Learning Through Storytelling

Reviewed by Jody Perkins

http://www.turnerlearning.com/turnersouth/storytelling/index.html

This Web site is produced by Turner South television network and Turner Learning, Inc. associated with Turner Broadcasting. While it is a commercial site, it is overseen by the Education Division of Turner Broadcasting, which has been working in the education field since 1989 beginning with CNN Student News. Professional experienced educators are employed in this division. The only date found on the site was the copyright date of 2000. However, the material was found to be current and all links on the site were followed to useful, current and available resources. Under the "Terms of Use" icon on the homepage, the address and phone number of the company are given, along with a "Contact Us" link to various departments which opens an email window when selected. There is also an evaluation link on the Homepage that leads to a well structured evaluative survey which should provide good feedback from users of the site.

All sources on this Web site are cited in context and a full bibliographic listing is given under the side menu selection "Resources." As an educator and graduate student in Library Science, I found the information contained on this site worthwhile and on target with the concepts I have studied in this area. I believe this should be a valuable site for educators wanting to incorporate storytelling into the classroom curriculum.

The site is arranged with two menus, one at the top and one at the side, which are constant regardless of where you are in the Web site. This makes for easy navigation. The top menu includes 1) "Dear Educator", a brief note on the value of storytelling in the classroom; 2) "National Standards" which shows how storytelling can meet educational standards of the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Standards for Visual Arts Education and has a link to search standards by state and subject; 3)"Assessment" which includes a rubric (with chart) for evaluating a storytelling presentation, and 4) "Cross-Curricular Approach" which gives examples of integrating storytelling in all areas of curriculum (i.e. world history, geography, science, drama, etc.).

The side menu takes on the task of a mini-storytelling course, which they call the Educator's Guide to Learning through Storytelling. "Teaching with Stories" links to on-site information about using storytelling to enhance memory, reading and writing, problem solving, cooperation & discipline, learning skills, and being in front of an audience. "Help! I'm Not a Storyteller" gives good basic information on how to get started telling stories in the classroom. "Teaching Storytelling" includes an 8-class lesson plan to teach students basic storytelling. "Story Varieties" gives a quick list of types of tales and their definitions. "Working with a Pro" includes advice on finding a professional storyteller, getting ready for the visit, and expectations and outcomes of the visit. "Additional Activities" gives good suggestions of related activities such as affixing story titles to a world map to see where stories originate, parent's night for student telling and some great storytelling club ideas. The "Video" link gives bios for the "Storyteller's Video" which can be used in the absence of live experienced storytellers. The storytellers sound wonderful (pictures included), but I could find no information anywhere on the Web site for obtaining the video, nor could I find it on the Turner South Web site. The "Resources" link gives a complete bibliography of sources used throughout the site, as well as other resources, Web site links, and a list of storytelling events and organizations.

A similar Web site which I located on the Turner South Web site, but I could not find linked to this particular site, is "Parent's Guide to Storytelling!" <http://alt.turnersouth.com/storytelling/parents_guide/index.html>. This also is a very good site, constructed like the one for teachers, but designed with information for parents using storytelling in the home and family life.

Reviewed by Ann Lagumina

Authority

This website is sponsored by Turner Le@rning, the Educational Division of Turner Broadcasting and Turner South which is a regional network of Turner Broadcasting. I like the motto of Turner South: "the South is full of stories, and now there is a home for all of them." In the “About Us” link, it states that “Turner Learning is dedicated to using selected resources of Turner Broadcasting to create the highest quality, innovative products and services for the classroom to educate and inspire youth worldwide.” There is also extensive contact information for six departments, depending on the subject of your inquiry.

Accuracy

The information presented is informative and backed by references to well-known books, articles and authors in the field of storytelling. The writing is clear, concise and without grammatical errors. Also included are links to the sources that are documented where possible.

Currency

The copyright date for this website is 2000. The references listed are current and all the links are up to date.

Content/Coverage

The part of this website that has to do with storytelling is the “Educator’s Guide to Learning Through Storytelling.” The subjects covered are “Teaching with Stories,” “I’m Not a Storyteller,” “Teaching Storytelling,” “Story Varieties,” “Working With a Pro,” “Additional Activities,” “Videos,” and “Resources.” Each of these subjects has subcategories which explore the subject in greater depth. “I’m Not a Storyteller” includes a recipe for an instant storyteller. This website contains original information and is intended for educators of children of all ages. Resources include “A Storyteller’s Start-Up Bibliography” with both retrospective and current materials listed. Also included for resources is “Storytelling Resources for Classroom Teachers” with one of them being Zipes, Jack. Creative Storytelling: Building Community, Changing Lives. Routledge, 1995. Another resource is “Internet Sites to Explore.” The section on “Teaching Storytelling” has eight classes that the educator can present to his or her students. In short, this website includes a wealth of information for the educator anywhere in the world who wants to present storytelling to his or her students and also includes information on why teaching through stories is a valuable method.

Objectivity

I think this website is pretty objective. They made a “Storytellers Video” which educators can use in their classroom to explore a variety of different styles and genres, but from what I can tell, the video is provided through a local cable company and it does not have to be purchased.

Access

Access is free to anyone with internet and you don’t have to register to use the site. No special software or hardware is needed.

Design/Appearance

The design and appearance of this website is professional, appealing and easy to navigate. The arrangement of information is logical and flows smoothly.

Overall, I would recommend this website. The resources are current and/or reputable. The information is useful for the educator who would like to include storytelling in the classroom and provides an easy plan for doing so. This site is not for the professional storyteller as most of the information is on a beginning level.