What would storytelling look like? How would you teach that?
Recently discussed this topic after listening to a fellow go on and on about his experiences with inflatable boats: Good stories should have a point. How you teach storytelling, in fact how you teach anything, is an art. Curriculum - what to teach is important - but what we learn is not necessarily on the curriculum. Of course, teaching storytelling is also teaching public speaking. Improv classes have a game called 1-2-3-4. I have found it to be an excellent way of learning the basics of storytelling. (but not necessarily what goes into making a point.)
While I completely agree, I think this is too vague to be useful as a teaching method. Don't bore the listener, while an integral rule of effective story telling, isn't a launch pad from a creative stand point. What do you mean when you say good stories should have a point? But that game is a great exercise, I remember doing similar things in middle school and being completely hooked on those improvisation classes. I think it teaches a student to strive within a bounded environment.Good stories should have a point.
The link to that game is very cool, I'll bring it up to my public speaking class that does things like that for fun. Do you simply mean a conclusion to the story like achieving the goal or resolving the conflict (i.e. the "punch line"), or that particular message or "moral of the story" should be conveyed? If the latter, I'm curious to see if there are indeed "good" stories that don't have a message or moral, and what that would look like.Good stories should have a point
mknod's answer come close to what I mean: Is there an answer to the question 'Why am I telling this story' or is my name Mr. Can't-Stop-Talking? So I asked my date why was he going on and on about his experiences with inflatable boats? He said, "We are sitting here looking out on the water and I am talking about the things I see and what they remind me of." That's not a point. The point could be, I want to impress you, I want to get close to you. The point could be, Never buy an inflatable boat. The point could be, The store that kept replacing or refunding my stupid useless boats is a good place -- but it wasn't. Ultimately the point was this: The glue that is used in the seams cannot handle the heat - but I had to impose the point on the story because he was going round and round. My take-home message is this: . . . Thank you for listening. Are there any questions. (My favourite) Let me end with a story: . . . Thank you. Let me suggest to thenewgreen who raised this topic: If we could teach the fundamentals of storytelling in schools (beginning, middle, end), a reason, a goal (to connect, to teach, to solve problems, to share experiences and feelings), other things - job interviews, socializing, shyness, relationships, relating, and so on would be easier. I might have some ideas on how as well.Do you simply mean a conclusion to the story like achieving the goal or resolving the conflict
A conclusion is very helpful! Good speakers will let the audience know when they end:
Pardon my delay, I just emerged from a week-long evaluation of who I am as a person, offered to me as a percentage of who I'm expected to be. Ok I feel better now. Anyway this is awesome info, and I will certainly start trying to apply it. That story ending is always neat and I've noticed it very commonly in college commencement speeches, some TEDTalks too. I used to be very strong in regards to public speaking, interviews, and communicating with adults especially. It did me wonders in applying for schools and programs as I was always able to impress the interviewer, and I've been student body president in a school of 1,000 for three years running (speeches are the greatest exposure candidates here have for votes). I'm losing that now though, because of a million issues I have yet to sort out for myself and I guess a bit of fear I simply never allowed before. Thanks for these tips again though, maybe I'm in for a comeback.
1. I'm on a retreat to get away from expectations - but I have a sense that they follow me 2. This sounds like math - maybe mknod can give us the ratio. 3. This sounds like a formula for happiness: if who I am is 100% of who I'm expected to be, then I'm a robot (well-programmed). If who I am is 0% of what I'm expected to be then I'm a hermit. What's the right balance? -- just waking up, let's ask hubski later. Edit : While I took your comment metaphorically, I'm aware that you are talking about the marking process that teachers threaten students with.I just emerged from a week-long evaluation of who I am as a person, offered to me as a percentage of who I'm expected to be.
This sentence made me shiver -- which is unusual in this climate. I want everyone to read that sentence so maybe I'll use it in a separate post. Reactions:
This was the hardest thing for the kids to understand in my experience, at least at the 1st/2nd/3rd grade level where I was, the hardest thing was just "Why am I telling this story? What information can I convey?" I am going to show the 1-2-3-4 thing to my wife lil very cool.Good stories should have a point.
In my elementary school years we did have a storytelling curriculum. Towards the end of each school year all of the students would write and illustrate their own story for "Young Authors Day." Then, on Young Authors Day we had some activities having to do with storytelling and what we had come up with. We also had children's authors come to the school. The one that I remember most clearly was Bernard Waber author of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. I never particularly enjoyed what I came up with, but it was a good experience. And now I've just found out that Bernard Waber passed away last year.