About this story:A Message to Send (c) Natalie Shell & Illustrations are (c) Andrea Hendrickson

I am not sure what made me write it though I am glad I did.  Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I see this story as a great starter piece for children and adults alike to think about communication media / context / vehicles….and have them imagine new ones. I have several workshop/teachers outlines to trial to go with the story if anyone wants to trial it in a classroom.

Listen to A Message to Send 

Read A Message to Send

The age/target group: 5-8year olds - 8years olds, ….and those who read with them. 

Programs: I see this as being part of a: >

-literacy-mentoring program - where 8-12year olds (depending on skill) read and share with 5-8 year olds. The earlier they learn the joy of teaching and learning and sharing the better. There is also the opporunity to use this with low (reading-writing)literacy older students, instead using the digital version as a source piece for them to explore multimedia and oral ways to communicate while they upskill in their reading-writing literacy. Now is probably the appropriate time to mention I have done a lot of (il)literacy work and I am passionate about all of us in this world having access to what is rightfully human. Multiple Literacies is one part of that! A child born without literacy in today and tomorrow’s world is simply unable to access the world that is - how could you even perform something many of us take for granted: a google search: if you don’t know a variety of keywords, if you dont have access to a computer, if no-one taught you to read and write beyond the 3rd grade. Illiteracy is very much a developed world problem as well as a developing world one. Yet this multimedia version offers a way to explore a variety of literacies, even for the less alphabetically-literate in the classroom: through art, music, sign language, new technologies and so forth…

- dialogue/Conversation starter: I see it as a starter piece for a good fun conversation / workshop and exploration / trying out of new media with the teacher as facilitator. Play with things such  learning morse code, or sign language…and different media: ancient and timeless: talking, song, story, art, dance…current: write, post, email, newspaper future: whatever their imaginations come up with - tomorrow’s world starts in today’s classroom Multimedia story: Digital AND book AND  ? form: Part of this book has evolved towards making a digital story of the story - though I do honestly see it as a book too. I am also beginning to see and play with the various media that story can take. The more I think about it, and my collaborators remind me, we live in a very different world now - it is not about the word, not the way it was, and there are many more medium - sound, visuals and beyond - literacies that we are going to need in the world that is here and our kids are being born into. And the stories we tell and share are valuable in any way that they can be accessed - though it does morph the story a little.

I do believe that a story, at its best is told in the voice of a human - in person - either the voice in your head…or the voice of the reader…And yet, to share a story, and make it interesting to newer readers, it may need a variety of forms…and I am playing with that.

So I am going to put it into digital AND book form…the digital version will include visuals and voice AND potentially the words, too.

I hope to put the full digital form up shortly (with the fabulous support and collaboration of Gregg and Andrea). I am also convinced that this marks the departure of my ever working as a soloist again, even if I do write alone as well as with others…collaboration is simply a path of joy and I intend to stick as close to the path of joy as I can… 

I will keep you posted as the story evolves - if anyone wants to publish it feel free to contact me.

And of course, please comment and let me know how it worked and what came out for you/your child/grandchild classroom etc.

The Backstory:

Andrea Hendrickson. When I went back to Australia for a visit I even almost found a publisher…and still have a publishers name somewhere (I suppose I should call)…

I am making space for new things at the moment - clearing old things out, freeing them - and also focusing on exploring the art and pracice of story, conversation and dialogue…

I could beat myself up about it not being ready, or not finished,yet or I can simply post the full story (see below), and as this story is a read aloud, point you to the audio and have you begin…

And I simply love the idea that I have freed these poor words from being trapped on a page in some file on my computer!

Looking forward to hearing your comments and feedback! And anyone you know who may want to publish this!

*Please note: I am happy to share my work and you are free to share it too, however, as title and all things related to this book are (c) Natalie Shell and Illustrations are (c) Andrea Hendrickson unless otherwise referenced, I would appreciate your attributing me/us if you do use it - and please keep me across your thoughts / how you use it, so others can learn too! 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006 at 3:02 am and is filed under action, art, change, children's books, conversation, digital storytelling, fun, imagination, stories, words. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.