Stories are the chief framework for understanding the world as a child. In the corporate world, stories are the primary vehicle for communicating the efficacy of their organization’s impact. And at the end of one’s life, stories are the most salient way to communicate who you were and who you are. So, why do we lose sight of this extraordinary communicative force in secondary school? If you know how to tell a good story, …you can rule the world. So let our students rule.
If students can’t imagine their ‘possible selves’ – a vision of their future selves to which to aspire – then adolescent development is stymied. And yet our current understanding of the future is fogged over with technology’s inexorable march forward. Imagining a ‘possible self’ recedes into mist. So, for what, exactly, are we preparing our students? A lot! A world of omnipresent change offers as many opportunities as it does challenges, and this discussion comes out on the side of …opportunities.
How many literacies are there out there? From the call and response literacies of social media to the word-driven literacy of texting; the traditional paper to the digital story, it’s high time for formal education to explicitly acknowledge and productively exploit all the ways in which today’s youth communicate. …and give them the tools to do it meaningfully and impactfully. That’s where it gets sublime.
Television and the Digital Age have spawned new storytelling structures that are often overlooked in education. Assumed to be light in carriage, they are in fact multi-layered narrative vehicles, championing critical narrative strains such as personal voice, empathy, comedy, gamification, sensory awareness, and emotional identification. There’s a lot of fun to be had inside of these various forms of storytelling.
There is a model of growth, learning and behavior change which is rooted in the creation of radio dramas designed around measurable curricular ends. Drawing from over five years working with a team of South Sudanese media producers and writers, we’ll unpack this process and transfer it to the classroom, giving you the tools to guide your students to creating digital stories designed for social impact.
One of the things you learn when you work for Sesame Workshop is the simple phrase: engagement precedes learning. If the eyes aren’t on the screen, then there is no learning. It’s the same for the classroom, although educators don’t approach the classroom with this notion of ‘entertainment’ is a valid hook into deep engagement and learning. The trick: the students are creating the entertainment, not you.
Brett Pierce is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as STORYTELLING AS A POWERFUL FRAMEWORK FOR PERSONAL AND CURRICULAR STUDENT GROWTH , TOOLS TO ACHIEVE IN A WORLD OF OMNIPRESENT CHANGE, SCHOOLS AND OUR EXPANSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF MULTIPLE LITERACIES, VLOGS, PODCASTS, AND GAME SHOWS, OH MY! NARRATIVE FORMATS AND THE CONTENT THEY EXCAVATE , CREATING STORIES OF SOCIAL IMPACT IN THE CLASSROOM: LESSONS FROM SOUTH SUDAN and ENGAGEMENT PRECEDES LEARNING: DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND TALES OF CLASSROOM JOY. The estimated speaking fee range to book Brett Pierce for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. Brett Pierce generally travels from Portland, ME, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Trish Millines Dziko, Jay Shetty, Franklin Schargel, Peter Hinssen and Peter Thiel. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Brett Pierce for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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