Story telling -Pilot Schools Conference 12.10.18- Jess Notes
Prior to attending the workshop I put together a storyboard for the Junior Syndicate. I collated peoples work and put it all together to be taken along for the display.
On Friday the 12th of October, in the school holidays, the 5 pilot schools for storytelling got together at St Marks School for a Storytelling conference. Liz Swanson, the director of Storytelling School’s NZ arranged the day after having worked with our school, and the other schools, for coming up two years.
The day started by welcoming the “storytelling guru”, Dr Chris Smith- Director and UK Founder of Storytelling School, with a powhri prior to getting all together for an introduction of the day before splitting up for two conferences.
Developed out of a wish to look for a whole school approach years ago. Learning to tell stories here and there and using the methods when they wanted to and the children weren’t using the method the whole time.
So developed this model. The whole school method.
Story curriculum for the school. It’s how they do it in England. Some children by in and student led so they can choose the stories.
When the kids start to lead the model as they have done it so long.
**Adapt the stories to suit the needs of the children in your class. E.g if boy heavy class adapt the story to hook them in and meet their interests. Don’t just do the original story. Change it.
The Cs- enable up to adapt, adjust and be useful. Adapt to change. Model of education.
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
Critical thinking
Introduce-Get started for a story. May discuss mythology (or whatever is appropriate), play music of whatever else you want to do to get ready for a story.
Hear- can get childcare involved, e.g. tricky names. Now can you say that. Voices for characters, actions. Ask the children a theory on the story straight away. E.g was he cheating? Turn the to person next to you. Vote.
Skills to get us involved- movement, gesture, expression, facials, voice- pitch, characters and body types, narrator has their place you go back to and is quite still, choose a characteristic of the characters and make them obvious with how they hold their body, humour, engagement, adapt to the audience, asked them to repeat names and echo, know the story very well which means can play with it. Fluid movements- it takes time but not retelling word for word. Fluently speaking is another level of elliquance. Strong sense of mood in the story ( thinking of boxing out further down) narrator thinking what it would be like. Lots of Detail which gives seeds of other things to write about e.g. journey through the Himalayas so can look in depth into this and the animals there etc. if they notice it the children will be able to see it, understand it and replicate it.
Map- very quick. Less than a couple of minutes if doing your own. If getting the kids involved asking them what’s happening next. No more than 10 min on mapping. If over an hour that’s an art lesson so do it as an art lesson. They’re learning signs that trigger the memory.
In early years it may be in circle boxes which they are inclined to copy. Simple symbols to copy. Purposeful mark making.
Step- quick actions around in a circle or how you want to do it. Can come back to stepping and do it later and play with it. Can sing the steps, the kids get silly but lots of fun after it’s been modelled. Can do it sitting. Get the children to copy the actions sitting. Can do it in your seats. Do if t as a song and dance by adding music. Can do it sitting, in a group
, as a class, can take the movements and turn into a dance. Getting everyone to do the movements isn’t hard. E.g can do thriller by Michael Jackson by the character. Gets the kids moving and enjoying it. Kids will make their own moves. Shows you can try. Deepening can be used like that by adding music and doing the movements. If they like dance it might be how they Remember the story. Could be a rap if that’s what will be perceived as “Cool” by older kids and hooking in to what they like.
Speak-
Deepening- help the kids understand it. Link other curriculum areas. General stuff by playing round with the story and getting to know it well or focus deepening on a particular area. As the teacher you decide what you’re going going to teach.
Photo- E.g characters, or descriptions being really vivid. If focus is on characters- When planning deepening what kind of things do they need to know. The quality of the character and their thoughts and feeling. E.g if the character is cunning how will you write as though the character is cunning. Drama, waking and moving like him. Facials that he would have. Hot seating and pretending to be a character and getting the kids to ask questions. Scaffold questions to be relevant to the story. Put the character into situations e.g how would the character cope with going shopping etc. unpack the characteristics e.g what does cunning mean. Compare similar stories on the same character is he the same. Pictures, make poems, songs, dances of how they would move, make presentations as that character,the character is persuading something.
When planning deepening can focus on particular aspects.
