Author Description

This book is based on the premise that story making and storytelling are fundamental human activities, shared by all cultures. The power and potential of stories in learning has been recognised by practitioners of the Storyline Approach since the 1960s. As can be seen from the scope and variety of contributions to this book, educators from across the world continue to employ the pedagogies and strategies of Storyline to complement and extend the educational opportunities they offer to the learners in their care. They demonstrate that story can be a medium for developing skills and making connections; a means of social and cultural bonding and of sharing culture and belief systems; and a way of sharing in common human experiences, often by uniting both the cognitive and the affective domains. It can tap into the imagination and emotions to form new and meaningful connections between existing areas of knowledge than can often be neglected in conventional educational practice. The book provides educators and learners with examples of creative, meaningful and powerful educational experiences, and is the result of the extending and crafting of some of the presentations and ideas offered by delegates at the 5th International Storyline Conference held in Reykjavik in 2012.