This blog post is one part of the series “learning diary” for a course at my university.

Goals:

Based on the title for that unit I assume we will learn something about storytelling in the context of didactic.

What have I learned:

People remember stories. If information is wrapped up in a story, it increases the possibility that one remember the information as well.

A story consists of a setting, a plot, a character, a narrator with a point of view, (words, pictures, sounds) and most importantly listeners or readers.

Scheherazade from 1001 Nights is one of the earliest cliffhanger provider.

Wandering storytellers

• Minstrels, Jester (like street musicians)
• Troubadour (for the higher in the hierarchy)
• Minnesinger (in Germany, especially Walther von der Vogelweide)

Chansonnier

• Secular song books. They not only told stories and song but wrote them down.

Icelandic Kvöldvaka

Because of the long winter all family members would gather in one room and one person would be chosen to read a storybook for all members. Usually a child or a guest did the reading.

There is more:

Songs, Music, Poems, Theater, Dance, Political satire

Narrative:

• Story or part of story
• Narrator and points of view
• Time flow
• fictional or true story

• structure

  • Story / plot / figures
  • Most imortant: reception: What happens in the listener
  • Representation

Digital story telling

• Point of view
• a dramatic question
• emotional content
• the gift of your voice
• the power of the soundtrack
• economy
• pacing

Green Eggs and Ham from Dr.Seuss only has 50 words!

Non linear structure

• Nodes and branches
• attributes for the branches
• circles
• multiple stories