Posted by angel on 14 May, 2012
“Storytelling is a hot topic in the presentation world,” says Bruce Gabrielle a PowerPoint trainer and author. He discusses storytelling on the Microsoft website and explains why you might want to use basic storytelling techniques when you deliver your PowerPoint presentation in a corporate setting.
If storytelling is so important to the corporate world, why do we relegate it only to the world of children? We need to be using it more in the work place. Gabrielle tells the story…
In a faraway land, a boy went to learn at the feet of a wise man day after day. The wise man always instructed the boy through stories. One day, the boy asked “Master, why do you always teach through stories? Would it not be faster to teach me directly?” To this, the wise man answered “Please bring me some tea.” The boy rose and prepared a cup of tea in a white china cup. The wise man took the cup from the boy and sipped it, then asked “Why did you bring me a cup when I only asked for the tea?”
A story is like a cup; it’s the brain’s natural container for holding knowledge.
Posted by angel on 7 May, 2012
Recently, I happened to be seated with a middle aged woman and an elderly man at an Entrepreneur’s Networking gathering. I struck up a conversation with them asking if they were regulars at the gathering and what kept them coming. I found out that the woman managed her father’s business. They liked going there to listen to the inspiring talks and to see if there might be any projects and potential money-making business they could invest in.
She gave me the typical confused look when I told her that my business is helping people tell their stories. How on earth does anyone make a living on storytelling is still a wonder to me. Stories are “impractical”and “luxury” items — they don’t put food on the table. I am still chasing my impractical dream of connecting people together through stories. My social enterprise hasn’t bore dividends for me yet!
I told her a few stories of changes I saw take place in the lives of the participants and the effect it had on their loved ones and those around them. Her father quietly listened. I began asking him a few questions and the old man began to talk.
Not long later, his daughter said, “I didn’t know that about you.”
The old man replied, “There are many things you do not know about me.”
I had jump-started a conversation between father and daughter. Getting people to talk and listen to each other is something I seem to do naturally. This love for connecting people spills over into the workshops that I run. I suppose that is what got me hooked.
When I was writing ”How the Moken Sea Gypsies got their Book,” the biography of Anthropologist Daw Say Bay, I also drew her out. I helped her remember her more than 30-year journey living among the Moken Sea Gypsies. She cried reading her own story. She had never in all those years reflected or took stock on the amazing journey of her life.
Storytelling is NOT a luxury item. How empty our lives would be without stories. Our histories are already written for us to remember (or forget). The future, yet to be written, is ours to shape. We are the stories we tell ourselves.
Posted by angel on 3 May, 2012
Interview by Angeline Koh
Our team went for the workshop to assess how Digital Storytelling could be used in the classroom. Somewhere along the way, however, the project turned from an official project to one that had personal vested interest because we were assigned to create personal stories. This made the project meaningful. There was a lot of enthusiasm. I was surprised to see my team completing their projects ahead of time.
I was also surprised at how they had opened their lives to one another during Story Circle. I’ve worked with my team for some time but this workshop helped me get to know my staff better, especially the quieter ones. It’s great for team building.
Although I have a very full schedule, I deliberately signed myself up because I wanted to assess if teachers could manage DS in the classroom. I consider myself a digital immigrant while many of the younger curriculum developers under me are what I consider digital natives. I was able to do my story. And if I can do it, anyone can.
Post workshop (four months later), on creating her second digital story on her own…
The video turned out better than I initially expected. The mic was not ideal but good enough to get the project going. We screened it on big screen at a local cinema when we took our team to a movie to celebrate teachers’ day. So, imagine the impact! Well, my director loved it and my staff too.
It was fun – I did it in 2 days!!
Posted by angel on 29 April, 2012
Here’s a question submitted by Associate Professor Lisa Kastello, University of Indianapolis
Q: As a teacher, how can I use digital storytelling (DS) to promote understanding and appreciation of multiple cultures among my students in the classroom?