Writing- planning your writing, section by section to learn how to structure their writing. The exemplars need to be shows so they can see features of what they’re focusing on. Demonstrating how to put writing together and then editing. Spag- spelling, punctuations, and grammar.
Boxing- mapped it already so can go with the sections and pictures etc. divide it up into sections. Can be done with words or symbols. What are we going to do as a writer in each section. Introduce mood, problem and why it’s important e.g is it about winning or love, the locations- vivid descriptions etc. this lays out the story so children know what they’re going to write. Just have to choose the focus.
With 5 year olds. 3 little pigs as example. Draw pictures for the mood and feeling. E.g impatient so draw a clock as he want to build the house fast and when dies it’s scary. Death- stories introduce death in a save way for kids.
Boxing for purpose-Using the qualities of great stories so kids can make sense of it.
Exemplar character, and description- give example for the children to read. Multi sensory and some vivid language- smilies, metaphors, etc
The do the next section of the story together as a shared writing. E.g can TPS, then Ask for 3 ideas and choose the best sentence. If two adults one can write the ideas then you can go over them and choose which one.
Workshop 1- Story Making- With Liz
Instead of the terminology innovate it’s now called recycle.
Story making- fluent fiction writers who can create something from their own imagination. That has all the elements and good structure, mood, purpose etc by themselves. A lot of this will happen from this teaching model. Not every new story you imagine won’t work so don’t worry if you don’t like it. It’s the start of the process, not all story’s work.
Adult experience of story making- starting with some music.just sit back, close your eyes and listen, be in a place, Forrest ocean etc.
write our own story in boxes…
Once boxed it. Then follow the storytelling sequence... map, step etc
Map out our stories. Talk the map. Explain and verbalise their stories. As they talk their map it will go into their memory.
The stepping. Actions only or step with actions and minimal verbalisation.
Deepening- what’s he like? Arrogant, competitive etc
“Phoning a friend”- on the phone to Mum or someone. Who asks questions to the character. In pairs call each other. Ask how they felt, what happened next etc.
Easier than hot seating. Doesn’t need modelling to the children the same.
Mood changes- mood map. Match your mood to each part of the story. Like the temperature going up and down In the story on a line. Happy at the top, sad at the bottom... feelings go up at down with the events of the story.
Makes you consider the moments in the story.
Boxing up for purpose- what the purpose in the paragraph. Use it early on so that from early on the children can use the feeling in how they tell the story.
Establish characters, problems, setting etc
Have to work out how to divide the story up. This is the paragraphs. Easiest way to get what you want to focus on is to go where on the mood map is this... you may only pick out certain bits they you write. May not write it all.
Workshop 2- storytelling structure
Boxing up is the core planning tool for all planning. Matrix on one side and the aim on the other.
“Good stories need” about the effect and the aspects of the stories you need.
Can decide which features you want to focus on and the effect you want to have on the reader. Can make it more complicated as the children get older and include more specifics.
Examples are what the children can look at. Easier to write it yourself than to try find on the internet. It’s from somewhere else not from the story.
Shared writing as a class as the story. To stop them from copying you just take it away. If they need some help give them some stems and sentences to get them started.
Independent writing may want to do it in sections, try to complete the stories.
With early years it won’t be huge paragraphs, maybe words of phrases. They can make their own maps etc when you start teaching them to write you can teach them to include some words and letters woven in. With a story you have context and it gives meaning for the children in a way they really like.
Another school suggestion- Have a rubric on the side for the children to mark off e.g I can make the reader feel scared. A picture next to it and an empty box for the children to write in.
Generate, reflect, select- speak out loud with examples, analyse a problem and choose from your example.s
Generate ideas from children, reflect on them and what you’re trying to achieve and then choose while thinking out loud in shared setting, to teach the children how to create their stories and go through the process independently. Gives a framework.
Editing- what do I need to add and removed etc go make a great story.
Recycling- e.g change up the place the story is set, change the point of view as a different character and how they would tell the story. What language would they use, what would they think. Recycle the words they have learnt then applying it to something else a little bit different. Then they will move on to fluency and using that language and ideas etc elsewhere.
If the child has an idea that doesn’t work or they are stuck you can take it to the group to finish. If your stuck... generate, reflect, select. Can take their ideas and get the child to select.
