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In an age dominated by screens and fast information, fairy tales may seem old-fashioned. Yet these stories hold a powerful place in pedagogy. Thoughtfully used, they can support children’s emotional growth, moral understanding, and creativity.

Fairy tales are more than entertainment. They carry universal themes: fear and courage, loss and transformation, belonging and identity. Through stories, children can recognize themselves in characters, exploring emotions safely. Research shows that fairy tales aid early development in language, emotional understanding, and creative thinking.

Storytelling in pedagogy works in three main ways:

1. Safe exploration of feelings: Children can project their emotions onto characters without feeling exposed.

2. Moral reflection: Tales invite discussion on choices and values, asking “What would you do?”

3. Creative engagement: Retelling or reimagining stories develops agency, imagination, and critical thinking.

Pedagogues act as guides and storytellers. By using narratives, they connect children’s experiences with larger themes and allow learners to reflect on their own lives. For instance, a teacher might read Hansel and Gretel and then ask children how they might have acted in a challenging situation, fostering empathy and perspective-taking.

It’s important to note that stories carry cultural assumptions and stereotypes. Gender roles in classic fairy tales often favor passive female characters and active male heroes. This can become a pedagogical opportunity: children can be invited to rewrite stories, challenging traditional roles and creating new narratives.

In conclusion, storytelling in pedagogy is not merely entertainment. It allows children to imagine, reflect, and grow. Fairy tales teach lessons about emotions, values, and the human experience, helping both children and educators navigate life creatively and empathetically. In this sense, fairy tales remain timeless tools not just for children, but for anyone learning to understand themselves and others.

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On our trip to the Ekeberg Petroglyphs i saw this sign tagged on the same rock as the rock art from 5000 years ago. The creator of the sing is unknown, tagging in Norway is illegal without permits and proper consent, therefore it is often done in secret.

This tagging seems to spell out the word “Giro”, when you search up the word Giro there is a brand that creates snow and cycling helmets and in Norwegian the word is also used to describe a bank transfer. But it might also be an example of the original form of tagging which is writing your name on things, and this could mean that the creator of the sign is named Giro.

Tagging in Norway is seen as both bad and a form of art, in Norwegian media tagging is often perceived as a form of destruction of others property because of the lack of consent. But once the tagging or graffiti has been consented upon it becomes an art form that is welcomed. But there is still a tagging culture in Norway that use it as an artform even if they do so illegally, based on your perspective on tagging and graffiti it could ether be seen as street art or just vandalism.

The story of this sign is unknown, we have some clues on what might have accrued during the making of it but since it has an anonymous creator we might never know the true story behind it. This might be a person wanting to leave their trace in the stone, just like the people who left the original markings 5000 years ago. Maybe this person read the history behind the markings in the stone and got inspired to make their own mark in history.

This sign could be a part of a bigger journey for the creator, this might be the start of their creative journey in making a mark in history with their own creations. And if the sign stays there for many years that sign might continue to inspire more people to leave their mark in history.

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When it comes to love,  humans have a rich history of expressing their emotions through acts. For some romance stories, this meant killing a dragon, to show how valiant a lover is; in others, it is the overcoming of sexual seduction from an antagonist. But there are no dragons to kill or sirens to seduce us in the world we live in. Thus, people invented other methods of proving their love.

Carved onto the tree, we see an “M+M” and a symbol for a heart hit by an arrow. Let us look at the heart first: The symbol for the heart has been around for so long that sometimes we tend to forget that the sign is quite arbitrary. A human heart does not look like that, as long as we don’t use too much fantasy. The heart symbol is an ideogram, a sign that is used to represent a certain concept.

The arrow that pierces the heart adds an entirely new layer to the ideogram. It refers to the Greek god Cupid. Cupid is known as the god of desire, and when he shoots an arrow at one's heart, we are filled with love. As such, the symbol indicates to those who know about Greek mythology that they are in love, but for those who don’t, it might mean something completely different. An arrow piercing a heart is reminiscent of death rather than of love. Because of this characteristic, it is important to think about who can actually understand which symbols and who is excluded from understanding them.

The sign for the letter M is arbitrary as well. There is no connection between the sound of the letter and the symbol used for it. Compared to the Ideogram of the heart, the letter doesn’t represent an idea or concept but rather a sound; that’s what we call a Phonograph. In this case, the letter was used to represent the lovers. Interestingly enough, in this carving tradition, we remain anonymous. We don’t use a signature through which we can be identified. This indicates that in our culture, a certain secrecy exists when it comes to love.

The act of carving letters and symbols into the wood metaphorically shows that the lovers believe in their feelings and are willing to permanently engrave them into the real world. Thus, they prove to themselves that they aren’t scared to commit to their emotions and prove to the other one their love.

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On our trip to the Ekeberg Petroglyphs I saw a ingravement of a deer. I was intrigued to learn about this and found a information board.

The engraved deer in the rocks, created around 5000 years ago, is more than just an image, it is a sign that carries layers of meaning across time. Most likely carved by hunters, it may have served as a way to mark their presence, record an important event, or connect spiritually with the animal they depended on for survival. For the hunters themselves, the deer may have symbolized food, strength, or respect for nature.

Today, we interpret it very differently. Archaeologists might view it as evidence of early symbolic thinking, while others see it as a piece of ancient art. This shows how a single sign can hold multiple meanings depending on who interprets it. The engraving is also part of a larger system of prehistoric petroglyphs found around the world, though the “code” is not written down and its original meaning is no longer fully known.

