Some Intro

Storytelling, in all its forms of expressions, is a fundamental tool in teaching.

To tell a story is to communicate, to connect and to pass meaningful messages and morals, through the course of stories, which means to teach.

In order to communicate we need a transmitter, a receiver and a code. The transmitter is the one who either speaks or writes (the speaker or the author). The receiver is the one who listens or reads (the listener or the reader respectively). The code is a system of signs, marks or symbols based on principles and rules. Both conventional teaching methods and innovative teaching practices contain the above-mentioned means of communication and increasingly integrate visual means of communication (comics, animation, short videos). This training focuses on the dramatization and message production as tools for communication on the roles of receivers and transmitters.

Who is this course for

Teachers, trainers, educators, school administrators, etc.

• School principals & directors (primary & secondary)
• Teachers (primary & secondary)
• Academic staff (tertiary)
• Directors & personnel in International coordination offices (tertiary)
• Entrepreneurs & people involved in startups (education)
• Social entrepreneurs
• Directors/managers (companies/NGOs)
• Personnel/staff responsible for the business development strategy of their organisation
• Individuals involved in startups, networks of excellence & innovation
• Trainers (formal & non formal education)
• Individuals with interest in entrepreneurship in relationship to education
• Parents

Description

The course will cover topics like story structures – i.e., what makes the “skeleton” of a successful story-, and how to engage an audience regardless of the medium used (digital or traditional ones). Together, we will explore the development of a story, the links between stories already told and our personal ones. We will also try to identify the links among popular formats, like fairy tales or contemporary comics and graphic novels and we will definitely create our own!

Storyboards, story grams, traditional (on etc. papers, using board games, etc.) and digital (apps, Web 2.0 tools, online and offline,) will be presented and practiced.

Objectives

Participants to the course will learn to:

• Identify the principles, structures and elements of storytelling;
• Distinguish different formats of stories;
• Discover existing tools to start a Visual and Sensory Storytelling program with learners in various levels
• Create stories as a single author or as a group;
• Use storytelling in their teaching and educational activities;
• Exploit storytelling for their personal development;
• Improve their public speaking and effective use of voice, body and environmental factors;
• Acknowledge the impact of stories on contemporary culture.

Methodology

All tasks of the course include a strong experiential phase, and participants will have the opportunity to practice hands on. They will also be encouraged to explore their potential as narrators and story creators and become effective communicators, who master a variety of tools for storytelling.

Both digital and more traditional tools will be presented and the participants will have the opportunity to learn through a hands-on, experiential approach. Collaborative storylines through digital tools, innovative narration board games and other practices will be presented for their integration in class in various teaching subjects and contexts.

Finally, it is expected that the participants will become more aware of the immense power stories have in everyday life, and will be able to use this understanding to become more creative educators and cultivate their learners’ creativity as well both in formal and non-formal teaching contexts.

Agenda/Course schedule

5 days programme

Day 1

• Introduction to the course
• Icebreaker activities for trust and group building
• Identification of needs and goals of the participants
• Introduction to Storytelling and the educational dimension of it
• Different types of storytelling (in the past and contemporary)

Day 2

• Storytelling models, from myth to classics to the contemporary age
• Storytelling games to inspire creativity and quickly generate stories
• Uses of storytelling with learners
• Basics of storyboards
• Storyboards in the digital era

Day 3

• An introduction to comics
• Practical experience: tell your own story through Comics.
• Digital tools to animate your story
• Group work: Boost your confidence and creativity in storytelling
• Storytelling … outside the class

Day 4

• Practical session on oral storytelling: sharing stories in group
• Practical session: storytelling in different school subjects (according to participants’ interests, e.g., in English, Biology, Geography, Science!)
• Story grams … online tools and how to use them
• Where to find extra resources

Day 5

• Storytelling games that promote creativity
• Board and card games to motivate storytelling
• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion
• Awarding of the Certificate of Attendance of the course

13.02 - 17.02.2023  Larissa

06.03 - 10.03.2023 Thessaloniki                                                           

11.09 - 15.09.2023   Skiathos Island

09.10 - 13.10.2023    Athens