Well, we had a wonderful season telling this winter and early spring. I have told stories to about 7,000 children 1st thru 6. Five radio programs over KPFT and KLRU. Now I will be telling daily at the Houston Livestock Show and Radio. It is amazing, when you begin maturing into your seventies, folks ask for more and more. What a thrill!.........oel castner
Delighted to be a member of such an important group of tellers. I've told and helped teachers/students to tell for over 30 years. And I'm still learning. My focus is especially on Asia and Asian tales; I've been lucky to work with tellers, teachers, and students across Asia. Now I'm eager to learn from all of you.
The 2008 Arne Nixon Student Storytelling Festival in Lemoore, CA had a whole theme on geography. That meant the youth told stories from around the world and the afternoon workshops for Fresno State graduate students from the Education Department learned how to meet curriculum standards using geography and storytelling.
Maybe this will help get my geography series in the schools where it needs to be. Teacher's guide will be completed when the series is completed. I may be able to do individual teacher's guides for the series but at this point, I just am concentrating on getting the series written first. Thanks for inviting me - E :)
Hi Youth Tellers and Educators,
I am so glad to see everyone's comments below. I've been calling some of our members and am delighted to learn how much each member is doing and has done in storytelling with youth.
Some have asked what I do. I am an organic storyteller (tm). No, that is NOT orgasmic! I use a technique noted in ethnography from Western Africa in which the teller allows or invites students or adult listeners to enter into the story at various points. Then the teller uses these pictures of the mind's eye within the story and then returns to the original plot. So the divergence is within the story's structure and actually much like the way stories migrate from town to town and country to country. More on this later. (Actually, I'm writing a book on it!)
Gail N. Herman
I have had five year olds held for an hour listening to Homer - storytelling is our first and most effective communication. Storytelling in the classroom is an organic exchange of information. Bravo Y.E.S.A... tell the tale you heard told.
Sagol'i Storytelling Friends!
I'm thrilled to be part of your very worthwhile group AND effort!
I'm learning so much from all of you!
Keep up the great work!
Peace~
Debra
Great work! You are to be commended for reaching new generatations with story....it is so important for people to have exposure to this art form as a literacy tool and for healthy social and human development. Children are often the most nature storytellers - if they are given permission to use their wonderful imaginations! I often worked with young children from homes where they never spoke, let alone told a story! To see them begin to express themselves was like the emerging butterfly breaking free!
Through the art of Storytelling/Historical Interpretation, the purpose is to educate, challenge, inform and inspire. I believe strongly that helping students to look at history with a different set of lenses, to see the invisible people along with the familiar individuals can enrich and increase their depth of knowledge.
Hi All,
I appreciate all you do on YES. I've watched you grow and, in some ways, I've had the priviledge to help to support this SIG. The rewards for your contributions may not be evident right now. But, just wait...it will come in waves as new storytellers take the stage (or front porch or classroom.)
As a way of intro...I have my bachelors in education and taught for 11 years in the elementary schools. During that time (1981, to be exact) I became struck by the bolt of storytelling. I also worked with youth in my next job as storyteller at the Edwardsville Library for 17 years. Then, in 2002, I retired to become a full-time "on-the road" teller. But, my roots in education were never far from the tree.
There are over 50 pages of Teacher-Teller pages on my website. I offer teachers and students workshops in the art of storytelling. Through the help and encouragement of others I have developed many study guides to go with popular stories for all to use as their own. Each year, during the St. Louis Storytelling Festival I organize the youth storytelling concert. This year we had 14 tellers. On Tuesday afternoons during the school year I work with a group of inner city kids to tell stories.
I also have some new, innovative work that I am developing with a fellow storyteller, Phyllis Hostmeyer. We are finding ways to use the stratagies of QAR (question answer relationships) with regards to storytelling. Hopefully I will write more when we finish our work. Currently we told to 55 classrooms and will present a workshop for teachers on our methods.
Thanks for inviting me to join. I'm still getting used to this site and didn't persue it....so thanks for the nudge. I'm at home with my YES buddies! Marilyn
Thanks for the invitation to join you. I'm a school teacher and also have worked with the KY Youth Storytelling Showcases. I'm looking foward to learning from all of you.
Hello yes! I am happy to count you as a friend in this online community. School is like my second home. I use storytelling mainly as a teaching tool for Social Studies but have been teaching more storytelling skills and coaching student tellers more this year than ever before. Let me know how I can further your cause. Looking forward to meeting lots of you at the National Conference in Gatlinburg.
Y.E.S. is doing an exciting pre-conference & youth storytelling concert on Wed. right before the NSN conference. Lots of folks here on Professional Storyteller are presenting: Marni Gillard is our Keynoter & workshop presenters are Chloe Clunis, Susan Danoff; Michael McCarty; plus Jane Stenson. To see why we're all excited go to http://www.storynet.org/Events/Conference/2008/preconf/yes.php
Hope to see a lot of you there!
I have been interested in encouraging kids in speaking and telling for many years. I KNOW that oral communication is a vital key to understanding for people of any age. However, if we do not encourage young people to talk and tell, they will lose comprehension. Public speaking and storytelling are different and neither will occur without some adult encouragment and teaching and mentoring. That is our legacy and should be our responsibility.
