Stories for Good: Storytelling Strategies for Deep Learning and Community Engagement for All Learners

In this workshop, we'll explore powerful storytelling strategies rooted in neuroscience that boost student engagement and deep learning across all grade levels and subjects. You'll learn how to leverage the transformative impact of stories to connect with diverse learners, build community, and empower students as changemakers.

We'll start by examining the stories we bring as educators, then dive into practical techniques for incorporating storytelling into your practice – from service learning initiatives to global citizenship projects. You'll leave with ready-to-use tools for harnessing the magic of stories to amplify your students' humanity and highlight essential skills like listening and questioning.

Whether you're new to storytelling or looking to refresh your approach, this interactive workshop will equip you with strategies to make your lessons more impactful and inspire students to write the next chapter of their learning journeys.

Note: A laptop is required for these sessions.

CONNECT & ENGAGE

The Power of Storytelling for Learning:
In this first part of the workshop, we'll explore the "big stories" we find ourselves in and how these stories shape our experiences as educators, learners, and engaged humans living on planet Earth. Then we'll examine the neuroscience behind how stories impact memory, engagement, and knowledge retention, and how storytelling strategies can be applied across disciplines to impact student learning and understanding of self, others, and communities.

LEARN

Storytelling for Service Learning & Global Citizenship:
In this part, we'll investigate the role of stories in building community connections and understanding diverse perspectives. We'll look at some case studies of service learning/global citizenship projects that leverage storytelling, and we'll ideate ways to design storytelling-infused community engagement experiences.

REFLECT & APPLY

Core Skills: Listening & Questioning:
In the third part of the workshop, we'll focus on the importance of deep listening and insightful questioning in storytelling and in building human connections and meaningful relationships. We'll engage in practical exercises to develop these core competencies and learn strategies we can use immediately with students across all grade levels.

Sharing stories can impact our social and emotional well-being in positive ways; as we reflect in Part 3 of the workshop, we'll also consolidate our understanding of the intersectionality between storytelling and supporting all learners in being seen, heard, and valued.

OUTCOMES

Participants will...

• explore numerous storytelling strategies for everyday teaching and learning as well as assessment;
• learn about how neuroscience supports the inclusion of storytelling strategies across all ages and academic disciplines;
• experience a deep listening protocol and consider how to embed deep listening into a number of service learning/community engagement experiences;
• explore digital storytelling as a vehicle for deep engagement, learning, and advocacy (action);
• consider how storytelling can impact school culture as well as individual and collective understandings of self, others, and communities;
• enjoy the beauty and magic of stories.