Course Information
- This course will be cross-listed with EDUC 309 for the summer quarters for those who wish to further their storytelling experience or for Masters level students who need a 400 level class to count for their post-baccalaureate credits. This course will be offered as an online course available for WWU and non-WWU distance learning students.
- 3 credits
- Prerequisite: EDUC 309, or EDUC 405, and/or permission of instructor.
- An override code is required to register for this course.
- Contact instructor regarding prerequisites, override codes, etc.
Course Description:
Training in public storytelling performance in community and educational settings. Emphasizes personal performance development, practical public experience, storytelling teaching methods, and advanced study of the history and current trends in the growing field of storytelling.
Students in this class will be taking their storytelling out into the community as well as performing on campus. Your performance activities might include telling tales in schools, libraries, museums, senior centers and camps, etc. Previous (local/oncampus) 409 students have presented youth storytelling workshops at Bellingham high school, run a storytelling class through the Ferndale Park Dept, and at the Bellingham Public Library, and have produced performance and workshop events at the Willows Senior Center, Birnum Wood Appts, Western Gallery, Bellingham Ferry Terminal, Western Family Weekend, Bellingham Children’s Museum, Western’s Planetarium, WWU’s Sleepover with Science and Art programs, and many local schools, etc, etc.
Students may also choose to participate in a number of other special opportunities:
- Voices of the Ancestors Oral History Project
- Sleeping Over With Science and Art
- Youth Storytelling Workshop (Dates TBA)
- Visiting Storyteller series (TBA)
- Other storytelling events in your local area (for distance learning students)
This is a seminar type class with each student actively choosing their own direction and area of interest for study and performance. In some ways, it is a glorified independent study class where we meet (for on-campus class) to plan events, coach your performance, learn new techniques, discuss research and readings, debate about folklore and oral tradition, etc. The participants in the class have a great influence on the direction the course will take (within reason!).
Students planning to take this course should be prepared to begin the class with stories in hand that they have learned, are learning or want to learn….
…so dig out your EDUC 309 portfolio (or some good storytelling anthologies) and go through to find some favorites. We will start this class on the run… so come with your storytelling shoes warmed up!!
Online/Hybrid version of course
Students will:
- engage in self-directed independent study based on the assignments of the course
- enjoy readings on the art and application of storytelling
- participate in online discussions with other registered students
- develop local opportunities to tell and listen to stories
- choose, practice and perform stories in you own local community
- record your stories and post online for instructor and peer observation and review
- create your own personal projects in storytelling
- and more…..
- ….further information contact Rosemary at RosemaryVohs@wwu.edu
It will also be possible for students to complete this course during the fall of 2012 – for example, this would be an especially useful option for teachers who would like to put their summer storytelling learning into action with their students when school is back in session. Talk to Rosemary to arrange this learning/application extension.