Cerp del Sur - "Clemente Estable" Canelones, Atlántida. Presentación completa - simposio - SALTO 2016

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PROJECT – THE STORYTELLING SHOW – 2016
SYMPOSIUM
SALTO 2016
In this opportunity, we would like to share with other “teachers to
be" our experience in a primary school context. This experience
denotes the use of “storytelling” as a powerful tool to create a
positive impact on a small community of children.
Centro Regional de Profesores del Sur –
“ClementeEstable” – Atlántida. Canelones.
Third graders:
* Mónica López
* Gianfranco del Forno
* Fabiana Mazzeo
* Victoria Britos
Teea
TEACHER:
Gabriela Gaione

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INDEX
1. COVER
2. INDEX
3. ABSTRACT
4. THEORY BEHIND / SUGGESTOPEDIA.
5. HOW TO INCORPORATE SUGGESTOPEDIA IN THE TEACHING OF A
STORY?
6. BEHAVIORISM. WHY NOT?
7. HOW TO INCORPORATE BEHAVIORISM IN THE TEACHING OF A
STORY?
8-10. CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
11-15. STORYTELLING: SOME TIPS.
16-21. SOME PICTURES.
22-23. REFERENCES

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ABSTRACT
“STORYTELLING IS ABOUT CONNECTING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND
HELPING PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE”
MICHAEL MARGOLIS
Fabiana Mazzeo,Gianfranco del Forno,Victoria Britos (English,Cerp sur)
T he purpose of our presentation is to share with other colleagues our
delightful experience within a primary school environment. T he storytelling show
represents a starting point for our future experience with children. Our experience
taught us that stories are a suitable resource for teaching and learning a second
language.Moreover,we can affirm that stories are not just aboutteaching: listening
to stories is a shared social experience. It provokes a shared response of laughter,
excitement, and motivation; a friendly atmosphere in which every person wants to
contribute with personal ideas.When controversial topics such as “good” and “evil”
are presented through the teaching ofa story,an enriching classroom discussioncan
be possible.
“STORYTELLING SHOW “

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1. THEORY BEHIND
A. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNERS:
 SUGGESTOPEDIA:
Suggestopedia was developed in the 1970’s by the Bulgarian
educator Georgi Lozanov. Lozanov believes that we set up
psychologicalbarriersto learning: wefearthatwewillbeunable
to perform, that we will be limited in our ability to learn, or that
we will fail. One result is that we do not use the full mental
powers that we have. In order to make better use of our mental
reserves, the limitations we think we have need to be
“desuggested.” Suggestopedia, the application of the study of
suggestion to pedagogy, has been developed to help students
believe that they can be successful and, thus, to help them
overcome the barriers to learning.
Learning is facilitated in a pleasant, comfortable environment. The more
confident the students feel, the better they will learn. Communication takes
place on two planes. When there is a unity between them, learning is
enhanced. The means of activating the material should be varied and playful.

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HOW TO INCORPORATE
SUGGESTOPEDIA IN THE TEACHING OF
A STORY?
The first thing that we could notice in the presentation is the
atmosphere that the teachers created with the customs, their
greetings, and inclusion of every child. This is done because
learning is facilitated in a pleasant, comfortable environment. The
teachers or characters of the show also speaks in different tones of
voice, suggesting implicitly that learning the target language will be
relaxing and enjoyable and funny. When we adopt another
personality and reinforce that personality by using different
symbols we are creating a new and more real atmosphere for the
learner to get involved. The more confident the students feel, the
better they will learn. The use of the words that the characters
decided to usewerea key factorto activatethelearners’imagination,
which will also aid their learning. A major step in the learning is the
“music” phase during in which one of the characters invites the
students to sing a song “who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” with her.
This step is in keeping with Lozanov’s observation that
communication takes place on “two planes”: on the one, the
linguistic message — the narrative — is encoded; and on the other
are factors which complement the linguistic message; for example,
the teacher’s actions and the music. When there is a unity between
the two planes, learning is enhanced.

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 BEHAVOIRISM – WHY NOT?
Behaviorists believe in three basic assumptions:
1. Learning is manifested by a change in behavior.
2. The environment shapes behavior.
3. The principles of contiguity (how close in time two
events must be for a bond to be formed) and
reinforcement (any means of increasing the
likelihood that an event will be repeated) are
central to explaining the learning process.
We can thank researchers such as Pavlov, Skinner, and Watson for behaviorism-based
techniques employed in US classrooms as well as the Audiolingual Method of second -
language instruction.Skinner’s theory ofoperantconditioning is based on the concept
that learning results from a change in overtbehavior. Applied to language acq uisition,
one learns language by emitting an utterance (operant), which is reinforced by a
response by another (consequence). If the consequence of the imitated behavior is
negative,one does not repeat the behavior; if the response is positive, one repeat s the
behavior.Repetition then leads to habit formation. T hus, behaviorists agree with the
likes of Francis Bacon and John Locke that one is born a tabula rasa, a blank slate, and
all learning is the result of outside stimuli. From this thinking sprang th e popular
Audiolingual Method, which left grammar-translation by the wayside.

