TaNuj^’s Weblog

Ever wondered- what cartoons are ?? what do they consist off?? What are the basic of cartoons??. Well today whilst I was conducting my research on cartooning, I came across a site by one of the members from optusnet. The article there stated and talked about cartooning, I certainly found it quite extravagant.  Many cartoons are illustrated, tell a joke, satirise, caricature, entertain or to tell a story with a meaning behind it. Cartooning is a fine example of the use of creative thinking. You can see a different perception of the world through the eyes of the cartoonist. Cartoons are often drawn with great economy of line. In just a few strokes of the pen, the artist is able to capture the essence of an idea, or in the case of a caricaturist, to observe and exaggerate the key features of the subject. A cartoon presents the cartoonists point of view so you see what the cartoonist would like you to see in a situation. Our society tends to associate cartoons with fun, humour, and often childhood, and this association is a positive one. By having fun, you can open up the creative pathways in your brain. With our social studies project we are meant to create a cartoon on either -

Social- Cartoons those related with community or public….

Political- Cartoons showing current issues regarding politics and politicians…
(Australian/Foreign)

National- Cartoons conveying a message on the current Australian issues…

International (any cartoon addressing an issue of international importance)-Cartoons conveying a message on any international issue.

Historical (War and Propaganda and recruitment)- cartoons showing anything that might would have happened in the past.

Sporting- Cartoons those related to current topics in Sporting life.

Creating an interesting cartoon consists quality of criticism. Criticism could only be formed once we have the full information about the subject and its problem. Four basic steps that I would certainly find helpful when creating Creative Problem Solving with cartoons

1. Draw your problem as a cartoon.
2. Write a caption for your cartoon.
3. Modify the cartoon by introducing another element. Does this move toward you generating a solution?
4. Alternatively, draw elements of your problem in cartoon form.

So what are your thought, if you would be having any information on cartooning please let us know…thanx for your help…

As the days go on have you everwondered on the whole process of developing writing skill…. well todaysearching through Internet I came acrosss article published by BBC… article stated the steps on how- us humans develop our writing  skills right from the days when we are born to those when we are able to write complicated essays….so this what the article stated….

Children learn a lot about writing before they begin school simply by seeing language around them. They are surrounded by print: on road signs, food packets, in books, magazines and catalogues.

We learn to talk by joining in with words as we hear them used. In the same way, especially in homes where people write things down, children learn a lot about writing through joining in and having a go.

When your child writes, first of all she has to decide what to say. Then she has to be able to write it down. These two key aspects of writing, planning and actual writing, are constantly taught and practised throughout the primary years.

Mastering the writing skills of spelling, handwriting and punctuation is important. Being confident in these skills allows children to put their energy into composing what they want to say. The flow of writing is spoilt if children have to write very slowly because handwriting skills haven’t been developed or they need to keep stopping to look up spellings.

Unfortunately, it can be easy to spot mistakes in writing, so parents often worry when spellings are wrong, work appears untidy or a full stop is missing. Your child, particularly in the early stages, will find it difficult to focus on everything at once.

However, it’s important to read what the writing says and celebrate that first of all, rather than to focus entirely on errors. Try to pick out the best bits to praise: it could be a great ending or a clear description. If a tricky word has been used in an interesting way, this should be praised even if it is spelled wrongly.

Of course, it’s important that children eventually learn to write accurately, too. But if you do correct your child’s mistakes, focus on a small number of points: perhaps one or two spellings, or adding full stops. If spelling lists are sent home try to make practice fun by playing games that encourage careful listening to the sounds in words and looking for letter patterns.

Young children usually write about subjects of immediate interest, in a style that sounds like speech written down. This changes gradually as they come into contact with a wider range of writing styles.

Through constantly hearing how written language differs from speech, children become aware of writing conventions and phrases such as ‘Once upon a time…’ Gradually the more formal structure of non-fiction texts begins to occur in their written work, too. Children learn to use paragraphs and to structure their writing to build up drama or develop an argument.

To ensure this happens in a systematic way most schools now follow the guidance of the National Literacy Strategy, which includes poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing in each term’s teaching plan. When your children have writing homework, encourage them to say what they want to write before they record it. Then ask them to keep re-reading what they have written, asking themselves: ‘Does it sound right?’ and ‘Does it make sense?’

Throughout the process of witting, ACS Distance Education  states that  we need to keep having a look at the following steps,and develop on the following areas of writing….

Skill – being able to use language correctly and appropriately in a given situation

Knowledge – knowing correct formats for a range of writing situations; knowing enough words and how to use them to convey precise meanings; identifying your writing goal and the requirements of those you write for; knowing what you are writing about

Commitment – being focused on your writing goal; spending time and energy learning to write well; determining to produce quality writing; using criticism constructively to improve your writing

Practice – writing often to develop your skills; applying learned writing skills thoughtfully and consciously; reviewing your writing to note areas needing improvement and areas where you are doing well.