Over time, such images have been reused and reimagined in modern contexts. A deer carving could easily become a symbol in art, fashion, or cultural identity, showing how old signs can be appropriated for new purposes. At the same time, it invites us into a story: the life of nomadic hunters, their rituals, and their dependence on animals.

The deer engraving reminds us that almost everything can be seen as a sign. What once was a simple mark on stone has become a bridge between past and present, allowing us to imagine and create new meanings from an ancient message.

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The song i have chosen is a Norwegian lullaby, the song is called "Vi har ei tulle" witch is translated into "We have a little girl". The word "tulle" isn't really translatable but can be summed up to "a little girl". The story behind this lullaby is that my parents first sung it to my sister, because the lyrics fit very well with her looks. Some of the lyrics are "we have a little girl with blue eyes, with silky hair and little ears". And they sang this song every night for three years, until i was born. When i was born it didn't feel right for them to sing about their one little girl, therefore they decided to change the lyrics into "We have two little girls" luckily the rest of the lyrics still fit. And my parents continued to sing this song for us every night, until we where a little older and my father sang another verse of the song. We never knew there was more to the song, apparently there are a lot of verses. But the second verse my father sang went like this "And the little girls messed with their fathers hair, they laugh and wave to those who walk by, oh you really should see our little girls how good they are". From that night on our father always added that second verse. An to this day he will sing it to us if we are ever in need of a little extra comfort.

When i researched the song for this project i read the actual lyrics of the original song for the first time. Apparently we have sung it wrong all this time, but to me that makes it even more special, like it is our own personal version of the song.

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Artister av Barnesanger og Barnemusikk - Topic

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“I think I want to learn this instrument…”

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“I think I want to learn this instrument…”

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It was a sunny afternoon in Obertauern, in the Austrian mountains, when, after a long day of skiing, we decided to go outside to enjoy the sunshine. Fresh snow just fell, and it created a mattress: soft,  white, and infinite. The entire class lay down. Now I could see nothing but snow on either side, and far above was the sky unclouded. There was perfect silence; Those, one can only experience in winter, when no echo can reflect on the soil. Thus, it took a while for someone to interrupt it. He proposed to listen to music.

And that is when the bass started playing. It was perfect. The sound, the rhythm, the line perfectly flowing over the landscape. And the syncopations… UUhhh! I probably made my first stank face that day. Learning that nasty things stink; funk stinks; and 1612 was the nastiest I ever heard.

That day, I didn’t know that my decision to learn the bass would change my life forever, but it surely did. Thank you Vulfpeck, thank you 1612, thank you Joe Dart and thank you for interrupting the silence.

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I chose this song because my father used to always listen to it in the car. My father and I share some similarities in our taste in music, but this song is really something he enjoys the most. Personally, I don’t listen to it very often.

However, during my teenage years, I rediscovered this song and it gave me a strong sense of nostalgia. It brought me back to those happy moments in the car with my father. Everytime I listen to this song it makes me smile. I get to go back to the time I was a child, and singing along to a song I didn't know the words to. That is why this song is important to me. The song is Squeeze Me by Kraak & Smaak.

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In this weeks lessons we learned about heroes and how they are characterized. Heroes are often born to their destiny, has special courage or gifts, is favored by the Gods and has or is given supernatural powers.

But when we were tasked to analyze a hero of our own choosing in groups i came to think about how the role of a hero might have changed.

In our analysis of a hero my group chose Iron man, a man who has everything but is then forced to see the reality of his actions and has a change of heart.

Even though Iron man is seen as a hero his story it is not as divided when it comes to good an evil as what the story of "Hansel and Grethel" is. In Hansel and Grethel there is a clear distinction between "the witch" who is the evil part of the story and "Hansel and Grethel" who are the good of the story. The witch is trying to eat two children, and the kids are starving and lost, seeking help.

But in Iron man the main character Iron man or "Tony Stark" had parts of his story that could place him on both sides of good and evil.

But even though Iron man has both good and evil sides to him he is still considered a hero, because he faces the consciences of his own actions and changes for the better while helping others. This is an example of how heroes can be complex characters, not just good or evil.

Bruno Bettelheim reflects around the importance of not painting all men as good, and to let children know that they aren't always good. But also how children themselves know that they are not always good, and if they are told that they are always supposed to be good they will se themselves as monsters(Bettelheim, 1975, p. 7).

Therefore stories such as Iron man can be a way to reflect over your own actions and your character.

But also in a lot of other stories in this day of age have a lot of conflicting character traits. The heroes are often flawed, insecure or feel out of place in their world. And the villains often have a redeeming background that help us understand the reasoning of their actions.

And this i found quite opposite from older stories like "Red riding hood", "Hansel and Grethel" and "Snow white".

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This week, we created our own (little) Radio theatre. Our group chose to write a story about the Ashlads. Many fairy stories tell of their adventures, and they are known to be outsiders. Their name suggests imagining them on the outside of society, with them literally covered in Ash. Usually, as in most stories, it is either the eldest or the youngest of the three brothers who becomes the hero of the story and saves the other two. This is why we wanted to write a story about the middle child, the middle Ashlad, saving the day.

This phenomenon, of the middle child being left out, is known as the middle child syndrome and is an actual phenomenon observed with middle children. Fairy stories excluding them from becoming the heroes of stories is definitely an extension of it. But, as we learned in class, it is of great importance for children to identify with characters in stories. Although it is not necessary for the heroes to fully represent the children, identification is certainly easier accomplished through similar traits and characteristics between the reader and the characters. Thus, it would end up having middle children identifying with middle children characters, who never end up becoming the heroes of the fairy tales.

