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SPIN-OFFS FROM LISTENING TO
STORY WE LISTEN TO LEARN WE TELL TO TEACHBut WE ALSO TELL TO LEARN AND LISTEN TO TEACH For all people, not only children, listening to a told story has many positive advantages that merge into one in particular. Listening to narrative gets the brain into gear, and that is learning! These advantages include Sparking imagination Driving intelligence Focusing concentration Creative problem solving strategies Thinking strategies improved Improving oral language skills Enlarging vocabulary Expanding perceptual horizons Explaining cultural, social, historical mores Putting history into context Reviving and setting down memories. Freeing emotions Relieving stress/promoting relaxation. Processing information. Using 8 intelligences (H.Gardner) Positive communication.
We Like to Imagine/problem
solve.
I believe we also need the interaction of spoken arts like storytelling, theatre, and conversation. Whatever is said by the teller is changed by our presence and our reaction. In oral storytelling, we become simultaneously the receivers of full-blown narrative and an indispensable part of the process. We need to be part of this kind of immediate, two-way interaction - while still meeting our needs for narrative, imagination, and community.
It is said that this is an age of distress—chronic unhealthy stress. The result of unrelieved stress is an excess of ‘fight or flight’ hormones, adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. These interfere with blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and neurotransmitters. Some ways of reducing stress include meditation—– - - - or changing the brain waves. So, maybe story
is a spell— a group of
words, as the dictionary tells us, that enchants, bewitches, entrances. A formula
believed to have magic power. We listen to magic. Reorganising brain wave
patterns The activity of the brain produces electromagnetic waveforms
known as brain waves. There are four categories of brainwaves, and each has its
own recognizable cycle. Therefore, knowing which brainwave state is most
conducive to an activity—be it peak output (high beta) or fully relaxation
(theta)—allows for the best result for that activity. Story reorganises brain waves to allow the predomination of alpha
waves. This is entrancing. The four major brainwave states are:
· Beta waves. These are found in the normal, waking state of consciousness. There is alertness, with a focus on the everyday activities of the world. Beta is also present during states of anxiety, tension, fear, and alarm. Beta waves have a frequency of more than 13 cycles per second. · Alpha waves. These accompany states of relaxed wakefulness, such as daydreaming and meditation. Sensory awareness, conceptual thinking, and strong emotions block them. Alpha waves have a frequency of 8-13 cycles per second. These waves disappear during sleep, and if the wakeful person's eyes open and focus, higher frequency beta waves replace the alpha waves. · theta waves. These are found in near-unconscious states, very deep meditation, and as you drift into or out of sleep. This rhythm has been connected to states of reverie that produce dreamlike imagery. Theta waves have a frequency of 4-7 cycles per second. · DELTA WAVES Found in the deepest part of the sleep cycle and in unconsciousness, these are the longest and slowest waves. Delta waves have a frequency below 4 cycles per second and occur during sleep. The combination of these brain wave states determines the
focus of action and contributes to various states of awareness. Re-organising
brain waves to work in partnership with the heart rate and the breath rate, and
all body pulses that are susceptible to the powerful effects of rhythm, would
be advantageous to those who are confused and/or agitated. To hear the rhythm of the spoken word, and
allow Alpha waves to dominate mental activity for a period of time, is to
soothe, to relax, to allow enjoyment, to relieve stress. This is one role of story spell re-vamping active
listening skills The ear has three basic functions. The first is the filtration and analysis of sound by a part of the ear called the cochlea. This function consists of two parts: hearing and listening. The second
function is balance and equilibrium, produced by the vestibular portion of
the inner ear. The cochlea and the vestibule are linked to each other and the
brain. Through its strong influence on the fight against gravity and motion
detection, the vestibule influences balance, equilibrium, coordination, and
muscle tone. The most
controversial function is the charging or recharging of brain, and in
turn the body. A “vibration sensor” within the ear sends this electric message
to the brain to give both it and the body energy. This charge sends messages to
joints, bones, and muscles and provides the energy to think, create, and move. · Therefore - - - Hearing is a passive process. It is merely detecting the sounds around us. · Listening is an active process. It requires the conscious desire to determine the meaning of what we hear. It requires the skill to filter out obtrusive sounds and focus. A story spell activates listening skills. RECHARGE THE BRAIN WITH HIGH FREQUENCY SOUND Dr. Alfred Tomatis researched the power of sound to expand mental capability, to heal, and to energise. He measured music to check how different sound frequencies affect the body. He concluded that the ear is made not only for hearing, but is also to energize the brain and body. His results showed that fatigue, burnout, and the debilitating effects of stress come when the central grey nuclei cells in the brain run low on electrical potential. These cells act like small electrical batteries, generating brain electricity, powering the brainwaves. They are not recharged by body metabolism, but by external high-frequency sound. The middlemen are the remarkable Corti cells in the cochlea. Arranged in rows, 24,600 long-stemmed cells dance in perfect precision to each sound. The energy produced by this dance flows to the brain and some of it also splits off through the vestibular branch of the auditory nerve and flashes to the muscles of the