In this day of electronic communication, this skill and mentoring is even more critical! As long as young people (and adults) rely on e-mails and text messaging using pideon English, we allow them to learn non standard English. Believe me, no where is this more evident than in the written compositions that I grade!
Spoken English is the first step in learning to read, critical thinking and learning to write coherently. It cannot and will no be learned unless we encourage kids to communicate orally. Tjhat process takes time and we have to stop what we are doing to listen, but the end result is worth the investment.
What a great opportunity for storytellers to guide children in learning English, learning culture and learning social skills! And kids have fun while doing so!
I have taught over 800 classes, 11,000 students and coached over 500 young people in competition in speaking, debate, interpretation, theater and finally storytelling. Nothing is so joyful than watching a young person "find her/his voice"!
I may be retiring from college teaching but I doubt that I will ever retire from expecting people to tell me a story. I will never tire from listening to a story that explains, teaches, and clarifies the world around me.
I would encourage others to find your place and listen to kids tell...you might just learn something in the process. Yes, I am and have been a YES! member.
I am currious. I have a son who tells stories, but I have no idea if he is qualified for the childrens storytelling olympics. Where do I find out the info, so I can help him get ready and try out?
The YES! Board and Membership were anxious to take the next step to have a larger Internet presence. Already we have had a boost in awareness and in ideas.
There are many on this site who are "all about" what you're about, so this should be a "match made in Heaven," so to speak, for both/all.
Delighted to have you officially as part of the family - your passion and focus are shared w/ many of us, and the "connection" is strengthened every single time one gets to share w/ our children.
Thanks for all you do, and may your impact continue to grow ~
Professional Storyteller
Share a Story - Change the World
Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance's Comments
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What grade(s) do you focus on?
I am so glad to see everyone's comments below. I've been calling some of our members and am delighted to learn how much each member is doing and has done in storytelling with youth.
Some have asked what I do. I am an organic storyteller (tm). No, that is NOT orgasmic! I use a technique noted in ethnography from Western Africa in which the teller allows or invites students or adult listeners to enter into the story at various points. Then the teller uses these pictures of the mind's eye within the story and then returns to the original plot. So the divergence is within the story's structure and actually much like the way stories migrate from town to town and country to country. More on this later. (Actually, I'm writing a book on it!)
Gail N. Herman
I'm thrilled to be part of your very worthwhile group AND effort!
I'm learning so much from all of you!
Keep up the great work!
Peace~
Debra
I appreciate all you do on YES. I've watched you grow and, in some ways, I've had the priviledge to help to support this SIG. The rewards for your contributions may not be evident right now. But, just wait...it will come in waves as new storytellers take the stage (or front porch or classroom.)
As a way of intro...I have my bachelors in education and taught for 11 years in the elementary schools. During that time (1981, to be exact) I became struck by the bolt of storytelling. I also worked with youth in my next job as storyteller at the Edwardsville Library for 17 years. Then, in 2002, I retired to become a full-time "on-the road" teller. But, my roots in education were never far from the tree.
There are over 50 pages of Teacher-Teller pages on my website. I offer teachers and students workshops in the art of storytelling. Through the help and encouragement of others I have developed many study guides to go with popular stories for all to use as their own. Each year, during the St. Louis Storytelling Festival I organize the youth storytelling concert. This year we had 14 tellers. On Tuesday afternoons during the school year I work with a group of inner city kids to tell stories.
I also have some new, innovative work that I am developing with a fellow storyteller, Phyllis Hostmeyer. We are finding ways to use the stratagies of QAR (question answer relationships) with regards to storytelling. Hopefully I will write more when we finish our work. Currently we told to 55 classrooms and will present a workshop for teachers on our methods.
Thanks for inviting me to join. I'm still getting used to this site and didn't persue it....so thanks for the nudge. I'm at home with my YES buddies! Marilyn
Hope to see a lot of you there!
In this day of electronic communication, this skill and mentoring is even more critical! As long as young people (and adults) rely on e-mails and text messaging using pideon English, we allow them to learn non standard English. Believe me, no where is this more evident than in the written compositions that I grade!
Spoken English is the first step in learning to read, critical thinking and learning to write coherently. It cannot and will no be learned unless we encourage kids to communicate orally. Tjhat process takes time and we have to stop what we are doing to listen, but the end result is worth the investment.
What a great opportunity for storytellers to guide children in learning English, learning culture and learning social skills! And kids have fun while doing so!
I have taught over 800 classes, 11,000 students and coached over 500 young people in competition in speaking, debate, interpretation, theater and finally storytelling. Nothing is so joyful than watching a young person "find her/his voice"!
I may be retiring from college teaching but I doubt that I will ever retire from expecting people to tell me a story. I will never tire from listening to a story that explains, teaches, and clarifies the world around me.
I would encourage others to find your place and listen to kids tell...you might just learn something in the process. Yes, I am and have been a YES! member.
Thank you for asking.
The YES! Board and Membership were anxious to take the next step to have a larger Internet presence. Already we have had a boost in awareness and in ideas.
There are many on this site who are "all about" what you're about, so this should be a "match made in Heaven," so to speak, for both/all.
Delighted to have you officially as part of the family - your passion and focus are shared w/ many of us, and the "connection" is strengthened every single time one gets to share w/ our children.
Thanks for all you do, and may your impact continue to grow ~
Again, my warm greetings and Welcome!
Sincerely,
Tom Taylor - Deep in the Heart of Texas
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