As a teacher you can choose topics/changes to recycle the story. Don’t need to use the whole plot matrix.
The child who’s bored has the choice to choose whatever it is in life that isn’t boring. They can choose, it’s the hook for that child that is passionate about something. E.g ponies, rugby, wresting...with most stories you can find a way to incorporate these ideas in. This is a chance to have ideas. This modelling gives them a chance to think of ideas.
Then you would map, step, speak, etc
One hour a day or not worth it. Over 5 weeks.
First week for the “tell” section of the matrix (hear, map, step, speak ), a week for the deepening, the two or three weeks to do two or three pieces of writing, the last week is creation. Try to finish one whole story a term. If you skip deepening you get stories that are all the same, you are more likely to get high quality stories if you do the deepening stage.
Plot matrix- planning before writing.
Six ways of communications- recount, procedure, persuasion, explanation, report, etc these all have different forms of language to be learnt. E.g explanation teaches the use of saying “because” and “therefore” etc
Nonfiction or explanation has the same teaching model. Different in the stepping is that your modelling the structure. Step forward for paragraph and across for idea.e.g advantage across 3 steps and an idea each. E.g explanation-Step forward, disadvantages, then across 3 steps for each idea, step forward from conclusion ... etc teacher doesn’t shared write this often as it is boring.
Can put in bubbles like a map- intro, positives, negatives, conclusion. Then box it up.
You can use the storytelling model for any of the six communications. Including fantasy. E.g pros and cons for having a pet dragon, pros and cons for being a wolf in little red riding hood. You give the structure then they give the content e.g you write about life in dragon land then kids go off and write about unicorn land.
Because is a great word... they did a study in a preschool when they always said because. e.g can you put you coat on a hook BECAUSE you will stand on it. It will give cause and effect. Never underestimate the power of it. It’s more powerful. Children no why.
Spontaneous Reenactment-
One person says the story and a person or two acts it out depending on what is needed. You can freeze the scene and ask the children how the character feels where they are.
Poetic form-deepening
See, hear, think, feel for each section of the story.
Use the words from the snippet of the poem. 3, 4, 3, 4 from see, hear, think, feel as each line... a snippet from each section.
Can group children to do each section. The pull together. Raise the quality of writing and language as only have so many words.
Gives context as the children no the story.
Then sing the song to “London’s burning” tune and do actions.
Use thriller song and do the actions. And turn it into. Dance. If you find the right music they will love it. An example of a sequence or deepening ideas that can be joined together and used that the children will enjoy.
How he taught- enthusiastic, directive, peer talking and group tasks, student led, busy with quick tasks, thinking aloud as demonstrating, visuals to reinforce, adapted to dif ppl, being flexible, accepting, having fun and inviting children to have fun, sense of humour... qualities of good teaching.
Food for thought- discussion in the workshop
Handwritten or technology? No preference to be hand written or on technology... The advantages of typing is that you can edit more easily. However schools in England are all hand written.
Some children’s writing is hindered by having to write their ideas, some are able to speak to record into a text and stories are well written and structured.
Story boards from schools
Books and props to enhance the stories.
Summary
Think and reflect on how you will adapt your own programmes. TPS. What will I do?
Do more deepening activities, drama etc to make the story fun for the kids to learn. Be more hands on.
Incorporate the model into some of the inquiry learning topic.
Try the plot matrix across reading and use more regularly.
Try new things.
My thoughts and reflections
I am struggling to come to terms with how to do story building with my class. I am lacking confidence with how it will work out. A suggestion was made to do this with our school holidays and what happened which I may give a go for the first week back at school. Practise is the only way I will get the hang of this. It will be good to see how the kids work with this.
The plot matrix can be used for reading stories as well as writing. The children would really become familiar with it. I need to try use this more often across stories I read the children. I think this would help the children when discussing the plot, problem, solution etc when discussing their own books which is what I am finding some children struggling with.
I would really like to do more deepening exercise with the class. I feel I did this more last year but due to the stories we have done I haven't done it so much this year. I enjoy art so this will be a main way I can do this. I will also have the children look into non-fiction texts that relate to the text. For example, this terms story is on a turtle so we can look up information on turtles, do turtle descriptions, make turtle shells, etc
