Keynote presentation for the TCEA Area 7 Conference. White Oak, Texas. 8 June 2012. In a word or two you remember the whole story: glass slipper, sour grapes, cold porridge. You remember more than the facts (a step mother & two step sisters, an absent father, a godmother) you remember the relationships and deeper connections between the characters (nasty step mom & sisters, warm but lonely friendships with the animals in the house, a dream of a better life). The challenge for teachers and students is not to find problems but to find stories. Powerful narratives, in a word or two, bring to mind a wealth of ideas and relationships; more than just facts. How can we find the stories that make our teaching sticky? How do we help kids find, and more importantly tell, the stories that make their learning sticky? We’ll look at some strong examples and send you on your way with a toolkit of ideas and practices to make teaching & learning sticky in your class.

1. storyfinding Darren Kuropatwa
TCEA - Area 7 Conference
White Oak, Texas
June 2012

2. j.mp/storyfinding

3. Once upon a time ...

4. we are the stories we tell
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo by eskimoblood:
http://flickr.com/photos/eskimoblood/23471417/

5. + story =
– story =

6. How does the mundane become a story worth telling?

8. the importance of narrative

9. Hermann Göring
Vermeer’s Christ and the Adulteress

10. Hermann Göring
Han Van Meegeren Christ and the Adulteress

11. Hermann Göring
Han Van Meegeren Christ and the Adulteress

12. the importance of narrative
4' 33" by John
Cage / Steve
Rhodes / CC
BY-NC-ND 2
.0

13. John Cage - 4'33" (BBC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY7UK-6aaNA

14. the importance of narrative

16. Once upon a time ...

17. There was a girl.

18. And there was this boy who loved her ...

19. … but it was complicated.

20. Troy [HD 1080p Blu-ray Official Trailer]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJYNuWBJ9g

21. There’s a war ...

22. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Asian Sarah:
http://flickr.com/photos/stwaberries/2302986125/

23. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Orange42:
http://flickr.com/photos/fake_eyes/342753239/

24. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by UBC Library:
http://flickr.com/photos/ubclibrary/2702161578/

26. … for the best of reasons; love.

27. 1
Be interested
in your subject.
cc licensed ( BY SD ) flickr photo by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino!":
http://flickr.com/photos/gi/1828177743/

28. for
teachers
cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by abbyladybug:
http://flickr.com/photos/abbyladybug/2152179077/

29. 2
K
your
now ct.
subje
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Nongbri Family Pix:
http://flickr.com/photos/aznongbri/3349618967/

30. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Nongbri Family Pix:
http://flickr.com/photos/aznongbri/3349618967/
ads
isn’tn our
he
i
een us
edge
’s b etw
it
kn owl

31. on’t have
Id of ving
e ha e
kind e.
that wast ast e tim y solv
ld I w how the are
wou lain
tim e to hy ions ly I
W exp
ents My expl anat ate
stud ms? ltim ck
es. U go ba
pr oble t on
bes ving to
ays the p ha lain
alw du -exp way.
s en ify or re any
lway clar
a class
and the
tion s to
solu
Eliot teaching by flickr user yewenyi
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yewenyi/381552561/

32. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by *Nom & Malc:
http://flickr.com/photos/naomi_pincher/2715582636/
to discover it by yourself.
the best way to learn anything is
Know about the ways of learning:
3

33. Try to
face
studen
expe
read the
s of your
ts, try to
see their
ctations
difficu
yourself
&
lties, put
in their
place.
4
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Brian Hathcock:
http://flickr.com/photos/ception/425277308/

34. 5
Give them not only information,
but "know-how," attitudes of mind,
the habit of methodical work.
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo by Perecca:
http://flickr.com/photos/irvaas/2492506956/

35. 9
Do not give away
your whole secret
at once - let the
students guess
before you tell it -
let them find out
by themselves as
much as is feasible.
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by val.pearl:
http://flickr.com/photos/valpearl/5103209989/

36. “The best teachers have teeth
marks on their tongues.”
Alfie Kohn
Mike...biting off his tongue / Sandra
Leong / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

37. Remember there’s a war going on ...

38. for the best of reasons; love ...

