October 5, 2021 · blog posts
Image from storydistrict.org You can find a list of podcasts and related resources with amazing classroom potential in this past post about remote learning options , but I mainly listen to podcasts for myself. They make cooking and housework more fun and are a great way to get through a road trip (if my baby allows us to listen to one, that is). There are so many podcasts related to education and teaching, but for the most part I like to listen to ones that are less classroom focused and more of a break. Here are some recommendations to help us get through another unprecedented and unpredictable year in the classroom. Educators Lead: Nina was interviewed and featured on here , it’s a great way to hear from other educators Teaching Hard History from Learning for Justice (previously Teaching Tolerance): this podcast goes through real events of American history, most of which I did not
podcastreadingstorytelling
December 15, 2018 · conferences
Late last month, I had the honor of participating on a panel presentation at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention. I was sharing details about our beloved storytelling unit on a panel about cultural relevancy, the arts, and student voice! I was lucky to be paired up with an excellent co-presenter (the panel ended up just being the two of us!) and loved sharing details about what still is one of my favorite units to teach. I was originally slated to be on a panel with four other people, but as it worked out, only two of us were able to present. We were both able to share more details about our work and had more time for questions (which is often my favorite part). Not surprisingly, the highlight of my presentation really was the video of a student performance from our Final Stage show where every single one of our students performed a true story about
storytellingNCTEconferencesprofessional developmentworkshop
July 28, 2017 · curriculum
Excerpt from a student's reflection about our storytelling unit. Storytelling is one of the best units I have ever taught. It seamlessly integrates our Reading and Writing instruction, encourages students to use their voices and consider other perspectives, develops communication, presentation, and persuasive skills, and both pushes and allows students to express themselves in a new way. One of the stories we have our students write and perform is inspired by Storycorps and based on an interview with someone close to them. The Storycorps inspired story is the 2nd writing project of our storytelling unit. Timing wise, it usually coincides with Grandparents and Special Friends Day (a tradition at our school), where grandparents/special friends come to school with students for a shortened schedule. We use the Homeroom time to watch Q & A , an animated Storycorps interview by a child named
storytellinginterviewliteracyfamily involvementpublic speaking
May 15, 2017 · curriculum
The amazing Anne Thomas talking to our students about storytelling! We were incredibly fortunate to have the one and only Anne Thomas come in and visit our classroom! Her visit is an annual tradition as part of the introduction to our storytelling unit and it is a day we look forward to all year. My co-teacher Gabby and I first saw Anne perform at a Story District show in DC, and were immediately impressed. Later that week, we emailed her, casually mentioned we were her biggest fans, and asked her to come visit our class. And so the tradition was born! Our storytelling unit is an integrated Reading and Writing unit that takes place every spring in our 5th grade class. Students read, write, listen to, and watch amazing stories. Before Anne’s visit, we had read some great stories with the kids (including Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, by Peter Brown ) and talked about what components are key to
storytellingguest speakerpublic speaking
November 22, 2016 · curriculum
We submitted a piece about our storytelling unit to Bright, Medium's platform for news about innovation in education and it was published today! Please read Telling Truth: Why we teach storytelling to fifth graders and let us know what you
storytelling
June 20, 2016 · Uncategorized
Introducing our storytelling end of year extravaganza: Final Stage! The year is wrapping up in 5th grade! Where has the time gone?! We love many things about the end of the school year, but our favorite is the culmination of our Storytelling Unit. We have a big Final Stage show in which every single one of our 26 students steps up onto the stage and tells a true story LIVE! There are so many reasons why we love teaching storytelling. It is rigorous, social justice oriented, colorful, and has the power to be incredibly personal and meaningful. We love how it opens up spaces for each student's voice, and we love how it allows space for deeper connections with family friends, especially in the act of reflection. However, this year, we had our students fill out a survey so we could have a sense of what they thought about studying the craft of storytelling. Check out some of their thoughts
storytellingdiverse voicesoral historycurric