"Stand By Me" 1986
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_whvdxVSQSc (warning: contains some course language)
Storybird Studio, is a website based around online digital creations of stories. I think this would be expectionally appropriate for Gordie Lachance because it gives him the chance to turn his stories into digital creations. It would also give Gordie the chance to engage through social media, other students who are just as creative as himself. This website would allow him to share his creations and give images to his words. https://storybird.com/educators/
Teen Ink I another website that is appropriate for Gordie Lachance. It is a website for teens to produce different forms of writing, arts, photos, forums, ect, and it allows teens to have a say. This website would give Gordie the opportunity to engage and read the work of other teens, and to have an opinion. The website would also help to boost his self esteem and acknowledge how good of a writer he is. By associating himself with other teen writers like himself, Gordie would be able to expand his social skills and friendship group, and emerge out of his comfort shell. Teen Ink would be a good website for Gordie because it takes him out of his comfort zone by publishing his stories, however it would teach him new skills and give him the chance to become a stronger writer. |
![]() Name: Gordie Lachance Age: 12 turning 13 Personality: Gordie Lachance is a sensitive and intelligent boy who's small town is his whole world. He is one of a group of four boys, who are good friends, however his best friend is Chris Chambers. Gordie is the type to stick up for his friends and what he feels is right. At first he appears quiet, but to his four mates he is a funny and creative person. He is able to think of stories and wants to be a writer. At home he is underappreciated and invisible, due to his big brother Danny's jeep accident. Gordie looked up to Danny and lives in Danny's shadow, except when he is with his friends. He is adventurous and diplomatic, and he thinks with reason and logic. Interests: Gordie Lachance is interested in writing, however he is put down by his father, who believes writing isn't a real job. Chris is always there to boost his confidence and help Gordie see that this interest of his has potential to take him far in life. Throughout the duration of the movie, Gordie Lachance's cognitive development (the way people think) embarks on a serious journey coinciding with the journey he is taking with this friends. Although Gordie thinks logically, and can make reasoned decisions and plans, for his friends while they travel to find a dead body, Gordie also struggles with his thinking about himself and his talents. Whilst on the journey, with the help of his friends, especially his best friend Chris, Gordie's cognitive development progresses into being strong and independent and knowing how he is valued by others, and more importantly himself. The act of going on a physically journey, led Gordie on a journey to change the way he thinks and also the way he feels. Vygotsky's 'Sociocultural Theory' is based on the idea of continuous cognitive development, and presents the idea that the environment plays a role in the development of the way an individual thinks. Vygotsky's theory has two parts; the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and Scaffolding. The ZPD refers to "the difference between the level of actual performance and the learning potential of the child," (Kozullin, A. 2003). Gordie, establishes at the beginning of the movie that he has low thoughts of himself as person and especially in the sense that he is not as good as his brother was. The degrading attitudes of his father towards Gordie, establishes a low self esteem and therefore a low cognitive approach to himself and his abilities. Throughout the movie, whilst on the journey to find the dead body, Chris provides a metaphoric model and perception of what Geordie's future looks like and what he can achieve because he is so smart and a great story teller, and by the end, Gordie's cognitive development has gone so far as to believe it himself, despite what his parents at home may think or say. Through his interaction with his friends, and also the physical journey, Gordie's cognitive development succeeds how he use to think about himself before they set out to find the dead body. Gordie's emotional, and social development has been influenced by environmental, cultural and social factors throughout the course for the movie. Emotional development refers to the way an individual's feelings develop and social development is the development of an individual through the way they relate to other people. Socially, Gordie has developed, through the way he acts around his mates and also the way he stands up to the older kids. This was influenced by the environment, as by going on a journey by themselves with no adult supervision, along the train tracks, Gordie and his mates grew closer, especially Gordie and Chris, who are able to help each other along with their inner battles. The journey itself makes him a stronger being, and so in a social context he is then able to show this by the way he stands up to the older gang of boys. The cultural aspect involving the stereotypes of the boys when they first left for their journey are no longer present when they return; they have matured and in essence have shaken off the fear and anxieties that such a small town, where everyone knows everyone, has given them. Gordie is able to be rid of the need to be exactly like his older brother Danny, and this contributes to his social development through his new relations to others. Emotionally, Gordie develops in a few ways. He becomes more certain of himself and his self-esteem grows, also he comes to terms with his brother's death. Through the comfort and help of his friends, Gordie becomes more emotionally stable both inwardly and outwardly, and he develops majorly by allowing himself to show how he is feeling to others and not just keeping it all to himself. By taking the journey to see a dead body, Gordie is able to confront the feelings he has about the death of his brother. He is being raised as a single child now, and his parents "hate" him in his perceptions. Chris makes him understand that his father doesn't hate him, he just doesn't know him. When Gordie sees the body and breaks down, Chris is there to help him to acknowledge that his brother is dead, but that it doesn't mean that Gordie himself doesn't have potential. So socially his emotional developed has been influenced trough Chris' affectionate actions and comforting gestures. This allows Gordie to make the decision to leave the body and that way no one gets the publicity for finding him. Gordie is able to stand up for himself and his friends by the end of the movie, an he is emotionally stronger and more stable. Erikson's 'Stages of Psychosocial Development' theory is broken up into 8 stages (image available), and throughout the movie, Gordie moves through stages 1-5. By moving through these stages, one becomes more emotionally developed. According to Saul McLeod in his article Eric Erickson, "Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in reduced ability to complete further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and sense of self." Due to always living in his brother's shadow and not receiving the attention he deserved from his parents, Gordie didn't progress through these stages at the rate he should've. And so whilst on the journey, and after receiving attention and is valued by his friends, Gordie is able to emotionally develop through these stages and makes him a more mature and strong person. Gordie is the type of learner that would take the creative approach to learning. He would work best in a group, and be able to give direction and artistic appeal to projects. I think Gordie would feel more comfortable doing things as a group, especially with his friends, however I believe he would need to take different approaches within the group in his learning to keep his creative mind from getting bored easily. I think this because Gordie displays characteristics of being word smart, through his stories, and also creative due to the fact that he can think of such whimsical short stories. Also I think he would be they type to take initiative and direction because he is quite an intelligent boy. |