With clear intentions in our minds, we started retelling the story of the Ashlads the way we wanted it to be. Through the retelling of it, we imbued it with our morals of inclusivity and ended up in one of the key characteristics of Myth: Reshaping the meaning of them by the act of retelling. In the book Classical Myth: A very short introduction by Helen Morales, similar topics are discussed. She explains how Myths stories remain timeless, while their meanings of them are dependent on the context. In our case, we changed the story as well, but the implication stayed the same.

Through this retelling, I have learned that the importance of myth lies often not in what is told, but in how it is told. And the relation between the way it was previously told to how it is told now.

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This week we learned about reading and analyzing literary texts, we read the story about the little mermaid written by HC. Andersen. When we started reading i had a memory of the story from an animated series i watched when i was younger, called "HC Andersen's fairytales" from 1989-2003. This series had an animated episode for each of HC. Andersen's stories, and i remembered the story of the little mermaid being one of them. After we had read and analyzed the story in class i wanted to see if i could find this animated series again and watch how they had adapted it. When i watched it i could tell that they had tried to make it more kid friendly by removing what i found to be a big part of the story, which is the relationship between the little mermaid and the prince. In the written story the prince treats the little mermaid as a glorified slave, she is clothed in the same clothes as the slaves, is given a pillow so that she can sleep outside of the princes door and is given a page's suit which is a servants suit. The prince sees her as a slave there for his amusement, but keeps her close because she reminds him of the love of his life. In the animated series the love between the prince and the little mermaid is removed completely, instead it is replaced by a one sided love from the little mermaid and the prince only sees her as a little sister.

I believe this change was made to make the prince a more likable character, and to make the whole story less heartbreaking for the little mermaid. Instead of being a manipulated little girl who sacrifices everything for a man, she is now a little girl who sacrifices everything for a man that doesn't love her in the same way.

As a child i found the animated story to be very beautiful and unexpected, but as an adult that has read the original i think the animated story lacks a lot. And that it looses a lot of the meaning behind HC. Andersen's storytelling.

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This week, my group and I worked on creating a radio theater piece. The assignment was centered around choosing a hero for our story, which immediately sparked interesting discussions. It made us reflect on who usually gets to be the hero in stories and why.

Although I wasn’t present during the actual class session, I did contribute to designing the storyline. Together, we decided to make the middle child the hero. This choice was particularly meaningful to me, because I am a middle child myself. Seeing the story unfold from that perspective gave me a sense of recognition and made me think about how often middle children are overlooked in narratives.

The process of developing the story was new for me, but also very enjoyable. Recording the episode was a unique experience as well. We really tried to put into practice the storytelling tips we had learned earlier, making sure to focus on clarity, pacing, and emotional depth.

Another layer we added came from our music lessons. We experimented with silence in the background music and used different types of music to highlight different emotions in the story. These details gave the performance a deeper atmosphere and made the listening experience more powerful.

Overall, creating this radio theater was not only a creative challenge but also a chance to reflect on perspectives that are not always at the center of attention. It reminded me how storytelling can shape the way we see ourselves and others.

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When I first heard that we would be analyzing fairy tales, I honestly didn’t expect it to be very interesting. Analysis is something that comes up often in studies, and I assumed it would feel like just another academic exercise. However, this assignment turned out to be much more engaging than I imagined. I realized that when you analyze a story in different ways, you can uncover layers of meaning and hidden perspectives that you might never notice otherwise.

We worked with the original version of The Little Mermaid. I had never read it before, so I had no prior knowledge or expectations of the story. That made the assignment even more fascinating for me, because I was exploring it with fresh eyes.

As a group, we decided to focus on class, specifically the financial and social classes represented in the story. We looked closely at the Little Mermaid herself, because her status changes throughout the narrative. What stood out to us was the way the prince treated her. From our perspective, he treated her more like a glorified slave, yet she didn’t recognize this. In fact, she seemed to view it as a blessing, almost as if being in that position was something she should be grateful for.

This was a striking and thought-provoking discovery. It showed me how analysis can reveal not just the surface of a story, but also the underlying dynamics of power, class, and perception. What I thought would be an ordinary task became a meaningful exercise in seeing stories and perhaps even relationships in a new light.

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This week we learned how to analyse fairy stories. Our main focus was the different perspectives from which we can analyse stories. Focusing on character, time, gender, or the author's biography will all reveal new insights from the story, which will further the understanding of it. This causes an infinite loop of knowledge of the story, also known as the hermeneutic spiral.

In the class, we looked at “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen and were divided into groups focusing on different aspects. My group focused on class. The more we read into the story, the more we were interested in the relationship between the princess and the prince. The prince seemed to be treating the little mermaid like all his other slaves. He dressed her in the same clothes as the other slaves were clothed. And let her sleep outside of his room, while at the same time pretending a deep affection for her. On the other hand, the little mermaid loves the prince deeply. Throughout the story, the little mermaid remains blind to the toxic relationship she finds herself in.

When we presented our results in class, we noticed that no one came to the same conclusions as we did. This goes to show that having different lenses of view completely changes the understanding of stories. Then again, our group hearing all the other analysis made us further understand our own results and created even more questions on the story.

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When we went on our school trip to Strandheim, I didn’t know what to expect. We were going to learn about the world of circus, and honestly, that was something completely out of my comfort zone. I’ve always liked being creative, but the idea of performing or doing clown work felt strange and a little intimidating. Still, I was curious to see what it would be like, and once we started, I quickly realized that the circus is much more than just juggling or acrobatics. It’s a way of expressing yourself through movement, humor, and imagination.

