lunch time. Usually they choose classic Czech fairy tales collected by Karel Jaromír Erben . The headmaster says that they do not censor dramatic moments in fairy tales and that they work with a healthy level of fear. In agreement with Bettelheim, the headmaster says the old fairy tales contain wisdom passed down by ancestors for centuries. They are a hidden guide to life and to the world. Suggestive images and symbols of fairy tales speak deep into the soul of children. Although children do not understand everything rationally, the classic fairy tale supports their imagination and understanding takes place on a deeper level, even unconsciously. Bettelheim also says that it is important to give t...

Eva Pérez Abril STOP-MOTION ANIMATION   This week we have been working on the technique called "Stop-motion", which consists of making static objects appear to move by means of a series of successive still images. The movement is constructed by manipulating an object, with one's own hands, frame by frame.   On Thursday I had to create an animation with two pictures using bold black pens and two sheets of paper and doing two drawings with a small difference. Causing an action was important. I decided to do a Mickey Mouse running. Here is the result:  Animation with two pictures On Wednesday we did in groups an altercation (altercation of two everyday objects), an origami (an origami boat), a snowman (snowman turning back) and a superhero congratulation card.  Altercation We use a cup of coffee and some food for doing the animation. We also put some music to emphasise the situation.  Origami We decided to make an origami boat. The main challenge here was trying to...

My educational background... I think that before I start reflecting on any subject, I should explain a little bit my theoretical framework, or, at least, that is what we usually base ourselves on at my home university to understand my point of view on anything. I would start by saying that the key idea in education in the Basque Country, or, at least based on my university and the Ikastolas that I have been able to do my internship with, is the following: the child or student is the center and protagonist of education, Therefore, it will be the education that adapts to him and his natural rhythms, and not the other way around. Another of the fundamental bases in the new methodologies that are created in Euskadi, is the so-called Konfiantzaren Pedagogia, or, the Pedagogy of Confidence (Arizmendi Ikastola, 2015): The child, in order to manage difficulties and develop all his abilities, must have confidence in himself, in others and in what surrounds him. And, the role of educators is...

NORSK FOLKEMUSEUM DOCUMENTARY EGUZKILOREA While we were visiting the first old house inside the museum and I heard the guide say that the drawing on the doors was not just decoration, but a belief to ward off evil spirits, I immediately thought of the sunflower, or Eguzkilore in Euskera. It is a very ancient tradition of the Basque Country that has been maintained to this day. It comes from the rich Basque mythology. It is believed that the Eguzkilore protects the houses from evils, diseases, storms, witches, evil spirits... BUT WHAT IS ITS MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN? Thousands of years ago, when life began on Earth, there was no sun or moon. Men and women lived in darkness, frightened by the creatures that came out of the bowels of the earth. Human beings decided to ask the Earth for help. - Amalur, Mother Earth, we ask you to protect us from the creatures that stalk us. - My children," Mother Earth said to them, "I will create a luminous being whom you will call Moon. And the Eart...

Esteemed scientist D.Sc. Řanda Řeřichová is well known for her work on movement of Earth’s energies, mostly gravity and magnetics. In August, another team of scientists published conclusions of a long term experimental work on high frequency gravitational wave detector. It shows there were some rear movements of gravity. Řanda started to focus on this challenging topic at the beginning of September. It led her to Oslo, Norway. There she had great success and found the reason for the gravity movements. https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.071102

Eva Pérez Abril NORWEGIAN FOLK MUSEUM   The Norwegian Folk Museum is an open-air museum located in Bygdø, Oslo. It was founded by Hans Aall in 1894 and it was moved to Bydøg in 1902. The museum displays the history and culture of the different regions of Norway through 155 houses. It is also there the wooden Gol church from the year 1200.   The aim was to show "how our fathers lived and toiled, how they struggled against the unforgiving land and harsh conditions, cultivated the land, brought home the fish, traded, carried on their crafts, lived and dressed, brought up their children; and how their spiritual life was affected by the changing times, what they thought and what they believed".    Another aim of the exhibition was to "give an impression of the cultural history of the town from the year 1500 to 1950” and included furnished rooms from different periods and social strata, concluding with a thoroughly modern living room.   In the open-air museum, large g...

 

 Eva Pérez Abril TRIP TO GRØNLAND On the 8 th  of September we started our adventure around 12 noon. On the way to the cabin, we were observing nature and learning new vocabulary of the trees we were finding.  Before reaching the cabin, we stopped in an area where we could have a barbecue to eat and regain strength to continue our way. We learned how to make sticks to put the sausages on and cook them on the fire. We also learnt how to make a fire, which was the most important thing. The names of the trees I remember most were: maple, birch, and ash. I didn't know that the birch tree was used to make furniture among other things. I remember these names because when I arrived at the cabin, together with my group I had to invent a story in which these trees were quick to learn.   Once upon a time, there was a carpenter but something bad happened to her and she became to be very upset that she began to play the flute. She used to play very sad melodies every day from th...