39. and ...

40. a face launched 1000 ships

41. 60 000
tagexedo.com

42. one picture

43. Thank you for everything we had.

45. i r
f a
e o
ad
m
e is most of a trees’ mass is
tre from the carbon it breathes
A
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo by dkuropatwa:
http://flickr.com/photos/dkuropatwa/2923120259/

46. one line stories

47. Onc
e, al
for r l villag
the ain, ers
Peop on t deci
he d ded
boy le gath ay of to p
ray
cam ered pray
e wi but er a
th a
n um only ll
brel one
la...

48. Onc
e, al
for r l villag
the ain, ers
Peop on t deci
he d ded
boy le gath ay of to p
ray
cam ered pray
e wi but er a
th a
n um only ll
brel one
la...
THAT'S FAITH
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by ♥ Unlimited:
http://flickr.com/photos/unlimited___/270336198/

49. When you throw a baby
in the air, she laughs
because she knows you
will catch her...

50. When you throw a baby
in the air, she laughs
because she knows you
will catch her...
THAT'S TRUST
cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by nick see:
http://flickr.com/photos/nicksee/5152087020/

51. the greatest war needs the greatest heros

52. that’s where you come in

53. you are the greatest heros of this war

54. but only when you make

55. your students greater heros

56. “The human species thinks in metaphors and learns
through stories.” Mary Catherine Bateson
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by kharied:
http://flickr.com/photos/kharied/4156478671/

57. the story of
little Gauss

58. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
the story of
little Gauss

59. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
100 99 98 ... 3 2 1
the story of
little Gauss

60. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
100 99 98 ... 3 2 1
the story of
little Gauss

61. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
100 99 98 ... 3 2 1
101 101 101 ... 101 101 101
the story of
little Gauss

62. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
100 99 98 ... 3 2 1
101 101 101 ... 101 101 101
the story of
little Gauss

63. 1 2 3 ... 98 99 100
100 99 98 ... 3 2 1
101 101 101 ... 101 101 101
the story of
little Gauss 100 x 101 = 10 100

64. 1
100 99 98
2
101 101 101
the story of
3
2
...
...
...
98
3
99 100
2 1
101 101 101
little Gauss 100 x 101 = 10 100

65. 1
100 99 98
2
101 101 101
the story of
3
2 ...
...
...
98
3
99 100
2 1
101 101 101
little Gauss I need 100 x 101 = 10 100
half as
much

66. 1
100 99 98
2
101 101 101
the story of
3
2 ...
...
...
98
3
99 100
2 1
101 101 101
little Gauss I need 100 x 101 = 10 100
half as
much
5050

67. Remember the war?

68. What’s the secret to victory?

69. The Trojan Horse

70. Trojan Horse clip from "Troy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbiR6IMf5KQ

71. l in g
te l orse g
y jan H nin
r ro r
S toa T ea
L
is r
Fo
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by gillianchicago:
http://flickr.com/photos/gillianjc/124407256/

72. finding your stories

73. On this day
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

74. On this day
in math
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

75. On this day
in history
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

76. On this day
in science
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

77. On this day
in literature
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

78. On this day
in music
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

79. On this day
in art
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

80. On this day
beyond the news
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Ken Schwarz:
http://flickr.com/photos/the-maestros/352417169/

81. Let me tell you another story.

82. A true story.

83. About David ...

84. finding your students’ stories

86. What did you learn?

98. The Story of Eddie

107. 50

111. telling stories

112. 50ways.wikispaces.com

113. assignments.ds106.us

114. l in g
te l orse g
y jan H nin
r ro r
S toa T ea
L
is r
Fo
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by gillianchicago:
http://flickr.com/photos/gillianjc/124407256/

115. Tech Buddies Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=212lvShWvus

116. go find your stories

117. make sure you share them

118. CONTACT
txt: dkuropatwa
to: 50500
thanks