Rethinking WHAT we Teach: Content-Based Storytelling (CBS)
Second in the professional development series
Our interconnected global era demands that students are world savvy meaning that they have knowledge of the world, understand how it works and are able to communicate with its peoples.
Content-Based Storytelling (CBS) is a combination of the teaching strategies of TPRS (how we teach) with the goal of Content-Based Instruction – teaching subject content in a language that the students are learning (what we teach).
In this workshop, learn the three basic steps of TPRS: 1) Establish Meaning, 2) Storytelling, and, 3) Reading. TPRS places emphasis on acquiring language through comprehensible input. First, make sure that students understand the language. Then, practice oral and written language via storytelling and reading. Special emphasis is given to questioning techniques that make the storytelling interactive and provide the repetition to make the language “stick” in long-term memory. The training’s open-ended format accommodates teachers who have never done any storytelling teaching along with teachers who are experienced in the techniques.
Then discover how these highly effective teaching strategies are adapted to teaching nonfiction content. As learners acquire their new language they can also learn about the world by using geography, history, biography, current events and literature as the content base of the lessons.
Experience
- Modeled CBS steps
- Guided small group practice teaching
- Modeled extension activities to speaking and writing
Reflect
- What are your personal strengths as you do a CBS lesson?
- What skills need polish? How will you learn these skills?
Analyze
- What are essential components of each CBS step?
- How can variations keep CBS fresh and interesting?
- How can students learn grammar from comprehensible narrative?
Integrate
- How can you start doing some CBS in your classes?
- How can you go beyond your current performance level of CBS?
