Storytelling in the Classroom

A couple of recent items about using storytelling in teaching: In a publication about teaching corporate ethics, Timothy Fort writes: > It’s important to include the use of narrative in class, and there are often other more subtle and powerful forms of narrative that can be used as well. On … Continue reading

Better Digital Storytelling Needed Here

This video, Storytelling Theory and Practice, was recommended by a blogger as “excellent” and offering great tips. I’m sure the content is excellent and does offer terrific tips. But I couldn’t get through more then 5 minutes of its 45 minutes. Yes, the presenter, Dr. Brian Sturm of the University … Continue reading

Still Deeply in Love with A Goodman: Part 2

Continuing my series of bits from the nice outline (by “gwennis48” at the Luther I. Replogle Foundation) of key points from the presentation that Andy Goodman delivered. I’ve blogged previously about my fondness for Goodman’s Web site and company… To illustrate the effectiveness of stories for memory and learning, Goodman … Continue reading

How Storytelling Contributes to Learning

Dr. Rebecca Isbell is a proponent of storytelling for learning, especially for young children. On her Web site, she notes these learning advantages for children that stories offer: They provide a new way to learn how the world works. Exposes them to stories from other cultures and different people. Storytelling … Continue reading

A Test of the Teaching Power of Stories

Here’s a way to test the ability of stories to teach — at least compared to PowerPoint presentations. Writing in Newsday, Patricia Kitchen told of the technique of Manhattan-based organizational consultant Ben Dattner that “vividly illustrate[s] how stories are memorable and PowerPoint is forgettable.” Writes Kitchen: Dattner asks his master’s-level … Continue reading

Storytelling Class Trivialized?

In her blog Soulbride’s Kitchen, Kamalla Rose Kaur tells of what sounds like a wonderful storytelling class at Western Washington University (where the class is a General Education Requirement) taught by Rosemary Vohs. Commenters to Kaur’s blog affirm Vohs’s exceptional teaching ability and credit her with significant influence on their … Continue reading

Podcast about Storytelling and Learning

At The Learning Times Green Room, a podcast for Renewal, Retooling and Conversations about Learning, co-hosts Susan Manning and Dan Balzer offer a podcast on using storytelling for instructional purposes. The Learning Times Green Room blog also offers notes to go along with the podcast. Susan’s and Dan’s discussion of … Continue reading

The Story of Science

Some encouraging news in the world of using story in teaching and learning… The Washington Post recently featured The Story of Science series of textbooks for middle-schoolers by Joy Hakim. The Post’s Valerie Strauss reports that the series: tells the history of science with wit, narrative depth and research, all … Continue reading

Once Upon a Time

I’m excited about Terence Gargiulo’s 2007 book, Once upon a Time: Using Story-Based Activities to Develop Breakthrough Communication Skills because it offers story-based activities that can be used in the classroom. You can download a sample from the book.