The first thing I learned was what really makes a circus a circus. It’s not only about showing skills or tricks, it’s about the feeling and energy you create together. Circus is about showing effort, playfulness, and even failure and turning all of that into something beautiful and human. I found it interesting how much emotion you can express without words. Every movement, every attempt, even when something went wrong, became part of the story we were telling.

As we explored this idea, we also discussed the difference between theatre and circus. In theatre, everything usually follows a script, a character, or a clear storyline. But in circus, the focus is more on the moment itself. It’s about connecting with the audience, sharing something real, and inviting them to laugh, wonder, or feel amazed. While theatre often hides the hard work behind the scenes, circus shows it openly and that honesty makes it powerful.

We got to experiment with different circus elements like balance, juggling, and clowning. At first, I thought clowning would just be about acting silly, but it turned out to be so much more. Being a clown means paying attention to what makes people laugh and what touches them emotionally. It’s about being fully present, noticing the small things, and reacting in a genuine way. I found it fascinating how humor often comes from vulnerability from showing that you’re not perfect, but still daring to try again. It made me reflect on how often we hide our mistakes instead of using them as part of our growth.

Even though I felt uncomfortable at times, I really enjoyed the creative freedom that came with this experience. It reminded me how important it is to let go of control and just have fun exploring something new. I laughed a lot, not only because of the funny moments but also because I felt free to experiment without judgment. In that sense, this circus workshop was not just an art lesson, it was a lesson in courage, creativity, and self-expression.

Looking back, I see how much I learned from stepping into this unfamiliar world. The circus taught me that creativity is not about being perfect but about daring to be seen. It’s about sharing something real, connecting with others, and finding joy in the process itself. This trip to Strandheim made me realize that sometimes, the most valuable learning happens when we allow ourselves to play, take risks, and simply enjoy the moment.

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When we started learning about improvisation, or “improv,” I didn’t really know what to expect. I had never done any kind of theatre before, so the whole idea of acting without a script felt a bit strange. It’s really about communication, collaboration, and learning to build on each other’s ideas in the moment.

One of the most interesting things we learned was the difference between “yes, and” and “yes, but.” At first, those phrases sounded simple, but once we started practicing, I realized how powerful they are. When you say “yes, and” to someone, you accept what they’ve said and add something to it. You keep the story moving, and you help your partner shine. But when you say “yes, but,” you block the flow you accept and change the direction, and suddenly the energy shifts. It was amazing to see how the exact same scenario could go in totally different directions just because of those two little words.

For example, in one exercise, we had to create a short scene with a partner. The first time, we used “yes, and,” and everything felt natural and connected. We were building something together, and every idea made the story grow. The second time, we used “yes, but,” and suddenly everything became tense and confusing. The story did not have a set meaning anymore. It really showed me how much attitude and openness matter not just in theatre, but also in everyday life.

What I found fascinating was how improv teaches you to listen, react, and trust the process. You can’t plan ahead or control the outcome, you just have to be present in the moment and go along with what happens. That was a big challenge for me, because I like to prepare and think things through. But improv doesn’t allow that, it forces you to let go, to trust yourself and the people around you.

Even though this was far from my comfort zone, I really enjoyed the experience. I discovered that improvisation is not only a theatre skill, but also a life skill. Saying “yes, and” is like saying, “I hear you, I accept your idea, and I’m willing to build on it.” It’s a mindset that encourages cooperation, creativity, and positivity. It made me think about how often, in real life, we do not accept and how that can stop ideas from growing.

Learning about drama and improv opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. It showed me that creativity is not only about coming up with ideas, but also about being open to others and letting things unfold naturally. For someone who had never done theatre before, it was inspiring to see how a simple exercise could teach so much about communication, teamwork, and trust. I left the workshop with a big smile, a lot of laughter, and a new appreciation for the power of saying “yes, and.

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This week we had an excurtion to a place called Strandheim. Here we made circus preformances of fairytales, based on what we had learned about circus earlier that week. My group made a circus where there were three princes trying to impress the king and win the princesses hand in marriage. At first we found a place that inspired us, we chose a place that almost looked like a stage with a big rock that we could use as a throne. In the beginning of creating the circus we where a little stuck because none of us knew any tricks, therefore we focused more on the clowning part of circus, where we played a lot with trying and failing, making things that look easy seem very difficult and pretending to be good at things. It was when we started experimenting with these things and using our bodies that it started working, we started coming with a lot of different ideas and suggestions to each other and added onto each others ideas.

And after a while we had a circus performance that everyone contributed to. Looking back on it there were a lot of struggles at the beginning because we didn't know each other that well, but the more we explored through movement and listened to each other the easier it was to work together.

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This week we started learning about the use of drama in connection with fairytales. We learned about “process drama” where the process is what is important, not necessarily the product that you end up with. We learned about the process drama through doing a process drama together based on the story “snow white”, and during this we also learned about the theory behind the process drama. We got the opportunity to explore and change the story by giving our own input on how we want to act in the drama, therefore improvisation is important in process drama. While doing a process drama listening to the participants input and including their contributions will affect the story and doing this might make the participants more invested in the story because they are allowed to affect the story. Therefore, we practiced our own improvisation by going face to face with a partner and had different tasks where we really had to listen to each other and build off what the other person said. And in connection to this we also learned about the ways we view children, because our views on children will affect the way we let them participate in the process drama. If you only see children “clay”, as someone who needs to be made into something better, the child’s inputs won’t seem important or even wrong compared to what you have imagined. And if the process drama is only affected by the adults, then the children aren’t a part of the process.

