Group Narrative Metacognition

Wednesday
September 19, 2012
Storytelling continues to be such an important aspect of our ever-changing
society. Stories are fundamental in communicating and bringing people together. It
allows us to pass down traditions, and preserve our roots. It deepens a cultures
identity and heritage.
Stories are significant in teaching people, ideals and morals. They are passed from
generation to generation to share and express a belief, to inspire and enlighten.
Just like many other human forms of recording and communicating, we have built
meaning into our stories. The story being told, in whatever format, represented
something. There is always something to learn from a story, it changes our
perception of things, giving us different outlooks on life. However, perhaps the
most important aspect storytelling is that we can escape from reality and be
transported to different worlds. Stories give us an opportunity to fantasize and to
dream. We can connect with the characters and events, forming intimate
relationships. It enriches the human imagination and stimulates creativity.
Although societies and times have changed, there has always been an inherent
desire to sustain culture, to teach, entertain, communicate with one another.
Stories continue to captivate us; they are a part of humanity because they define
human expression.
I feel incredibly grateful to have come from a culture that is so rich in stories
and heritage. Vietnam has many beautiful and sad folk tales and myths that I
continue to be amazed by. Stories are an integral part of my life. I feel that have
truly been part of my identity. These stories have helped me develop an
appreciation for things in my life that I take for granted. Also, my grandparents and
parents have lived in times of war, where many tragic events have occurred. They
are remembered through storytelling.
One story that I admired as a child was the story of the vu sua, meaning
mothers breast milk. This story is about the perpetual love and self-sacrifice of a
mother, it also explained the origin of a fruit native to Vietnam. There was a boy
who was very, selfish and disobedient. He left home to join his friends on the
streets, never coming back. However, his friends had left him, and he was easily
replaced. He came home, in extremely desperate need of shelter, food and love,
but could not find his mother. She had died of heartache waiting for her son. He
started to cry under the shade of the tree, in his mothers garden. The shapes of
the leaves resembled his mothers eyes, and the colour represented her sorrow
and tears. Hungry, heart broken, and filled with sorrow, he cried out to his mother.
He closed his eyes, and could see his mother, gently smiling at him, she told him
that she had become a tree, so that when he came back he would be able to see
him again. He opened his eyes to see that the tree had blossomed, bearing round
fruits. One fell into his hands. Hungry, he ate the fruit. Inside, was a liquid that
was creamy, and sweet, just as his mothers milk.
However, most of the stories that I most recall do not have titles, because I
have heard them through my grandparents and parents experiences. Another story

I will never forget, was an recount of my granduncles experience. When my

granduncle lived in France, he had a friend. Tragically, his friend had died of
sickness. His friend had a dog. While everyone was mourning at the loss of their
friend, they had forgotten about his dog. A few months later, while my granduncle
visited the tomb, he could see the corpse of a dog, lying beside

I really enjoyed the group project because it allowed our group to work
together, interact and collaborate. I learned about my self, my strengths and
weaknesses and my group members as well. It was also a great opportunity to get
to know people in my class, connect, and develop closer relationships. I was
responsible for making the puppets and backdrops. I realized that my strengths
were using my visual and technological skills to create