Puppets in Education

8/12/2019 Puppets in Education

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Puppets in education


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the puppets do so much more than teach.

They empower kids to talk about really

important and sometimes difficult issues,

including bullying, child abuse, drugs, autism,

health, and cultural and physical differences.


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Educational approach


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UNIQUE

Puppets in Educations approach to education is unique.The puppet kids discuss the topics portrayed in a clearnon-threatening manner. They also answer questions anddispel myths by presenting accurate information and pro-social skills and behavior that helps to build betterrelationships. In addition to puppet performances,presentations include workshops for upper elementary,middle and high school students. This format is designed toprovide older, age-appropriate information and engage

students in brainstorm, role-play and simulation/life-skillactivities. Each school is provided with follow-up materialscontaining discussion questions, classroom activities,parent information handouts, bibliographies and relatedresearch articles.


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ARTISTIC

Puppets have long been versatile means of artistic expression,communication and instruction. Working the edge betweenentertainment and education, puppets can both teach and persuade. Theentertainment comes first. It draws us in, and once we have lost ourselvesin the world the puppets create, we accept the message without evenrealizing that we are learning. Lessons learned in this way are more likely

to be remembered and to become part of our solid stock of knowledge.

Because they are characters, not people, puppets are the ideal mediumfor discussing sensitive issues. Puppets create a world in which werecognize ourselves and identify with the characters as the drama unfolds.At the same time, a puppet show seems to hold a piece of safety glass

between the action and the audience. Although we are drawn into thedrama, we are not threatened by it. It is an extraordinary phenomenonthat an audience will accept from a puppet what would cause offence orembarrassment if it came from a live actor.


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SIMPLE & SAFE

Puppets are simple and safe. Their simplicityallows an audience to hear difficult and sensitivemessages. A puppet can be a childs friend,

without demanding anything in return. It can saywhat a child thinks, feel what the child feels, andshare in a childs challenges, loneliness, and

sadness. Puppets can also show a child that

knows abuse, exclusion and loss that there areadults who want to help them to be safe and thatjoy, love, caring and happiness exist.


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EDUCATIONAL

Our primary focus is not entertainment. Children are more likely tocome away from our presentations remembering the issuespresented rather than the antics on stage. The puppets are effectivein delivering their message because there is a magic in the medium.Around the office we call it Powerful Puppetry. The puppets arelarge, colorful and lively. They capture the attention of children,

then offer information that relates to their lives. Watching a puppetshow allows the audience to reflect on what they see and hearitengages parts of the brain that process experience & reason andthinking things through. The scripts are open-ended so children areput to work solving problems in a safe and voluntary way. Thepuppets present social and behavioral concepts that audience

members can practice right there on the spot and then take awaywith them once we leave.


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impact


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Child Abuse

Many children come forward to report abuse after ourpuppets explain that its happen to them, too. Over sixyears, PiE visited 40 schools offering freepresentations. These visits resulted in 87 requests for

help as a direct result of our abuse preventionprograms (children disclosed physical abuse, sexualabuse, witnessing domestic violence, and self-reportedabusing other children). Seven parents also disclosedtheir needs (help to stop abusing their own children

and the need for support in domestic violencesituations). Counseling was immediately provided andsubstantiation, investigation and prosecution by policeand state officials, in a number of these cases, resulted.


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Bullying

Kids reveal to us a wide variety of bullying situationsthat they are the target of, or in some cases, are theperpetrator of. In 2007-2008 PiE conducted a pilotevaluation to investigate the impact of its Bullies and

School Safety program on students in three 4th gradeclasses at a Chittenden County elementary school. Thepurpose of this effort was to help document thatpuppets are an effective means of educating childrenabout bullying and to measure any gain in their

knowledge and awareness about bullying and schoolsafety. All presentations were offered to the schoolfree. Although the sample size was small, the resultswere impressive


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Design statement

Designing puppets for kindergarten kids and

autism kids that can be as an educational tool

in the classroom, safe for the kids, and very

practically to use.


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Design image

fun

educational


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Target user

Kindergarten kidsAutism kids


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Target market

kindergarten Parent that have

kids at home


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Design objective

To combined existing and a new designed

product.

To create a new and improve design

To design puppets that educational, safe, fun

to play with, and full fill the educational

demand.

Documents

Puppets in Education