After we had participated in the process drama and learned about the theory behind it we started planning our own process dramas in groups. My group decided that we were going to use the story “Askeladden og de gode hjelperene” with a kindergarten group. And this we will continue working on next week in arts class.

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This week we continued working on the process drama that we started on in groups, but this week we did it through arts and crafts. We started the process by making a poster for the stories we had chosen, my group; the kindergarden group had chosen “Askeladden og de gode hjelperne”. On this poster we where told to draw a character from the story, not by using pictures you found online, but by using your own imagination and drawing them how you believe they look. And after we made the poster for our stories we had to explain the abilities of our characters and their downsides. Then our group had to figure out what items our characters might need during our process dramas, and how we could make them. Our group decided that we would make a boat, a wizard’s hat, a crown and tiara and a backpack for the Ashlad. I helped make the boat, the backpack and the wizard’s hat, and the day we finished we went to the national museum. In the museum we were told to find something that connected to what items we made, I saw the original drawing of the ship in Ashlads story drawn by Theodor Kittelsen. In the drawing the ship had a dragon head in the front, and this made me really inspired to improve the boat we had already made. I thought that making a dragon head for our boar would make it more authentic but also a little more magical in a way. Before the boat could be any kind of boat, but after the dragon head was added I think the boat connects more to the story of Ashlad.

When we had our process dramas in class, we ended up not using every item we made, but we did end up using the boat. Ashlad himself came into the story with the boat, and the boat was quite big which helped catch the participants attention. And in my experience the boat was a fun addition to the story that the participants found exiting, because they themselves got to interact with it.

This weeks work with arts and crafts connected to storytelling and process drama was a very fun experience because we got to develop our visions of the story into reality. And we also got the opportunity to get inspired through experiencing other works of art connected to fairytales and through this inspiration improve our work.

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On this visit we got to see how a Norwegian kindergarten that have fairytales as a central part of their daily life. We got to see how they used different fairytales in circle time and how they included the kids into the storytelling. I myself am studying to become a kindergarten teacher and found this visit very inspiring, this kindergarten had circle time for over an hour, i am used to circle time only being 15 minutes. Seeing how they kept the children engaged throughout the entire duration by making them a part of the stories told, and how the children themselves showed initiation. This really taught me how circle time can be a joyous experience for both the children and the teachers and how they can create something together that both parts enjoy doing. And i will take this experience with me and hopefully incorporate some of my experiences from it into my future circle times.

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During our trip to Strandheim, I had a lot of thoughts on children’s culture. For me, it is a new term I haven’t encountered in my studies yet, and now that I know about it, I wonder why. It got me thinking about how this culture forms, who shapes it, and what influences people outside of it (adults) take on it. I wonder if, for us now, finding ourselves outside of it, it remains impossible to step back into it fully. Comparing it to other cultures, there is no such development, as growing out of it; once a culture is part of one's permanent identity.

In Strandheim, we tried to move back into this lost culture of ours. It felt weird. We were strangers exploring and getting back to our roots by playing games and running, as if we were children once again; by looking at objects and playfully inventing a stories around them, as if we could allow us to believe in them once more; by practicing magic, as if magic was still a name we would use to describe it; until we left the “as if” behind and moved past.

Then and there, for a moment, I stepped into children’s culture. Now, I wish to find out how I can enter that space again, to understand what it feels like to grow out of it and help those who do. When I get back home to my university, I will take a module on cultural studies and hopefully be able to implement what I have experienced and learned during my stay at Strandheim.

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Process drama and tabletop roleplaying games

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Process drama and tabletop roleplaying games

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Stepping into process drama for me is something quite familiar; in fact, I do it every week with my friends playing Dungeons & Dragons (from now on DnD). At least that is what it feels like to play the game. In this blog post, I want to explore the similarities and differences between the two and see if I might be able to implement elements of one in the other, in whatever direction.

The definition of “Process drama may generally be described as an activity in which participants, together with a teacher, leader, or facilitator, assume roles within imagined human situations” fits the game pretty much. There is a group of participants (which we refer to as players), together with a teacher (which we refer to as Dungeon master, or DM) which assume roles within imagined human situations.

Then in process drama, “collectively, they construct a fictional situation based on a story, either previously known or proposed and structured by the group as a whole.” And this is partly true for DnD. Before a game starts, we take time to prepare the story, collectively we decide on who wants to play which character, where they come from, but once that “pre-creational phase” is over, the construction of the situation is left to the Dungeon Master, and the players remain actors in those situations without the power of creation. It would be interesting to explore a game of DnD where the creation of the story wouldn’t be left to the DM. Or on the other hand explore a process drama, where the participants stay in their role and cannot create during the development of stories.

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Coraline arts and crafts with process drama

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Coraline arts and crafts with process drama

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During our process drama sessions, one of the most valuable learning experiences was discovering how props can shape and direct a story. Instead of simply using them as decorative elements, we explored how each object could influence the atmosphere, guide the narrative, and help us step more deeply into our roles.

At first, making and choosing props felt like a creative side activity, something that supported the acting. But as the process developed, I began to see how powerful these physical objects were in shaping meaning. A single item, such as a key, glasses or a handmade door, could completely shift the tone of a scene and help the audience understand the emotions or intentions of the characters. This process taught me to think more intentionally: What does this prop say? What story does it tell before we even speak?

