Voices of the New Millenium National Louis University

Storytelling Across the Disciplines Project
April 2006

developed by

Pierre Tchetgen
Eleanor Binstock

TRANSARTS-MEDIA STORYTELLING
A workshop for teachers, students and media artists

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The general focus of this workshop is to teach storytelling skills relevant to a new media literacy environment, and provide strategies for teachers, students and visiting artists to collaborate around various subject areas, topics or art-forms. The general goal is to engage students with the subject area curriculum by connecting learning to personal experience via arts-, media-based activities. In the process of completing the project worksheet, you will begin to think of effective strategies/activities to motivate youth to become self-directed learners, as well as innovative teaching methods to foster an ongoing process of individual and collective reflection amongst students in your classroom.

The following matrix (developed for the rainforest project with Ms Arthur) is a visual framework you can adapt freely to your course, given the specific student needs, thematic units, multimedia resources and classroom/online activities you have identified for your project and timeline.

 

MATRIX

Student Area Needs Curriculum Goals Activities
A. Literacy
1. How to read/research information
2. How to write/spell effectively
3. How to write a report

I. Topic Report (e.g the rainforest)

learning activities
/opportunities:
=>read
ing, textmapping, concept mapping
=>planning, research, interviewing, presentation
=>essay, audio/visualcomposition (powerpoint), performance, art


sample materials
:

Web
National Geographic

Animal Descriptions
Folk Tales & Myths
Enchanted Learning



B. Critical Thinking
1. How to observe, reflect and organize thoughts/ideas
2. How to analyze public issues/media
3. How to make informed decisions

II. Media Critique

learning activities/opportunities:
=>media literacy

=>circle discussion (identity, gender, race, culture, history)
=>point of view statement/narrative (blog, journal, poem)

sample materials
:

Film
- Slam
- Do the right thing
Music
KRS-ONE - Hold
Mr. Lif - Arise
Web
Media That Matters
Listen Up


C. Public Speaking
1. How to give an oral presentation
2. How to engage in critical debate/conversation
3. How to work collaboratively

III. The Wall | Debate Chairs | Circle Talk
peer-centered learning games

learning opportunities/activities:
=>present and defend personal work or a view point
=>self-analyze and examine an issue
=>self- identify obstacles to success and methods for overcoming challenges

sample questions:

- what are the factors behind global warming?
- why are so many teens incarcerated?
- why are young people unemployed or underemployed?
- who controls the media?

 

D. Creative Narrations
1. How to tell a story in various media/art forms
2. How to be proficient in the use of computers
3. How to conduct interviews

IV. Production

learning opportunities/activities:
=>creative writing (poetry, prose, drama)
=>storyboarding (creative conceptualizing, character development)
=>performance (movement, music, stage acting)

sample materials:

Film
Language of Life
Freestyle
Letter to the President
Music
The Last Poets
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Books/Web
rainforest web
100 ways to tell a story

 

E. Habits of Mind
1. to review/assess/order existing knowledge
2. to hone a healthy spirit of inquiry
3. to