A. Museum and Historic Educators
B. Storytelling Workshops and Courses for School Educators
C. Training for Religious Educators
STORYTELLING IN THE CLASSROOM
Storytelling is a child’s gateway to possibilities. When listening to and participating in a tale, either ancient or contemporary, a child envisions him/ herself as the hero of that conjured world. Without visual images to influence their expectations, they conceive of themselves, small or large, white or black, abled or disabled as the hero/heroine that outwits the giant or wins the day through truth and a pure heart. They also use that often rusty tool called imagination to create their own particular version of the world that you are painting in the broad stroke of the teller. Due to this deep investment, storytelling links the head, the heart, and the imagination, making it the perfect tool for teaching. In this class, you will learn not only how to bring life to the written page and explore your own strengths as a teller, but give thought and practice to utilizing story in furthering cognitive, curricular, and social objectives.
3-4 Days
GETTING THE STORY OFF THE PAGE
Have you ever been moved by a story in print and retold it exactly as it was written, only to have it fall flat? For generations stories were passed on orally. The invention of the printing press required that those stories be translated into the written word. The nuance and subtlety of a live communication was translated into print. In order to help that story become three dimensional once again, you must blow the life back into it. This workshop will offer a model and practice at performing that very act.
2-3 hours
HISTORY STORIES-BRINGING THE PAST ALIVE
History books tell us the ‘who’ ‘what’ ‘where’ and ‘when’ of an event. They often venture a political, economic, social, or philosophical answer to the question ‘why.’ What they almost never include are the details that makes a piece of history into a story. That is the human ‘why’ and the idiosyncratic human details that elevate an anecdote from a text into a story that touches the heart. In this workshop you will learn how to take historic episodes and make them into vital stories.
2 - 3 hours
BRINGING THE CURRICULUM ALIVE
Because a story enters the head via the heart and imagination, students are able to take in facts and concepts that otherwise might of alluded them. During this workshop you will learn how to turn curriculum material into tales. Bring specific materials including the exact facts that you are required to teach and emerge with a story that will resonate in student’s imaginations as they learn and retain facts
3-4 hours
PLAYING TO THE HEART: Stories that Address the Emotional and
Social Needs of Your Students
Directly addressed, behavioral issues often only compound themselves. When a story, that reflects these issues is told, children have the opportunity to identify with both the issues and solutions that the story offers. This workshop will guide you in creating original stories for your students that deal with and help model behaviors around their social and emotional issues.
3 hours
IMPROVISING TALES
Let’s Party! This is an interactive workshop during which participants stretch their imaginations and play. Your sense of the possible will grow as your inhibitions diminish, and you will emerge with wonderful techniques to reinforce observational, auditory, and cooperative skills. Many of these exercises can also feed into creative writing projects.
2 hours
Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary Schaumburg, Ill
The Smithsonian Institution Washington DC
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts
National Association of Interpreters Keynote and Workshop Leader at Annual Conference
Tilden Nature Area Berkeley, CA
Peabody Essex Museum Salem, MA
Ontario Parks Peterborough, Ontario Canada
South African National Gallery, Cape Town SA
Fuller Craft Museum Braintree, MA
Griffen Photography Museum Winchester, MA
The Springfield Armory Springfield MA
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Great Falls, MO
Glacier National Park Montana
Worcester Historical Museum Worcester, MA
Yosemite National Park Mariposa, CA