Working with props also helped me understand the link between material expression and performance. According to Nicholson (2005), process drama emphasizes learning through participation, imagination, and embodiment. The props gave us something concrete to hold onto literally and symbolically, and made the abstract elements of the story visible. Creating and experimenting with these objects required collaboration and critical thinking. We had to agree on how to use them and how they could best support the story we wanted to tell.

What I found most interesting was how props could guide improvisation. Sometimes an object inspired new ideas or unexpected directions in the plot. This made me realize that props are not just “add-ons” they can be active participants in the drama process.

Overall, learning to work with props taught me how material creativity and dramatic storytelling can strengthen each other. It encouraged me to see objects not as static items, but as tools for imagination, communication, and reflection, essential elements of the process drama experience.

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During our visit to Askeladden Kindergarten, we were invited to watch a daily performance by the children. For about an hour and a half, they sang, acted out fairytales, and moved through the space. What struck me most was that this wasn’t a special occasion, it was a normal part of their daily routine. The children were calm, concentrated and the atmosphere felt both magical and structured at the same time.

Observing this routine helped me understand how storytelling and performance can be deeply integrated into early childhood education. The children weren’t just “putting on a show”; they were learning through repetition, imagination, and embodiment. The fairytales provided a clear narrative framework, while the singing and movement helped them internalize rhythm, language, and social cooperation.

According to Ødegaard (2015), drama and storytelling in early childhood education can foster emotional development and cultural understanding, as children engage with moral lessons and human experiences through symbolic play. Watching the Askeladden performance, I could see this theory come to life, the children weren’t passively listening but actively living the story. Their engagement was not about performance perfection, but about connection, expression, and shared meaning.

What I found especially inspiring was how naturally the educators guided the process. They didn’t over-explain, instead, they modeled participation through gentle singing and movement and helping them with the lines. This created a sense of trust and safety, allowing the children to express themselves within a familiar structure. It made me reflect on the importance of rhythm and ritual in pedagogy, how consistency can support creativity rather than limit it.

Overall, this visit showed me how the arts can become a natural part of daily learning, rather than an “extra activity.” The Askeladden approach demonstrated that imagination and education can go hand in hand, creating an environment where children learn through beauty, story, and shared experience.

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Arts and crafts - creating objects for process drama 

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Arts and crafts - creating objects for process drama 

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In our class on process drama, we learned that meaning is created through actions, body language, words, as well as objects and images. This week, we created those objects and images we could use for our process drama. My group decided to create objects for a process drama based on the movie Coraline.  To decide what objects we wanted to create we thought about which elements of the story are difficult to imagine without there being an additional sign to indicate what exactly is happening; for objects are not necessary for process drama, they are tools to facilitate immersion.

The entire story of Coraline is based on the transition from the real world to the other world, so we decided to create objects that indicate this change. For that, we created a tunnel through which participants in role had to physically step, making it easier to understand when and how one can enter the other world. We also needed to simplify the recognition of characters, for it becomes drastically easier to recognize a character by simply giving them one piece of clothing to identify them. These objects, facilitating the identification of a character, are present in fairy stories too, for example, a crown indicating a King. It was hard to come up with objects to indicate a mother or a father without leaning into stereotypical representations, but we ended up making a purse for the mother and glasses for the father. Then, through the addition of buttons to the objects (which are omnipresent in the other world), we showed the difference between the real and the other mother.

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To visit a Kindergarten is a humbling experience. In class we learn theories, we understand why certain teaching methods work, what impact fairy tales have on the psychology of children, why they are easy to remember, but when you find yourself in a practical environment all these theories don’t matter. There is no time in thinking about what the best course of action in a certain situation is, things are constantly moving and changing. And moreover the I have found myself in situations, like a child starting to cry, where no one taught me how to act in. I realised that the studies we are taking are distant from the reality of working in actual schools or kindergartens. At Askeladden I have seen how professional who worked in the field for years and years are quick to response, they have developed awareness of the room and know how to narrow their focus to the most important thing, while I was personally overwhelmed with the amount of simultaneous things happening around me.

I wish to collect more experiences, when going back to my home university, trying to implement more of what I learn, for I have noticed how it doesn’t really matter how much time I spend studying, it will never replace the value of being in a classroom and having to manage an entire class of individuals acting at the same time.

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To visit a Kindergarten is a humbling experience. In class, we learn theories, we understand why certain teaching methods work, what impact fairy tales have on the psychology of children, and why they are easy to remember, but when you find yourself in a practical environment, all these theories don’t matter. There is no time in thinking about what the best course of action in a certain situation is; things are constantly moving and changing. And moreover, I have found myself in situations, like a child starting to cry, where no one taught me how to act in. I realised that the studies we are taking are distant from the reality of working in actual schools or kindergartens. At Askeladden, I have seen how professionals who have been working in the field for years and years are quick to response, they have developed awareness of the room and know how to narrow their focus to the most important thing, while I was personally overwhelmed with the amount of simultaneous things happening around me.

I wish to collect more experiences, when going back to my home university, trying to implement more of what I learn, for I have noticed how it doesn’t really matter how much time I spend studying, it will never replace the value of being in a classroom and having to manage an entire class of individuals acting at the same time.

