JENNY RENLUND

The storybook Bubble

Kupla (Bubble) is a children’s picture book, which I have been co-creating with the team in the MOI-The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies development programme (Byman, Renlund et al., 2020). The visuals of the book are created as a collaboration with graphic designer Maroy Oy and are based on my (Jenny Renlund’s) and Jenny Byman’s artwork. It is designed to engage small children in multimodal and multisensuous explorations of their surroundings. Children are invited to go on an adventure together with the Bubble. We are still developing the book. The book will be available in Finnish and Swedish.

Reference:

Kupla/ Bubble. Byman, J., Renlund, J., Kumpulainen, K., Keso, M., Sintonen, S., Vartiainen, J., Sairanen, H. & Nordström, A.. (2020). by MOI-The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies, University of Helsinki.

The Sensory Workshop

I the sensory workshop children are invited to create their own imaginary creature. The workshop promotes multiliteracy skills, which are approached through arts and the senses. I have planned the sensory workshop together with my college Jenny Byman in the MOI-The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies development programme. We have held the Sensory workshop for children at MOI project events, such as science corners, libraries and at the MOI event at the science center Heureka. The process has included smelling different scents, verbal reasoning, visual expression and feeling different textures and materials. (Kumpulainen et al., 2018)

“We are connected to our environment through our senses, and they are connected with our experiences, thoughts and emotions. Art as a teaching method gives verbal communication an alternative dimension and opportunities for self-expression... When we were developing the sensory workshop, we realized that the different elements in the workshop inspired children’s imagination, inquisitiveness and emotions such as joy. The Sensory workshop teaches children to take note of different scents, textures and sounds in their surroundings. Children were particularly interested in scents with which they were already familiar. The images, memories and emotions that they stirred were the basis for the workshop and a connection to their imagination. Storytelling also played an important role in the workshop. Children were eager to explain where the ideas for their works came from, and their stories about their imaginary characters’ characteristics and features were both versatile and deep.” (p. 34, Kumpulainen et al., 2018).

You can read more about the sensory workshop and it’s pedagogical steps in the digital version of the MOI development programme’s book: Playful Parts : The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies. Open access through this link

The book is also available in Finnish and in Swedish.

On the MOI-The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies web-page you can also find a blog post in Finnish, describing the Sensory Workshop.

Reference:

Playful Parts: The Joy of Learning Multiliteracies, Kumpulainen, K., Sintonen, S., Vartiainen, J., Sairanen, H., Nordström, A., Byman, J. & Renlund, J. (2018). Helsinki: the University of Helsinki

Bångstyriga bitar: Inlärning av multilitteracitet med glädje. Kumpulainen, K., Sintonen, S., Vartiainen, J., Sairanen, H., Nordström, A., Byman, J. & Renlund, J. (2018). Helsingfors: Helsingfors Universitet.

Kurittomat Palaset: Monilukutaitoa Opitaan Ilolla. Kumpulainen, K., Sintonen, S., Vartiainen, J., Sairanen, H., Nordström, A., Byman, J. & Renlund, J. (2018). Helsinki: Helsingin yliopisto