Learning Through Social Storytelling Tools

Editor's Notes

1. Storytelling is a means for sharing and interpreting experiences. Stories are universal in that they can bridge cultural, linguistic, and age-related divides. Storytelling can be adaptive for all ages, leaving out the notion of age segregation.[7] Storytelling can be used as a method to teach ethics, values, and cultural norms and differences.[8] Learning is most effective when it takes place in social environments that provide authentic social cues about how knowledge is to be applied.[9] Stories function as a tool to pass on knowledge in a social context. Human knowledge is based on stories and the human brain consists of cognitive machinery necessary to understand, remember, and tell stories.[10] Humans are storytelling organisms that both individually and socially, lead storied lives.[11] Stories mirror human thought as humans think in narrative structures and most often remember facts in story form. Facts can be understood as smaller versions of a larger story, thus storytelling can supplement analytical thinking. Because storytelling requires auditory and visual senses from listeners, one can learn to organize their mental representation of a story, recognize structure of language, and express his or her thoughts.[12]
2. Storytelling is a means for sharing and interpreting experiences. Stories are universal in that they can bridge cultural, linguistic, and age-related divides. Storytelling can be adaptive for all ages, leaving out the notion of age segregation.[7] Storytelling can be used as a method to teach ethics, values, and cultural norms and differences.[8] Learning is most effective when it takes place in social environments that provide authentic social cues about how knowledge is to be applied.[9] Stories function as a tool to pass on knowledge in a social context. Human knowledge is based on stories and the human brain consists of cognitive machinery necessary to understand, remember, and tell stories.[10] Humans are storytelling organisms that both individually and socially, lead storied lives.[11] Stories mirror human thought as humans think in narrative structures and most often remember facts in story form. Facts can be understood as smaller versions of a larger story, thus storytelling can supplement analytical thinking. Because storytelling requires auditory and visual senses from listeners, one can learn to organize their mental representation of a story, recognize structure of language, and express his or her thoughts.[12]
3. Can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning that engages the teacher and the students.
4. Make sure that the entertainment aspect does not supersede the educational aspect.
5. Point of View – What is the main point of the story and what is the perspective of the author? A Dramatic Question – A key question that keeps the viewers attention and will be answered by the end of the story Emotional Content – Serious issues that come alive in a personal and powerful way and connects the story to the audience The Gift of Your Voice – A way to personalize the story to help the audience understand the context The Power of the Soundtrack – Music or other sounds that support and embellish the storyline Economy – Using just enough content to tell the story without overloading the viewer Pacing – The rhythm of the story and how slowly or quickly it progresses
6. Use tools that you are comfortable with or platforms your students are using