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HOW TO INCORPORATE BEHAVIORISM
IN THE TEACHING OF A STORY?
Our storytelling show did not emphasize the understanding of
every word, but rather it was focuson the acquisition of structuresand
patterns. We can take as an example the teaching of the song “who is
afraid of the big bad wolf?” Students were supposed to learn that
structure in order to sing the song. These patterns are elicited,
repeated and tested until the responses given by the student in the
foreignlanguage are automatic. So, the followingcharacteristicsof the
Audio-lingual method were taking into consideration:
 Drills are used to teach structural patterns: Sleeping
Beauty – Fabiana models the sentence and the learners repeat it.
 Set phrases are memorized with a focus on intonation –
The use of the song helps the teacher to encourage the students to
use the correct intonation for the sentence.
 Grammatical explanations are kept to a minimum –
Grammar was not explained because the focus was on the
learners to repeat the structure and have fun.
 Vocabulary is taught in context –The context wascreatedfor
the students. The wolf was there, and at the beginning sleeping
beauty wasafraid of him.
 Audio-visual aids are used – All the characters were there to
improve and motivate the students learning.

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B. CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE
COMMUNITY
 How to maintain a good relationship
with a child? Let’s help children to
develop a better and harmonious
personality. – MARIA MONTESSORI
AND HER COMMANDMENTS FOR
PARENTS
 Can we help our students to develop
their personalities when we tell a
story?
1. Children learn from what surrounds them. – A
positive and friendship atmosphere in the teaching of a
story where everybody can participate.
2. If you always criticize a child, he will learn to
judge – In the storytelling show every child had the
opportunity tofreely expresshis or her opinion without
punishment.
3. If you regularly praise a child, he will learn to
value – When students perceived that their opinions
were valid and important they were encourage to
mention more ideas.
4. If you show hostility to a child, he will learn
to fight- By creating a comfortable atmosphere,

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children started to respect each other. Some kids were
fighting outside the classroom and they changed their
attitudes when they perceived the peaceful atmosphere
that the teachers wanted to transmit.
5. If you are fair with a child, he will learn to be
fair – Every child had the opportunity to express his
or her ideas. As a result, they understood that the other
people in the classroom had the same right.
6. If you make fun of a child, he will be a shy
person – By creating a peaceful atmosphere, the
teacherswereable tocreatea democratic environment.
That is to say: WE ARE ALL EQUAL!
7. If a child grows feeling confident, he will learn
to trust the others. – Again, once you feel confident
toexpresswhat you think, you can feel more secure and
you can develop a stronger and reflexive personality.
8. If you are acquiescent with a child, he will
learn to be patient – When students’anxiety arrives,
the teacher should be agreeable enough to control the
students.
9. If a childlives in a friendship atmosphere and
feels that he is necessary, he will learn to find
love in this world – Every child was a key
ingredient for the realization of the show. If we do not
educate our students to become better people what is
the purpose of our job?
10.Always listen to what your child needs to say
andanswer with a comment or a question - The
teachers were open to answer every question or to

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clarify their doubts. Again, teachers should clarify
doubts and make the students reflect about important
topics or just impart knowledge?
11. We should respect the child, when he makes a
mistake – he can improve in the future – So, do
teacher need to understand the students’ mistakes and
createor allow different waysin which the studentscan
improve their mistakes?

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2. STORYTELLING – SOME TIPS…
A. 20 Storytelling Tips For
Educators: How To Capture Your
Student's Attention
By Julie DeNeen
1. Every Part Must Be Essential
Each character, point, or principle must somehow relate to the
main point you are trying to drive home. Anything that does
not affect the outcome in some way (directly or indirectly) can
be hacked off the story. The storytelling show presented
four characters that were able to transmit the
important message of a story: DIVERSITY / WE ARE
ALL IMPORTANT / WE ALL HAVE A SAY
2. You Must Have a Hook In Your Opening
You hook the listener in by presenting a problem that
encourages them to keep listening. You can use this
tactic in any lesson. We encourage a discussion
within peers by presenting another story of little
red riding hood.
3. Draw a Theme Out of Your Story
Stories have a depth of meaning when there is a theme. The
idea that we all HAVE A SAY was implicit inthewhole
story.

