VÆR'SKO

 (Literally, "there you shoe" ("there you go") - play on danish words)

The 7th.forms from Samsøgade and Herskind schools have worked together on "My Life as a Pair of Shoes". Photos of shoes formed the basis of a project, where we wrote short stories, created websites and the pupils chatted and responded across the two schools.

The pupils started in pairs, taking a photograph of a pair of funny, strange, ingenious shoes, that could tell an exciting story, from their life as shoes. The photos were then manipulated in Paint Shop Pro and put on a website, where it was possible to see the groups photos and e-mail addresses.

This site formed the basis of the ensuing work. Pupils were subsequently given the following:

"My life as a Pair of Shoes"

 

Objectives

Relative to danish, to be able to

  •  see the possibilities in allowing a dead object to tell a story in various ways

  •  write a frame story - including :

- flashback
- logical and continuous narrative
- stick to the chosen category

  • formulate precisely and comprehensibley

  • differentiate between written and spoken langauge in the various work phases
    (story, response, chat)

  • experience how inspirational and rewarding it can be to work with contemporaries

Relative to IT, to be able to

  • use a digital camera

  • manipulate photos (size, cut, form)

  • produce a website with photograph and text

  • prepare postlists in SkoleKom

  • use Messenger in a closed chatroom

Assignment

You now have a website with a photo of a pair of strange, funny, mysterious...shoes. Let your shoes tell the story of

"My Life as a Pair of Shoes"

Write a frame story with flashbacks.

You may choose from the following categories:

  • whodunit

  • romance

  • travel

  • thriller

  • the old days

  • comedy


Final Product

The short story itself, should comprise 1-2 A4 pages. The end product should be a website with photo and story.

You are to work in groups

2 pupils from Herskind form a partnership with 2 pupils from Samsøgade.


Plan of work

The groups take digital photos of a pair of shoes and put them on their own classes collective website. The following sites form the basis of the groups work:

Herskindskolen 
Samsøgades skole

  • The groups send a mail about the category (see above) they would like to write in.

  • All groups prepare a postlist with members of the group + Lise and Ulla (see fact box).

  • All groups send at least 15 sentence suggestions to each other, along with a title for the short story.

  • Read your partners suggestions and prepare a skeleton story

  • When writing your story, from your partners suggestions, you should use at least 10 of their sentences, though not necessarily word for word.

  • The groups send their skeleton novel to each other as a briefing, to be used later when giving response to the stories.

  • The groups send their stories for response. Their partners prepare their responses in the form of an enclosure/appendix with response points (see fact box).

  • The groups mail their responses to each other and finish their stories.

  • The groups have in advance, prepared to chat via Messenger (see fact box). Chat using responses as a basis.

  • The final story is put on the website.

 

Fact Boxes

The teachers had prepared small guidelines/fact boxes, that were mailed to the pupils.

For example:

  • Manipulation of photos in Paint Shop Pro

  • Postlists

  • Response points to short stories

  • FrontPage express

  • Use of Messenger

 

Evaluation

Pupils were finally asked to send a mail to their teachers, with comments on what they had achieved/gained as a result of the project - and to contribute ideas for our further collaboration.

The pupils received the following mail in conclusion:

Write a letter to Ulla/Lise, recounting in your own words, what you have learnt by working on

Vær'sko.

For example we have emphasised that you should learn to:

  • see the possibilities in allowing a dead object to tell a story in various ways

  • write a frame story - including :

- flashback
- logical and continuous narrative
- stick to the chosen category
- formulate precisely and comprehensibley
- differentiate between written and spoken langauge in the various work phases (story, response, chat)

  • experience how inspirational and rewarding it can be to work with contemporaries

  • use a digital camera

  • manipulate photos (size, cut, form)

  • produce a website with photograph and text

  • prepare postlists in SkoleKom

  • use Messenger in a closed chatroom

 

You may not answer questions directly or write in note form, but recount how you have worked with the various points. Define what you have learned and what you have gained by working with 'strangers'.