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In class we learned about monsters, and how they are often connected to taboos and things that are different from what is perceived as normal. Connected to this we learned about norwegian monsters such as "nøkken" a lake monster that could turn into a magical horse, a beautiful man or even w wooden log that would lour people down into the water and drown them. Nøkken was said to be especially dangerouds at night. It is believed that the story of Nøkken was made to make sure that children didn't wander or play by lakes alone, especially at night because of how dangerous it could be. but also to keep children away from unknown horses. (Lutro, S. (2025, October 26). Nøkken. Retrieved from Store norske leksikon: https://snl.no/nøkken)

Or "Hulder", a female creature that is invisible but could appear at any moment, Huldra has a hollow back and a cows tail, and is said to be a seductive creature that would hold men hostage. (Lutro, S. (2025, October 26). Hulder. Retrieved from Store norske leksikon: https://snl.no/hulder)

But the monster they might be the most famous Norwegian monster is probably the "troll", Troll are often depicted as stupid creatures who live in nature and have nature like features. Trolls are very often the villain in Norwegian fairytales such as "Askeladden som kappåt med trollet" og "de tre bukkene bruse som skulle til seters for å gjøre seg fete". Both of these stories are still told to Norwegian children today even though they where origanlly published in the 1800. Trolls have become a big part of the Norwegian culture, there are even popular landmarks in Norway that are named after trolls such as "trollstigen" which means "the troll ladder" or "Trolltunga" which means "the troll tongue". The troll has also become a sort of mascot for Norway, if you where to visit a Norwegian tourist shop you would be met by countless variations of trolls on for example shirts hats or mugs.

For me this was a reminder of the original stories behind Norwegian monsters, i grew up with these stories but the details disappeared with time. But also because some of these stories aren't told properly anymore, the details disappear because the people telling them don't remember the original story, for example the story of Nøkken will often be told when visiting a lake or a body of water. And the spontaneity of the storytelling might be the reason for missing certain details. But after talking about them in class i was inspired to do more research on the different creatures.

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I was inspired to make this micro documentary about a gnome, while we where talking about the assignment i started to look around for inspiration. In the distance i saw this very small house with a very short door and the first thing that came to mind was "Gnomes". When i looked closer at the house i read that the house was actually a sauna, and that there were a lot of rocks inside the house. From there i had to think of a story why this Gnome would have all these rocks inside his home, and that is why he became a rock collector. And his name came shortly after, a gnome who collects rocks should have a name connected to his hobby, so he became "Stein" which is the Norwegian word for rock and also a very common Norwegian name.

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During our class visit to the Folkemuseet, we had the opportunity to explore a variety of historic buildings and hear the fascinating stories behind them. It was really interesting to learn more about the different houses and other buildings, each with its own background and atmosphere.

I decided to make a mockumentary about one of the guest houses we saw during the tour. This particular house immediately caught my attention, not only because of its beautiful decorations and paintings, but also because of the story behind it. I felt that it was something worth sharing with others.

Creating the mockumentary was a fun and creative way to bring the history of the house to life. I wanted to capture both the charm of the building and the atmosphere it carried. By mixing factual information with showing the house, I tried to make the story engaging and memorable.

Overall, this project helped me see how museums like the Folkemuseet can tell stories in unique and inspiring ways. It reminded me that history doesn’t always have to be serious or distant it can also be something we can play with, reinterpret, and make our own.

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Martha C.Nussbaum's Cultivating Humanity: A classical defence of reform in liberal education (P. 85-112).

In the chapter "The Narrative Imagination" Martha C. Nussbaum discusses how building a society requires not just requiring knowledge, but that gaining a sympathetic imagination is needed to understand others feelings and actions. And that through literature the reader gains the possibility of seeing other perspectives. She continues to say how even in the earliest stages of life the stories that are told to the child will contribute to the child's own wonder regarding other peoples feelings, and that through these stories the child learns to connect the stories to their own lives. This is just the beginning of moral interaction, through literature a person is inspired to feel with another person, being concerned with their well being and how their story ends, gaining a view of the characters inner world. As the child grows and the literature gets more and more complex the child learns to recognize themselves in other people and how they might be feeling, gaining a sense of sympathy to other people. Through exploration in literature, music, rhymes and songs in the early stages of life the child is more equipped to imagine what another person might be feeling. Nussbaum believes this is essential when a person wants to become a part of a citizenship because without it we would see each others as merely alien, that our differences would be too different for us to understand each other.

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This week, we visited Oslo’s Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. As with any other museum, it got me thinking about what we decided to put into museums and why (reminding me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon). There, I learned from the guided tour that the museum was built after Norway gained its independence; thus, it was built to strengthen and create a Norwegian identity. So what did the new Norwegian government want to display to showcase their national identity?

The buildings ranged from the middle ages to the 20th century, completely leaving out all Norwegian prehistory and Viking age. Perhaps, those times were not considered to be representative for the Norwegians. It is of great interest knowing what exactly led to these decisions. While it could have purely logistical reasons, it is possible for others too. If the traditions, ideologies, morals, or common ways of living of these people were not what Norwegians wanted to be known for, it could make sense for them to cut them out of their Folk Museum. Deciding in such fashion what to display ends up deciding what is considered to be part of ones culture or not.

Interestingly enough, the Folk Museum did have a varied display of Sami objects. Although Norway’s history is filled with discrimination towards the Sami, the Museum decided to display them, thus making them part of Norwegian history. Probably, this was part of the Norwegian movement to apologize to the Sami and acknowledge their mistakes. This raises questions of collective and inherited responsibility that the Norwegian people carry with them, and how Museums can be used to impact such political movements.

