Narratives of Memories as a way of changing children's future

1. Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Culturali Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future Claudio Baraldi (claudio.baraldi@unimore.it) / Vittorio Iervese (vittorio.iervese@unimore.it)

2. Education andChildren’s Development In education, the relationship between age and development is fixed through: Teaching programs and methods (ignorance and incompetence) Evaluation process (distinction between better and worse performances) Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

3. Education andChildren’s Development Education achieves the transformation of children’s past (ignorance and incompetence) into theirfuture (knowledge and competence) Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

4. ChildhoodStudies and Education Education underestimates the relevance of children’s actual participation in social life Present is important only as it opens up future perspectives Memory is considered as an important component of children’s learning (History). Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

5. The perspective of Sociology of Childhood Sociology of childhood has considered children’s present, in terms of: active participation in social processes (effects on social relations). permanent category or group in society. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

6. A question for Sociology of Childhood What is the importance of children’s past in their present social life? Past can be shaped in present social life in the form of memory. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

7. A differentperspective on memory Memory as a narrative linked to the present and to the classroom interaction. Memory is defined here as the narrative that allows to construct the meaning of the past and through this process to construct identity. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

8. A differentperspective on memory Representations of past experiences are formed through an interplay of multimodal components. Need of entry points to memory provided by external elements (images). Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

9. Engrams and Exograms Inner traces of memory (“engrams”) are intertwined and triggered by material traces of memory, conveyed by a physical medium (“exograms”). Photographs can be considered as powerful exograms. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

10. Memory in Schools A way to give meaning to children’s past is the use of images that evoke it. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

11. Project on memory Projects in which photos regarding children’s memories are collected and used to produce shared narratives in classroom interactions From a pilotproject in Italy (Modena) to a Europeanproject Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

12. The Research Project sharedmemories and dialogue www.sharmed.eu

13. Supported by:

14. The Research Project • Children (9-11 years old) • Children’s families • Teachers • 48 classrooms participating in the project (16 for each country).

15. Memory, Interaction and Narratives Memory is a central issue in both the Italian project and SHARMED Memory is an interactional construction in the classroom, rather than an individual production or a knowledge that can transmitted during a lesson. Relevance of facilitation of classroom interactions. Two examples from the pilot project in Italy. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

16. Example 1

17. Example 1 • FAC: Do you remember about this picture? From Giada? • M2: Eh it is an old picture because it is black and white I think • FAC: [yes • M2: [it’s of her grandfather or great grandfather I don’t remember, grandfather!! • F9: Yes • FAC: [F9 can you help us? • M2: [we are talking about you • F9: Ah eh he is my great grandfather • FAC: great grandfather (..) and do you remember why she brought it here did she tell us the reason why

18. Example 1 • M2: Mh no [but the kind yes • FAC: You don’t remember [me neither but we can ask her ((turning towards F9)) can you remind us why you brought it here? • F9: Because he went into the world war the second and then (.) he came back home on foot because he was made prisoner by Germany • FAC: He came back from Germany walking • F9: ((nods))

19. Example 2

20. Example 2 • 1. FAC: So where do we put this? ((asks where he can stick the photo on the poster)) • 2. F7: Ehm here! ((pointing to a place)) • 3. FAC: Okay. Did you look at the picture well? • 4. F7: Yes • 5. FAC: And what do you remember about this photo? • 6. F7: Eh she hasn’t tell anything about it, has she? • 7. FAC: She hasn’t so that she can surprise us later • 8. F7: eh • 9. FAC : stick with what you see in in the picture • 10. F7: so here’s F2 and her family

21. Example 2 • 11. FAC: And this is a family • 12. F7: I suppose • 13. FAC: ah ah • 14. F7: Because in their family they are a lot • 15. FAC: a lot of them? • 16. F7: Yes • 17. FAC: A big family • 18. F7: eh • 19. FAC: And where do you think they took the photo • 20. F7: at home • 21. FAC: at home? • 22. F7: Eh I suppose yes • 23. FAC: So here; ss what are they? siblings the whole lot or (.) is there anyone older? • 24. F7: Maybe cousins