A: Lisa, thank you for your question. DS is a great way to build bridges. Participants get to have their voices heard – even the shy ones. And they learn to listen to each other. For now, I’m not touching on the technical aspects of creating the digital story but how to get the storytelling part going. Here’s one idea…
Introduction
Like traditional storytelling, digital storytelling is all about stories – people, places, and events in our life that have meaning for us. DS is the telling of stories using multi-media tools. In my class, I usually have participants tell PERSONAL stories. Personal stories always help build bridges if facilitators know how to make the Story Circle time safe and conducive for storytelling.
For a start, I suggest your students create a story around “Show and Tell”. Have them bring a personal cultural item — it could be a photo, something they pull out from the wallets, a pendant, a musical instrument unique to their culture…
The STORY has to told in the “I” voice. (Not a journalist’s detached report or documentary.) It should be authentic. Meaning the storyteller needs to not just tell about the item or event or place but keep answering the question, “What does it mean to me?” This helps give insight to storyteller’s world.
Activities
- Watch a digital story or two. Interact.
- Ten-minute writing exercise.
- Have the student talk / listen to each other during “Story Circle”
- Create a digital story based on the story they shared (it should be no longer than 2-3 minutes)
- Celebrate at “Showcase” as they watch the videos that they create
Part A -
Here are two digital stories from our collection. You may have other stories that might your students might better relate to. Once Upon a Time and Ang Pao.
Get a discussion going with the class – the objective is to teach them about storytelling and to give them an idea of the kind of story they need to produce for the class. Young people tend to be adventurous in the digital aspects but we need to help them appreciate STORY.
- What is the story about?
- What do they learn about the storyteller and his culture?
- What do they like about it?
- Where is the storyteller in the story?
Part B – Ten-minute writing exercise. I trust the discussion triggers their excitement to tell their own story. You could give them a 3 x 5 card. They just need to scribble about 5-10 lines.
- Show and Tell around what they brought with them.
- What does this mean to me?
Part C – Story Circle
There’s a lot to Story Circle which warrens several articles. In brief, Story Circle is a time to tell and to listen. Each storyteller is given 5 minutes (you decide how much time). The idea is for the listeners to give support to the storytellers and to become mirrors to help the storyteller bring clarity to his/her story. Use the time to affirm, to bounce off thoughts, to ask questions. No putting each other down, no teasing… it should be a positive time. Maybe the students can come up with their own 2-3 ground rules.
Have storytellers read their drafts (you’ll be amazed what they can produce in 10 minutes). If it’s a big class, get them to into smaller groups (8-10 is a good size).
Part D – Refine their scripts (about 150-200 words, one page double spaced typing = about 2 minutes). With the feedback they receive, the can proceed to create their videos (Two minutes is good. No more than 3 minutes.)
Part E – Showcase and celebrate. You can make this a real celebration by creating a little event around this.
Lisa, do let me know how this goes. I’d love to interact further on this. Thanks again for helping me get started again on writing. I’ve been putting this off for too long.
Posted by aurelia on 5 April, 2012
“Our little blank slate taught us something – some lessons on fun, simple pleasures and taking life less seriously. So maybe the lessons were for us to learn. After all, if we are happy, filled with joy, then creativity, power, intelligence, compassion, success will naturally follow.” – Arlene Wu, managing director of Five Elements Consulting, said in her digital story Legacy
“You’ve always wanted to ‘say’ something special to the most important people in your life? Learn to produce your own digital clip using a notebook, photos, and your voice. With Mother’s Day around the corner, seize the opportunity to express your gratitude and love.” Rachel Chan features Digital Storytelling Asia in a three-page article at NTUC’s magazine Next (April 2012).
Sign up for Digitally Yours…A Video Tribute for Mother – DSA’s digital storytelling workshop, 21 April 2012, 1:30-5:30 pm. For more info, please email info@digitalstorytellingasia.com.
