In the quest to grab the attention of a digital generation and prepare them to be entrepreneurs and social activists we need a new set of tools. The stand and deliver, memorization, trivial pursuit, drill and kill, test driven, standards based approach to education will not lead to the creative generation that our future depends on. Time to think different, break the mold, think out of the box.

Planning

Ok, now we know it is powerful and that lots of different people are using it. What exactly is storytelling?

First we need to examine the definition and elements of a story, what is involved in telling one, and how this fits into education. I know you are probably thinking “where is the digital?” All in good time, first we need to learn what makes quality stories. Imagine if I gave you a bunch of woodworking tools and told you to build Rococo Furniture. You would probably want a picture and some plans, same with storytelling. If we just turn people loose with a microphone and a camera who knows what they will come back with, but it probably will not be a very good story.

Goals

  1. You will be able to provide a personal definition for a story and storytelling.
  2. You will have an understanding of the basic story structure.
  3. You will generate some ideas about the story you would like to tell.