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4. Keep It Simple
Complicated stories aren’t necessarily better. If your audience
is young, simple is obvious. The whole presentation
advocated for simple and understandable language.
5. Maintain Eye Contact
Eye contact is one of the most important non-verbal ways to
connect with other people. It not only helps keep a student’s
attention, but it also conveys a sense of confidence and
truthfulness. Eye-contact was necessary for students to
infer themeaning of certainsentences and alsoit was
necessary for them to understand when they were
asked to say or ask something.
6. Use Vivid Language That Kids Can Understand
Even if you areteaching science or math concepts, pick a word
or two that your student’s haven’t heard of before. Describe
and define the word first, and then use it throughout thestory.
What about “WOLF” and “LITTLE RED” or “SUN” and
“MOON”? They know the name of the characters and who the
sun and the moon are. But can we make a difference
if they know how to say those words in English?
7. Use Movement
Movement can be used in multiple ways. As the
storyteller, you can paint pictures with your body-
using your hands, feet, legs, and head. Similarly, you
can ask the student’s to perform movements during
certain parts of the story. Body language was
essential to transmit key concepts.

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8. Use Dramatic Pauses
People often talk more quickly than the brain can process. If
you pause at crucial moments in the story, you give your
students the chance to think critically about the piece of
information you have just given. When the characters
appeared and reproduced their lines, the students
had enough time to say what they thought.
9. Change Your Voice With Different Characters
It helps to make characters more memorable when you give
them personalities. Part of that includes changing your voice
with each character. Every character was there, but at
the same time they used different tones to express
their ideas, so the meaning that they wanted to
convey was understood by the children.
10. Make Your Ending Strong With an Important
Take Away Point
The ending is the last thing your students will hear.
Whatever points and/or principles you think are most
important, put them at the end. The sun and the
moon are important: WE ARE ALL
IMPORTANT!
11. Tell The Truth, Even When It’s Difficult
Adults are tempted to lie to children when the situation
seems too complex or mature for younger audiences. The
situation about the sun and the moon may represent
what happens in our reality. At times people think
that they are more valuable or important because
they have more money, they are more powerful,
etcetera.

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12. Make The Character Relatable
The main character of your story must be relatable to your
students. You want them to “root” for the character’s choices
and decisions. The characters were not perfect, but
eachof themcouldcontributetothe realizationofthe
story.
13.Have Your Story Provide An Answer Toa Problem
Every story has theme or meaning. When you can tell a tale
that provides a solution to a problem, there is higher
likelihood that the story will take on a deeper meaning
when it solves a problem in real life. When we work
together, we can obtain good results!
14. The Story Should Be “Trustable”
It is called “cheating” when a storyteller automatically
twists the laws of the universe to make the story work. Don’t
offer coincidences that magically solve the problem. Whatever
world or situation your character is in, don’t break its rules
just to end the story. Every part of the story was
connected with the main message.
15. Invite Interaction
At certain points in the story, open up an invitation for
questions. When your students are able to offer their
predictions, they are more invested in the future and ending
of the story to see if they were right. A boy from the
audience was invited to kiss Fabiana.
16. Use Music
Music is an excellent way to learn and memorize long lists. If
you are teaching the fifty states, a song with a catchy rhythm.

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will help solidify the memorization process. “Who is afraid
of the big bad wolf”?
17. Have Your Students’ Retell It Back To You
Once you are done with your story, have the students form
groups and re-tell the story in a different way. Students
were encouraged to repeat the main ideas of the
story.
18. Draw Real Life Connections
If your story teaches abstract concepts, find real life examples
that make the information more meaningful. Why do you
need the sun and the moon? Can you go to school
during the night?
19. Use Repetition
Do this when you start,in the middle, and at the end. Pick
an important concept and repeat it over and over, even if
you think you are being redundant. They repeated the
names of the characters and of course the lyrics
of the song.
20. Don’t Give Away Too Much
When you tell a story that has some mystery, you invite the
listeners to try tofigure out the solution for themselves.When
they do, chances are- it will be more memorable and long
lasting. Why do you think that the sun and the moon
wanted to make an agreement?

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SALINAS – PRIMARY SCHOOL 2016

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REFERENCES
 Quarterlyreview of comparativeeducation
(Paris, UNESCO: InternationalBureau of
Education), vol. XXIV, no. 3/4, 1994, p. 519-
32. ©UNESCO: InternationalBureau of
Education, 1999. B. F. SKINNER(1904-1990)
Louis M. Smith.
 Department ShippensburgUniversity - Dr. C.
GeorgeBoeree Psychology. 1990.
 Bowen, T., What isSuggestopedia?,
MacmillanPublishersLtd., 2002
http://www.onestopenglish.com/News/Maga
zine Archive/ suggesta.htm
 Charles Adamson, Miyagi University:
Suggestopediaas
NLPhttp://langue.hyper.chubu.ac.jp/jalt/pub
/tlt/97/feb/suggest.htm last modified:
February11, 1997 site maintainedbyTLT
Online Editor The Magazinefor English
LanguageTeachers

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 20 Storytelling Tips For Educators: How
To Capture Your Student's Attention -
By Julie DeNeen.
 Maria Montessori and her
commandments for parents. Article
(translation).