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Mary Ellen McGinnity's picture

  Everyone responds, in one

Submitted by Mary Ellen McGinnity on Fri, 08/03/2007 - 1:52am.
  Everyone responds, in one way or another, to a story; it makes a connection between us and impacts our relationship.  The storyteller enjoys revealing something to the listener(s); the listener(s), in turn, sees the storyteller through a different lens than before.  A single story sparks a chain reaction that results in a  conversation, a new mindset, a similar/opposite story, etc.  When a story is shared, you can feel a charge in the air because people usually seek ways (subtle or non-subtle) to connect with each other.  This is a powerful tool that can be utilized by teachers to create the kind of atmosphere in which bonds form between students/teachers and student/student.  That's exactly what happened today during Anne's session on poetry and storytelling.   I was inspired by the project of telling your personal story and then revising it to be in the form of a fairy tale.  Ideas began to swirl around in my head even as I was wondering why I hadn't thought of that particular angle before!  Her suggestion to have students write stories about science concepts/lessons is wonderful; I plan to use that idea as I try to help my students make sense of their place as we explore our campus.  Rather than just focusing on the "what" that is observed, I'll encourage them to elaborate on and/or imagine the "how" and "why."  Those additional stories will hopefully inspire them to be more observant, curious, and engaged in learning about and appreciating our environment.     

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