Hello, 
The proliferation of guides is wonderful and speaks to the interest in and power of this process/product. You may also want to look at two early guides on line at www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy under the link: innovative materials. 
John Comings developed the first guide and Rima Rudd, the second. You'll also find a link to an article describing the participatory process and an articulation of the Freirian pedogogy that shaped the work.
Rima Rudd

Rima E. Rudd, ScD, MSPH
Department of Society, Human Development & Health
Harvard School of Public Health
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115
Phone: 617 432 1135
fax:     617 432 3123
web:    www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy
www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstogether


>>> "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org> 11/18/2008 3:13 PM >>>

Thanks for the reference to this article, Laura! In preparation for this
discussion, Linda Church has kindly made this article available at the
following link:

http://www.proliteracy.org/Photonovels.pdf 

We planned to get more into the How-To aspects towards the end of the
week, but feel free to discuss this now. I'll post some questions
tonight that list members have posed, which mostly relate to the
creation of phonotonovellas.

Julie

Julie McKinney
Health Literacy List Moderator
World Education
jmckinney at worlded.org 

>>> Laura Nimmon <nimmon at interchange.ubc.ca> 11/18/08 3:08 PM >>>

Good points Susan.  Sometimes the populations we work with are led to
believe that they have no say in the shaping of the future, and thus
sometimes experience a crushing effect on their spirits. The photonovel
process provides participants with a chance to include their human
voice, expressed through humour or emotion, which distinguishes these
health materials from others.  And thus it is essential that this human
element is not erased within the content of the photonovel.
  
On another note: 

For those of you wondering how to go about facilitating a photonovel
project you can check out this 10 step guideline:

Nimmon, L. & Begoray, D. (2008). Creating participatory photonovels in
the classroom: A practical guide. Adult Basic Education and Literacy
Journal. 2(3), 174-178

We discuss: (1) forming a photonovel group, (2) naming of a problem, (3)
considering the audience, (4) writing a photonovel story, (5) developing
characters and costumes, (6) taking the photographs, (7) preparing the
dialogue, (8) using digital technology, (9) seeking audience feedback
and (10) publishing your photonovel 

This article is in press and will be available in a few weeks!

Laura


--
Laura Nimmon 
Ph.D Student
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellow
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Graduate Trainee 
www.photonovel.ca 

Language and Literacy Education
University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z4




-----Original Message-----


> Date: Tue Nov 18 10:35:04 PST 2008

> From: "Susan Auger" <sauger at mindspring.com>

> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2471] Re: Photonovella experiences

> To: "'The Health and Literacy Discussion List'"

<healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>

>  I think the story and drama are vital elements to any photonovella-

they

> are like a soap opera. I understand that in Latin American countries

this

> format is a very popular form of media & entertainment- whether it's a

> photonovella,radio novella or telenovella.

> 

> In adapting this format for health education, it's an important point

to

> remember. I approach developing photonovellas a bit differently than

the

> process described by John and Laura, which is learner or

community-centered.

> We use a collaborative approach, which balances many different

perspectives,

> agendas, and levels of power. The underlying priniciple is that

everyone is

> a teacher and a learner. As developers (I usually work at least one

other

> person), we function as facilitators. I will say more about the

rationale

> tomorrow. 

> 

> A good example of this in practice...and getting back to the point

about the

> importance of story.

> We recently developed a photonovella on gestational diabetes. Our

starting

> point was the personal story of a Latina whose experience with

gestational

> diabetes reflected many of the themes and core issues we had

identified in

> our background research (e.g., focus groups with Latinas with or who

had

> gestational diabetes, review of literature and existing bilingual

> educational diabetes materials, interviews of health professionasl

working

> in high-risk maternity clinics and gestational diabetes programs

across the

> US, and representatives in federal and state agencies addressing

diabetes,

> review of diabetes programs in Latin Amercian countries, and

consultation

> with the project's multidisciplinary advisory board). 

> 

> We asked her to write in her story in her own words in Spanish. We

then

> translated it into English (and later back translated to Spanish). The

> resulting photonovel script, while it began with her story, reflected

many

> voices and experiences. During the review and development process, a

tension

> existed between the story & drama and the health education 'agenda.'

There

> was (and is always) a tension between content, space, and reading

level. In

> an effort to simplify and reduce text, inevitably health professional

> reviewers tend to eliminate 'the story,' the emotional scenes, the

caring

> gestures and comments, the funny remarks. These are the very elements

that

> make photonovellas so appealing and fun to read...and what

distinguishes

> them from pamphlets, bulleted lists and visually slick but often cold

and

> impersonal copy. Throw in the power dynamics of funders, medical

providers,

> and other 'experts' and this is where the story and voice and feelings

of

> the target audience often gets drowned out or lost, along with the

spirit

> and power of the photonovella. 

> 

> We have learned to get expectations out up front about what's

negotiable and

> non-negotiable (this would include written and visual content) and to

create

> a clear vision for the end product(not the details since they emerge

from

> the process but the spirit of what we are trying to create). We also

> establish clear guidelines with everyone before the process begins

about how

> we will make decisions. Although the balancing process can be quite

> challenging, having a consensus on these types of things before you

begin

> makes the facilitation process easier.

> 

> Susan

> 

> Auger Communications, Inc.

> PO Box 51392

> Durham, North Carolina 27717

> tel:  919.361.1857

> fax: 919.361.2284

> email: auger at augercommunications.com 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov 

> [mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Julie McKinney

> Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 11:32 AM

> To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov 

> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2468] Re: Photonovella experiences

> 

> This is very cool - I have never heard of using photonovellas in

media!

> It suggests another aspect of the photonovella that has not been

mentioned

> yet: the story. The "what's happening next?" aspect may indeed be as

> important an element as the visuals, the readability and the presense

of

> characters that "look like"me".

> 

> Susan and John, What do you think of the relative importance of these

> different aspects of photonovellas? 

> 

> Has anyone else seen them used in media like they did in New York

city?

> Does anyone from New York want to elaborate on the bus/subway

campaign?

> 

> Thanks,

> Julie

> 

> Julie McKinney

> Health Literacy List Moderator

> World Education

> jmckinney at worlded.org 

> >>> "Cheryl Pasternack" <Cheryl.Pasternack at nychhc.org> 11/18/08 11:17

AM

> >>>

> 

> Others from New York City may have mentioned that in the 80s and 90s

the New

> York City Department of Health had a fotonovela bus and subway car

card

> campaign about HIV/AIDS -- it was like a soap opera, with passengers

eagerly

> waiting for the next installment.

> 

> 

> Cheryl Pasternack, CHES

> Director, Grants Management

> Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center

> 234 E. 149th  Street, Room 4C-162

> Bronx, NY  10451

> Email:   Cheryl.Pasternack at nychhc.org 

> Phone: (718) 579-5697

> Fax:     (718) 579-4602

> 

> 

> 

> >>> "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org> 11/17/2008 2:48 PM

>>>

> Hi Everyone,

> 

> We will hear more from our guests soon about the theory behind

> photonovellas, the benefits, and also some practical information about

how

> to go about the process of creating them. In the meantime, if anyone

else

> has a comment about your expeirence using photonovellas in health care

or

> adult literacy settings, please share some thoguhts with us.

> 

> For example: If you have used photonovellas with students or patients,

how

> did they react to seeing the photonovella? How well did they

understand the

> information? How did this compare with their reaction to other forms

of

> educational materials?

> 

> Julie

> 

> Julie McKinney

> Health Literacy List Moderator

> World Education

> jmckinney at worlded.org 

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