Teacher Resources

* White Paper Resources	* Suggested Books
* Useful Links	* School Project List

To My Friends in Education:

It is my goal to serve as a storytelling resource for you, someone you can count on to provide information and ideas about the art and practical application of story in the learning environment.

This page will not be static, since new educational information and links will be added monthly. If you have specific concerns or questions about storytelling in the classroom, I'd love to hear from you via email. I promise to respond quickly and, if you like, I will provide you with some ideas about including storytelling in lesson plans.

Feel free to call on my years of experience as a Resident Artist and professional performer throughout the country in schools, libraries, after-school programs, camps and special events. While no school or learning situation is the same, my work has given me quite a bit of insight on how to approach different groups, situations and settings. It is my pleasure to share what I have learned with you.

I invite you to check out my 2010 March/April newsletter* about how to tackle story theater projects in schools. My intent is to help you navigate through that monster end-of-the-school-year project. You know the one I mean - the school show engaging as many students as possible in a community performance to celebrate the end of another successful school year. Ideally, this project will not only be fun and entertaining, it will also demonstrate student understanding and application of many learning standards.

Sometimes a committee of teachers is in charge of this event. Sometimes, willing parent volunteers lend a hand, and once in a while the school has a grant to bring in an artist to oversee the project. No matter how it is approached, it can be a wonderful experience if you follow a few basic steps. I will not only provide you with an outline of these steps, I will give you examples of different age groups working together for a successful and satisfying show.

Please give me a call (888-252-3033) or send me an email if your school is considering writing an Artist-in-Residence grant. I am happy to provide you with suggestions and ideas about how to create a project to bring an exciting storytelling (and/or puppetry) experience into your school.

Best wishes,
Glenda Bonin

* Sign up today to receive Glenda's storytelling newsletter. Storytelling News from Glenda Bonin is published six times a year, and it is free!

CONVENIENT WHITE PAPER RESOURCES:
(Simply click on the links below to get each PDF.)

Glenda Bonin Talks About Educational Learning Standards

9 Basic Steps: Teaching Storytelling to Students

Storytelling Guidelines for the Classroom

About "Appreciations and Suggestions"

USEFUL LINKS:

www.edutopia.org
Educational website celebrating and sharing innovative practices in K-12 settings.

www.storynet.org
Website for the National Storytelling Network.

www.nationalyouthstorytellingshowcase.org
The National youth storytelling site.

www.teachersdesktop.com
Educational resource for teachers.

SUGGESTED BOOKS :

Donald Davis. Writing as a Second Language: from experience to story to prose. If I could, I would give every grade school principal a copy of this book. Donald Davis offers a moving and convincing case for schools to consider stepping back into our first language - the spoken word - in order to strengthen students writing skills. (ISBN 0-87483-567-4. August House Publishers, Little Rock, AR., 2000)

Rives Collins and Pamela J. Cooper. The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling. If you've ever asked yourself why you should bother to tell stories, or wondered about the best way to tell those stories, this book is for you. Storytellers from ages four to retirement age are featured, and readers are provided with a wide range of activities and ideas to help bring storytelling to life. (ISBN 0-13776-709-0, Allyn & Bacon A Viacom Company, Needham Heights, MA., 1997)

Kendall Haven. Super Simple Storytelling: A Can-Do Guide for Every Classroom, Every Day. An excellent classroom resource written by an educator's educator and nationally known storyteller/workshop presenter. (ISBN 1-56308-681-6. Teacher Ideas Press, Greenwood Village, CO., 2000)

SCHOOL PROJECT LIST

Here are the schools where my residency work concluded with school and/or community performances by large groups of students. In one case, the performance included an entire rural student body of 300 in a show involving coordination with a volunteer musician and digital recording of the community show. Other projects have involved (a) combining efforts of grades K and 5 in an original puppet/storytelling production for the community, (b) the performance of 4th grade classes for 1st grade reading buddies, (c) a folktale extravaganza on a professional stage by five 3rd grade classes, and (d) performances at retirement centers, or at local sites during community celebrations. All of these projects reflect the needs and interests of each community, and were created from whole cloth with the goal to include as many learning standards as possible.

ALASKA:
Chevak K-12 School, Chevak

ARIZONA:
Coronado Elementary School, Nogales
Desert View Elementary School, Page
Grand Canyon Village Elementary School
Hohokam Elementary School, Coolidge
Hopi Elementary School, Scottsdale
John Jacobs Elementary School, Phoenix
Manzanita Elementary School, Kingman
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Tempe
Traditional Learning Center, Cottonwood
Williams Elementary/Middle School, Williams
Zuni Elementary School, Scottsdale

     Arizona After School Residencies:
       Pima County Parks & Recreation
       Casa Grande Parks & Recreation
       Phoenix Parks & Recreation

IDAHO:
Valley Elementary School, Hazelton

NEVADA:
Agnes Risley Elementary School, Sparks
Alexander Dawson School, Las Vegas
Gallagher Elementary School, Virginia City
Eureka Elementary School, Eureka
Hal Smith Elementary School, Las Vegas
Yerington Elementary School, Yerington

To send Glenda an email, Click here.