Week 11
There are some things to learning that a teacher can really impliment in the classroom and I have learned this week through the artcles that there is a lot of value in life experiences and stories. It has been said, "A picture can say a thousand words..." and I would like to add, "...stories can say a thousand words and paint a picture in a learner's mind..." Sure that may have not been the best addition to that common phrase but I truly think that stories are what people connect through. There are many types of teachers the lecturer, the crazy dynamic, the serious tester, and the storyteller. I would definitely put myself in the classification with the story teller. I have learned that all my fin life stories, if told at the right time and emphasizing the right message are wonderful teaching tools. I think that in order to do as Schank mentions and make sure that the stories are invigorating and what the students desire to hear you must know what the students are like and what is going on in their life and the catch 22 to that is that through hearing their stories and sharing yours is when you learn those things.
A teacher could easily go through the curriculum for the school year and think about stories and experiences in their life that somewhat tie into the material they are teaching. I have a story about rock climbing and my friend grabbing what he thought was a stable rock but was actually broken away because it had cracked through the winter. That story, for example, is an example of tying life experiences into the material...and it helps to have danger or grossness somewhere in the story too.
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Submitted by Angela Smith on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 10:04pm
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Any opinions expressed here, except as specifically noted, are those of the individual authors or commenters and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, or Utah State University.
Story telling
Your rock story is a good example of why the students need to know and should want to know what you are teaching. Relevance matters so much. I think if a teacher can change it up and take different teaching approaches to their subject, it helps foster a student's interest so much more. We all would grow tired of even the best teaching method if it's the same all of the time.
Stories
I think we can all relate to having a good story teller. Even if the story is somewhat boring and mundane if told at the right time and emphasizing the right point as you say, it can captivate and communicate to all kinds of audiences. Students can also connect with the teacher and build a better student teacher relationship. The one draw back is when you have the teacher that gets too distracted with the stories. I had a teacher that when we didn't want to work we would just ask questions about... anything really and he would go off on a wild tangent for 20 minutes on almost nothing. The crazy thing is- I still remember some of those stories. I remember him telling us how cheese is bad with bacteria and how you don't get a cold by being cold. You are more likely to get a cold by sticking your finger up your nose and breaking the protective membrane... ha ha ha! I guess that probes the theory works.
Comment to Case-Based Learning
I loved your addition of painting a picture in your head. I think that is what every teacher is striving for- to get into the head of each and every student. We want the information we share to stick and have meaning that will transfer through their life. I agree that real stories that have application "give life" to a lesson. Good teachers are good storytellers and I think good storytelling is an art form that takes a lifetime to perfect.