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?