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In our very first week with the new class, Eivind started off by doing directly what the class was going to be about: storytelling. He sang to us Kråkevisa (The Crow Song), and he did so in Norwegian, which was an interesting choice. As I later learned, he was starting to show us practical methods for engaging storytelling. By singing, he was making himself stand out as the storyteller. But, he did not dismiss the audience either; he gave us the opportunity to engage by giving us a part in telling the story; we were to sing a little line at the end of every verse. Also, since we had to read the translation in the presentation, we were being “forced” to engage with the content. Then, before he started singing, he made us relate to the story, for it was about how to survive in the Norwegian nature, and we were about to experience just that in the Krakosetter trip. Thus, I learned a methodology to help people engage with stories: Signalling that I am special as the storyteller; inviting the audience to engage in the story; and making the story relatable to the audience.

When we arrived to Krakosetter, we were tasked to teach the Play students the song we learned by using some of the methods I mentioned above and others we learned during the week. After I was assigned to a group, we sat down in a circle, and I began by setting myself up in the middle of the circle to signal the others to pay attention to me. And then I started telling the story. I tried being engaging by using pauses to add dramatic effect; repeating the most important actions and objects, for we learned that repetition legitimizes; and I tried to not only use my voice but also my body and face to help the students remember. Once I was finished, I let the play students try. They mostly remembered the gist of the story, but were missing out on some details or the correct chronology of the story. To fix that, we started talking about those moments in the story, we questioned what they meant on a bigger picture, we related them to the listeners themselves, and thus made them personal to them. This worked for all but one of the play students. Ater a little thinking on how to make them remember the story, I reminded myself of what Eivind did in our class. I just let them recite the story in their own native tongue, and as if by magic, they seemed to remember the complete story.

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To prepare for our trip to Strandheim, we had a class on Circus pedagogy. It was interesting to explore the pedagogy of something I was extremely familiar with from the standpoint of a child, as in primary school, we had had multiple years of working together with a circus. It had always been an exciting experience for me as a child, and I was looking forward to understanding why.

One of the most relevant parts of the circus with children was the exploration of the body. It challenges children to overcome their fears related to their bodies. Especially, when I think about working with children with special needs, I think that as a future teacher I need to learn how to make children comfortable with their own bodies, maybe even proud, and moreover with the bodies of others too. Still, while practicing the circus now, I notice myself and others struggling exactly with this part. To be so unusually close to another person can be a big challenge. One has to learn the boundaries of another person, which sometimes does not even really know them themselves; thus, together one has to explore and set them. These varied bodily experiences create varied knowledge which are made possible through exact physical acts.

Learning, according to Peter Arnold, comes in three dimensions clearly apparent in the circus. Firstly, children have to learn about the movement. It involves learning about how our bodies work and the theory of the movements themselves. Secondly, and this is where the actual circus comes in, children have to learn through the movement itself. It includes all the understanding one can have while doing the movements. It allows them to develop self actualisation and further their understanding gained in the first step. And lastly, children learn through movement by connecting the theoretical knowledge to the practical one.

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In this week we learned about stop motion. The first question that came up was the question of how to define stop motion itself; as it turns out, it is not as easy as it seems. We were shown a slide with related words next to each other, and one by one they appeared one after the other. Would this already count as being an animation or a stop motion? If yes, is not every form of images following each other a stop motion? Then everything we see is technically a stop motion. This would maybe be theoretically the definition of stop motion, but it would not really help us in the understanding of the concept; thus, we need a better definition for it. Stop motion is rather defined by giving the illusion of movement where it does not exist. Seeing a car move through your eyes is technically a stop motion, for our eyes perceive the world through only a certain amount of frames per second (about 30 to 60 fps.), but when we consider the fact that there is no illusion created by the amount of frames we can see it in, we can understand that we are not talking about stop motion.

But talking about the illusion of movement might also not be enough to define what it is. If we take into consideration the famous wheel paradox, in which a wheel is moving to a certain speed, making it look as if it would not be moving at all, then we would have to define it as stop motion aswell. But again, it is not really what we think about when talking about stop motion; it is rather an optical illusion created through the way we perceive the outside world. Although optical illusions and stop motion both rely on fooling the sight or the brain, it is helpful to distinguish between the two. To do that, one has to define stop motion to its most basic component: the repeated stopping and starting of a camera to achieve the impression of movement.

After having defined stop motion, we were on a good track to start creating one. Or so we thought. As it turns out there the art of stop motion involves a lot of skills which are impossible to master in the short period of a week. From materials, to photography, to lighting, to storytelling, to music, to cutting, to creating illusions of movement, stop motion remains an incredibly difficult to master, but, at the same time, perfectly fitting for a school environment, for its easy entry level.

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Recently, our class organized a storytelling festival, and it was such an exciting and rewarding experience. The goal was to bring together as many elements from our course as possible, including storytelling, process drama, stop motion, radio theater, and, above all, creativity.

At first, getting started was a bit challenging. We weren’t sure how to combine all these different elements into one cohesive festival, and brainstorming felt overwhelming. But as we collaborated and shared ideas, everything started to fall into place.

By the time the festival day arrived, it was amazing to see all our hard work come to life. The afternoon was filled with laughter, imagination, and a wonderful energy. Each performance and activity showcased creativity in a unique way, and it was incredible to see how our classmates interpreted stories through different mediums, some using dramatic performances, others showing stop motion animations, and radio theater.

What made it truly special was not just the final outcome, but the process itself. Working together, problem-solving, and experimenting with new ways to tell stories brought our class closer and inspired us all. It was a reminder that creativity grows best in a collaborative environment.

In the end, the storytelling festival was a huge success, an afternoon full of fun, innovation, and, most importantly, a shared love for storytelling. It was a fantastic way to celebrate everything we had learned during the course and to explore new ways of expressing our ideas. I can honestly say it’s an experience I won’t forget anytime soon.