22. Example 2 • 25. FAC: They are siblings and cousins • 26. F7: ((nods)) • 27. FAC: Mh? what do you reckon, they met to take a picture in which event? • 28. F7: Eh • 29. Many: A birthday • 30 F7: Birthday

23. Beyond narratives of memory Facilitation clearly influences the activity of deconstructing and reconstructing personal memories in the interaction. Facilitation of the interactional construction of memory can enhance reflections on the present social experience and dialogue in the classroom. Narratives of Memoriesas a way of changingchildren's future

24. Example 3

25. Example 3 – continuation of example 1 • FAC: And it’s an experience (2) hard and what makes you think? ((to M2)) • M2: Boh that it’s something that you can admire • FAC: And you and you (2) would you like to be a soldier? Be (..) in short do you think that you would you have this courage to [go to war and then • M2: [yes • FAC: Come back walking , a long way • M2: Walking yes I don’t know if I can make it then well (..) yes • M3: It is too much • M2: ((laughs)) • FAC: But do you think that there is the possibility to be back at war today? • M2: no • FAC: no?

26. Example 3– continuation of example 1 • M2: Well I don’t eh I don’t well like war from the point of view of doing it but • FAC: That is you like it as action • M2: Well no eh (.) it is not that I like it (3) war should not be done that’s it • FAC: War should not be made. And what would you like to do instead? (3) that is now maybe in some years, let’s say? That is do you have some ideas about what you would like to do? • M2: A job which allows me to make a lot of money • FAC: But so to make money is the most important thing • M2: And it needs to suit me • FAC: It needs to suit you or it needs to make you satisfied what is that you wish? [apart from the money • M2: [boh not going with along face (.) I mean, I need to go smiling smiling • FAC: Happy • M2: Mhmh ((nods)) to be in that job

27. Example 4

28. Example 4 – continuation of example 2 • 31. FAC: A birthday. Do we want to call your friend so she helps us (.) saying (.) if we got it right eh? Did we? ((the child in the photo comes near FAC and F1)) • 32. Many: The true story! • 33. F9: It’s not really a birthday, it’s when we went to see my grandmother • 34. FAC: You went to see your grandmother! Turn to them so so they can hear us. Tell us this, this story • 36. F9: Eh that when we went to see my grandmother • 37. FAC: that where does the grandmother live? • 38. F9: Eh in the Philippines • 39. FAC: In the Philippines

29. Example 4 – continuation of example 2 • 106. FAC: And do you remember your grandmother? • 107. F9: eh yes • 108. FAC: And did you meet her after that time? • 109. F9: ah ah • 110. FAC: Did you? • 111. F9: ((nods)) • 112. FAC: And how is your grandmother like? • 113. F9: Eh she is nice • 114. FAC: Good at baking puddings • 115. F9: Yes good, ((smiles)) and a little bit harsh • 116. FAC: Really? • 117. F9: Yes! [and then • 118. FAC [are all elders severe? Your grandmother too? ((to F1 who nods))

30. Example 4 – continuation of example 2 • 119. F7: More my mo[ther’s mother • 120. F3: [my grandmother my grandmother now has become harmless • 121. F7: Not my father’s mother, more my mother’s mother because she is widow • 122 FAC: Ah! • 123. F7: Since my grandfather died at 45 • 124. FAC: Young • 125. F7: Eh well he was coming home from work because he was a doctor too • 126. FAC: Yes • 127. F7: He was on the moped, he falled and he did ((makes a gesture with the hand))

31. Conclusions 1 • Memory as a source of surprise and innovation in the interaction: • Interactional construction of: • first person narratives (including interlaced narratives) • third person (vicarious) narratives.

32. Conclusions 2 • Transformation of children’s memory into children’s social experience. • Transformation of the past into the “future of the past”, linked to any possible narrative of ideas, experiences, emotions. • Narratives of memory are “interlaced” with personal expressions • Relevant function of facilitation

33. Conclusions 3 Memory can be used to change the children’s future in two different ways: giving meanings to children’s social experience (ideas, experiences, and emotions), “travelling” among past, present and future. introducing the children to a specific way of communication with adults and classmates, i.e. to the form of dialogue.