Week#9 - Storytelling, Your Brain, & Teaching

Storybook Reading Feedback

• Don’t like your voice. Changeable?
• Pace
• Facial Expressions
• Vocal Expressions (for character clarification)
• Connecting with the audience - Events (ask questions, interventions) - Checks for Understanding

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The Science of Storytelling and your Brain

Readings  (print friendly Google Doc here)

• The Science Behind Storytelling
   
• Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling - Paul J. Zak - Harvard Business Review
   
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains

Videos

• How Storytelling Connects Both Sides of Your Brain
• Your Storytelling Brain | Big Think | Think Tank
• The Story of Storytelling
• Connecting our Global Brains 
• The Divided Brain

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Discussion Questions (for Week#10)

• Can you think of times when hearing a story has affected your behavior or actions? 
• Describe significant experiences you’ve had learning via ‘fact presentation’ (e.g. reading bullet points or simple lecture). Which ones were effective or ineffective? Why? 
• Describe significant experiences you’ve had learning via ‘storytelling’ (e.g.dramatic videos or a professor who told a lot of stories). Which ones were effective or ineffective? Why? 
• In your past and present workplaces, how have bosses and supervisors gotten their message out via fact presentation vs. storytelling? Has it made a difference? 
• What are some topics you currently teach via storytelling? How do you do it? 
• What are some topics you currently (or will likely teach) via fact presentation that might be taught via storytelling instead? How would you do it? What would the challenges be?

Week#7 - Storytelling Activities - Part#2

In-class Games & Activities for reading storybooks

• Freeze frame
• I was present/ I was there/ What can you add?
• Continuing the Story
• Countdown
• Student Illustrators
• Mime & Guess
• Interviewing a protagonist

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Midterm 

Part#1 -  Due Oct. 26
Create a plan for an amazing storybook lesson using a specific book.  Try an activity you've never done before. The format is up to you, as long as you cover the main areas of lesson planning.

Part#2 - Due. Oct. 26
Jeff will email you a link to the video file of your storytelling. Watch that video  and provide some feedback to yourself.  This can include surprising things you noticed, observations of verbal and non-verbal storytelling style,  analysis of storytelling strengths and weakness, areas you'd like to improve on, and anything else that catches your eye. Be nice!

If you're comfortable using Google Docs, please use that for these assignments and share the file with jefflebow@gmail.com.  If not, you can email it to me at that address. 

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Assignments for Week#9

Readings

• The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains

Digital Storytelling Tool

• Check out Storyboardthat.com

Week#6 - Storytelling Activities

Lists of Activities

• Storytelling with Children by Andrew Wright
  94 activities (pages 31~74)
• StoryArts  Storytelling Activities & Lesson Ideas
• Storytelling Games
• Storybook Lessons Pinterest

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In class tasks
-  Finish whole group read aloud and usage discussion
- Look through Wright's Storytelling activities in pairs. Jigsaw and share the activities of most interest. 

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Assignments
- Look through the storytelling activity sites listed above and comment on this post about two or three that seem useful and how you might apply it in a real teaching situation.
- Bring a storybook to read for solo video practice next week.
- Continue contributing books that you really like to our Class Resources Google.  

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Midterm Preview

Part#1 - Create a plan for an amazing storybook lesson using specific book.  Try an activity you've never done before.

Part#2 - Watch your storytelling video and provide some feedback to yourself.  Be nice!