a little storytelling manifesto

A wordle created from the words of the manifesto by wordle.net -
thanks to Joanne Piazzi of LANES

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as a creed. Manifestos may also be life stance -related. Manifesto is derived from the Italian word manifesto, itself derived from the Latin manifestum, meaning clear or conspicuous. Its first recorded use in English is from 1620.

Storytelling

is a human birthright and as natural as breathing. When practiced as an art, storytelling is deeper than philosophy and more fun than the movies. Story is an amazing educational activity because it works on so many levels. It is meta-cognition or  the natural format of human thought. Because it engages physically, emotionally and intellectually, storytelling is deeply satisfying entertainment.  Since the listeners work with the performer and have a shared, active experience,  storytelling is also a social tool that can  help build healthy community.  As a performance art, storytelling is spoken word at its most accessible.   As a timeless and essentially human art, storytelling delights, engages and inspires students of all ages and abilities.

- Norah Dooley

"After conducting brain scans of a woman telling a story off the cuff and then of 11 people listening to a recording of her, researchers ... say that MRIs showed that the same parts of the brains showed activation at the same time, suggesting a deep connection between talker and listener. "
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/27/study-the-brains-of-storytellers-and-their-listeners-actually-sync-up/


“Language is a human instinct, but written language is not…Children are wired for sound, but print is an optional accessory that must be painstakingly bolted on. This basic fact about human nature should be the starting point for any discussion about how to teach our children to read and write.” – Steven Pinker, neurologist and research scientist

A wordle created from the words of the manifesto by wordle.net - thanks to Joanne Piazzi of LANES