Storytelling through pictorial books and comics is emerging as a learning pedagogy to build an everlasting memory
To make learning fun and effective, Amar Chitra Katha (ACK), the publisher of graphic novels and comics, has recently collaborated with a Mumbai based school for developing a storytelling-based value enrichment programme.
The collaboration aims at creating content in-curriculum for classes I to IV by including stories, a short quiz, discussion based on the main value of the story, a small art and craft, game and theatre activity centred around the story or its value and dramatisation of one story.
“The content in storytelling is created and delivered in a way where the learning and values are not overtly taught. It is developed through leading questions, discussion and the stories themselves. The stories are carefully selected to match the values that need to be developed and the activities and discussions are then based around the story and the value,” says Preeti Vyas, president, Amar Chitra Katha.
On what initiated the introduction of storytelling in curriculum, Damayanti Bhattacharya, principal of Jasudben ML School which has associated with ACK says anything taught like a story, in a sequence, with developed logically, remains etched in the memory forever.
“Stories have fired the imagination of children and adults alike over centuries. The stories told by the Amar Chitra Katha artists, reflect the value systems on which a society is built. Universal concepts of right and wrong, good and bad can be taught through these stories that bring out these aspects of life. Storytelling brings clarity and the minute there is clarity, understanding a concept becomes easy,” she says.
The school will have a dedicated storytelling expert to train teachers and facilitators on how to integrate the storytelling scheme into the education system for primary classes.
ACK has been doing programmes based on traditional storytelling workshops or performances, theatre-based workshops or even storytelling through creative writing and art in various schools and corporates.
CBSE plans to soon launch a course in storytelling for teachers. Maintaining that storytelling pedagogy should not only be included in primary but higher classes too, Biswajit Saha, director, CBSE, says, “Storytelling is a popular tool for transformation and should be used by teachers across all levels to teach students. The board is soon going to introduce a course to train teachers in storytelling. Meanwhile, the board had two years back introduced a national level storytelling competition for students where they presented their storytelling skills to win prizes.”
SOURCE: Education Times, Times of India
