Storytelling Experience #2
For this week in SLIS 600, we learned how to use props in our storytelling experience. I wanted to use this free choice to kind of critique myself and discuss ways to improve my performance for future storytelling with props. After viewing my peers' videos with their props, I created more ideas for how I could have made my storytelling experience better. I realized that it is much harder to use props and a book at the same time so I had to put the book in front of me and refer back to it multiple times so I could utilize the props. The book I read was Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again by Dave Horowitz and illustrated by Dave Horowitz. I always remembered the older version of this book when I was little, but I thought this one gave a better picture in my mind and gave more details to the story.
My Storytelling Experience with Props! (It's harder than it looks!)
According to McNeil (2014), storytime should be an effective presentation of early literacy skills and activities, it should be entertaining and heart-warming, and it should promote interaction between adult and child” (p. 13). This is what I will be focusing on as I continue to learn about storytelling in this class. I know now that it is not an easy job as a librarian and it is most commonly known to be a crucial part of the library but it should be something students are excited and enthused about when entering the library. The goal is to improve students' “vocabulary, creativity, awareness of self and others, and knowledge” (McNeil, 2014, p. 13).
Something fun to learn for storytelling experiences!
When trying to find interesting books, it requires a lot of reading and evaluating to figure out if students would become interested in hearing those books during storytime. I know that I need to practice my vocal skills and offer more excitement to get students into the story. I want my audience to have so much interest in what I am sharing with them. I also believe that storytelling is a time of trial and error to see what works for the librarian and what does not work. For example, when starting a new school year and having new students, it is important to try different books to see what students are more interested in as far as a subject and genre.
One big topic that I wanted to talk about is “creativity” and how hard it can be sometimes. For this reason, I believe it takes a lot of “ googling'' and sometimes looking on Pinterest for ideas that might boost your confidence when trying to create anything. An idea that I have is getting students' input and ideas for what they would like to see happen in the library as far as storytime. I would also include older students doing storytime for the younger students as a motivator for all ages. Students need to gain something from their own storytelling experience.
Elementary-age students benefit from storytelling in so many ways and they are "comprehension, story structure, predictions, visualization, vocabulary building, and writing abilities" (Greene & Del Negro, 2010). I wish I had more experience with (visual) storytelling as a child because I believe I would have all of these benefits of doing well with profound hearing loss. Middle school students benefit from storytelling in having their listening skills improved as well as active participation. There are many components of this activity that will help students as they move up in each grade level. This also improves their confidence as they become young adults and can do more than just storytelling (Greene & Del Negro, 2010).
All in all, I know that I need more practice with storytelling and I look forward to experiences sharing with students and with students sharing with their peers. A goal for myself, as well as a goal for my future students, is to do well in their endeavors. I plan to practice more to the point where storytelling just comes naturally! Everything librarians do will take a lot of practice, even with storytelling!
References
Ellin Greene, & Janice Del Negro. (2010). Storytelling: Art and technique. Libraries Unlimited.
McNeil, H. (2014). Jump start storytime: Using tradition and change effectively. Children and Libraries, 12(1), 13–15. https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.12n1.13
Playful Pathways. (2018, April 10). Story Bag - How to tell stories with your kids [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QlOGDeADuc
Hi Jackson,
ReplyDeleteI also found this week's storytelling experience to be more challenging too. I wrote out a script of the book I read, but I definitely think I should've picked a story I was more familiar with. Because read alouds and storytelling are such a big part of the role of a librarian (especially in elementary schools), I feel intimidated and overwhelmed by my lack of experience and confidence with these things. I definitely think this class has helped me, but there is still a lot of growth left.
I agree with you that it is trial and error. Grade levels and kids differ so learning more about your students and interests can definitely help with engagement and excitement. I think providing older students an opportunity to partner with younger students would provide a fun and educational experience for both students. You're doing great!
Hi Daley!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog! I loved your storytelling with props. I had never heard that version of the story, and you did such a great job! That was a lot of props to keep straight, and I am impressed! I thought the video you shared of the storytelling bag was so helpful. I can see how that would be a great thing to have in the library. I thought your idea of getting student feedback for story time was great. Not only will it help you with ideas, but it will also give the students a sense of ownership. I also agree that sometimes it takes a lot of searching, trial, and error when it comes to “creativity” and finding something that we are comfortable sharing!
Amy Sutherland