Thank you for your Communications Assignment
This assignment is a self learning exercise
This activity introduces issues of equality and diversity, whilst challenging our assumptions and prejudices, as well as helping us see how parents hear our words and actions.
Answers and explanations
1) The city was called Bung
2) The city was ruled by an old King, who could no longer walk
3) The castle was in the centre of the city
4) Groga was a wicked women, who lived in a cave on the other side of the lake
5) Princess Christina was very beautiful
6) The stranger was a knight from far away
7) The stranger wanted to be made King in return for killing Groga.
8) The king offered the stranger a great fortune instead
9) A good witch lived to the west of the city
10) The stranger agreed to give Gwendolyn half of his gold if she helped him
11) Gwendolyn mixed a potion, which she poured into a green bottle
12) The stranger rode from Gwendolyn’s house to Groga’s cave
13) Groga had killed many men before
14) Groga’s magic was no match for the stranger
15) The Stranger used a magic potion to defeat Groga
FALSE: The city is called Glum. The kingdom was called Bung
FALSE: We are not told the King’s age. Those who said he was old were probably making an assumption based on the fact he ‘could no longer walk’
TRUE
FALSE: At no point are we told that Groga is wicked.
Participants probably assumed she was wicked because she was ugly and disfigured. We know too that the King doesn’t like her, but again nowhere does it say the King is good!
FALSE: Princess Christina was “popular”. She was also happy and willing to help others. But nowhere does it say she is beautiful!
FALSE: The crowd “included knights”. We don’t know that the stranger was one
FALSE: We don’t know if the stranger is even a man, so we don’t know if he/she would be a king or a queen. Anyway, the stranger only asks for the crown – and doesn’t specifically state he/she wants a title, or even power. For all we know the stranger may have wanted to sell the crown on Ebay!
FALSE: The King offers the stranger half of all the gold in treasury. We aren’t told how much Gold is there – maybe none!
FALSE: We are not told Gwendolyn is good – only that she is beautiful and wears a sparkly gown!
FALSE: He/She agreed to give her “a share”. We are not told what the share is. And of course we don’t know the stranger is a ‘he’.
TRUE
FALSE: We don’t know the stranger ‘rode’. The story says “travelled”.
FALSE: We don’t know whether Groga had killed anyone before. All we know is that those sent to kill
her had not returned. Perhaps they had a change of heart and left the kingdom?
FALSE: We are not told that Groga used magic
FALSE: We don’t know if the stranger used the potion given to him / her by Gwendolyn.
This assignment is a self learning exercise
The activity introduces issues of equality and diversity, whilst challenging our assumptions and prejudices.
When we are speaking to parents, their life's experiences can have a massive impact on their views, understanding and social abilities. When we speak about pregnancy and birth, we are using terminology that is often alien to our listeners.
It can be like listening to a fairy story! full of mystery and idealism.
When we teach we need to make sure our message is clear, simple but precise in order for the message to be understood - often that isn't enough.
Now imaging using a photo of a young prince in a wheel chair or a photo of an ugly princess when this story is told... That would be a totally different story. Many of you would have got 100% in this exercise.
This shows the importance of not only simple speech when teaching (regardless of our audience) but also diagrams, illustrations, pictures to offer a bigger more accurate picture.
This exercise is a good test of their listening and memory skills.
When. we mark the statements as true or false, we realise how many unconscious prejudices and assumptions have made about the characters within the story; as such, the exercise achieves the following:
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It illustrates that we all carry sub conscious prejudices and raises participants self awareness
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It demonstrates how we often make assumptions based on stereotypes, misinformation and generalisations
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It encourages / initiates open, honest self analysis about our own prejudices and stereotypes
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It can offer an insight into our Antenatal Class delivery and how it is understood by others
Tip: Self assess our own classes are by videoing ourselves while teaching, then watch it back - analyse your speech, your words used.