body. High frequency sound energizes the brain while at the same time, releasing muscle tension and balancing the body, and even affecting posture. But that jolt of energy is lost if the high-frequency sounds cannot be heard. We are born with wide-ranging hearing, able to pick up sounds as low as 16 cycles a second and as high as over 20,000 cycles. Then age, sometimes ear infections, and almost always noise pollution take their toll and reduce our range of hearing. According to Tomatis, one of the reasons we start to feel less energetic as we age is that the higher pitched sounds that could energize us, are no longer heard. Sounds from 5,000 hertz to 8,000 hertz recharge "brain batteries" most rapidly. Dr Tomatis found that the music richest in these ultra high-frequency recharging sounds is the music of Mozart. Low-frequency sounds, such as noise from traffic, airports, construction sites etc deplete mind and body. Some of the low pounding sounds in rock music are also "brain drain" sounds. Perhaps the human voice cannot always reach the frequency of a violin - - but storytelling can, by using an ‘active’ concert – A story spell cast with music can recharge the brain. REFIRING THE IMAGINATION. Imagination,
forming a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor
present to the senses: the ability to confront and deal with reality
by using the creative power of the mind. This is the tool that human beings use to amplify their cognition. We use tools to extend our physical capacities; we also use tools to amplify our thinking. Everyone possesses a considerable degree of imagery. To create a mental image is to "imagine," and the power of imagination is almost limitless. This ability to put common images together in the mind to create new images is invaluable, if not essential to the process of memory. Most people
use imagery in memory. The mind finds it much easier to attach sensory associations
of one form or another to abstract concepts and remember the image patterns
created. Recall is
improved by creating strong associative images. Words evoking a strong mental
image are easily remembered. The more vivid the imagery, it seems, the more
stable is the memory. Thus, imagery strengthens links. Everyone's
memory can be improved by making a greater use of imagery. Many children are
able to maintain a strong, full-colour visual image of a scene and
"see" the details in it for some time afterward, sometimes even days.
Most children, however, lose this capacity as they grow up, probably because
our educational system has been orientated more toward the verbal faculties
associated with the left hemisphere than the visual ones of the right.
A story spell sparks the imagination ENJOYMENT RECREATING MEMORIES,
RESURFACING of EMOTIONS. LEARNING and MEMORY are positively affected when people
laugh and have fun. Chemicals are released in the brain, and these affect
learning in a positive way. Neuroscientists have noted that arousal causes
chemical cocktails- noradrenaline, adrenaline, encephalin, vasopressin, ACTH
(adreno-cortico steroid hormone) to spill out. These chemicals are memory
fixatives...they signal the brain, ‘this is important, keep this!’ A story spell can relax and entertain A story spell can bring back memories, emotions,
rekindle laughter, and relieve stress. Responding to Basic needs Abraham Maslow is known for establishing this theory. He postulated that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs must be met before higher needs can be satisfied. He felt that people are basically trustworthy, self-protecting, and self-governing. Humans tend toward growth and love. According to Maslow, there are general types of needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied before a person can act unselfishly. He called these needs "deficiency needs." As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, we are moving towards growth, toward self-actualization. Satisfying needs is healthy; blocking gratification makes us sick or evil. Physiological
Needs Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they are alleviated, we may think about other things. Safety Needs Safety needs are mostly psychological in nature. They have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. I believe that in this area listening to stories meets
the needs of many folk—a need to feel that there is an individual and personal
message in the story. Love and
belonging Needs Love and belongingness are next on the ladder. Humans have a
desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family,
gangs, etc. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) and accepted by others. We need
to be needed. I believe that either being in a group listening to stories,
or on a one-to-one basis meets the love and belonging need of many folk; the social need to mix with others, the need
for entertainment. Esteem Needs There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem,
which results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's the
attention and recognition that comes from others the ’mana’ they give us. I
believe that when stories are told that are recognisably similar to those of
their lives, experiences, personalities, many folk feel as if their esteem and
mana have been elevated. Esteem needs
are met; the basic need to communicate on a deeper level with another – the
deeper level being the layers of meaning within a story that is the metaphor. Self-Actualization
The need for self-actualization is "the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, aesthetic experiences, self-fulfilment, or oneness with God. I believe that stories told and heard can be meet an
aesthetic need for beauty, regularity and form through expressive language,
music and rhythm. If we encourage folk to tell their own story, many
self-actualisation needs will be met. A story spell can meet safety, love and belonging and
esteem needs. A story spell
allows movement towards growth and self-actualisation. A story spell
also meets aesthetic needs, with rhythm and beauty of words, Six
thinking hats for problem solving/creative thinking.  This method is used in many schools to initiate creative thinking and problem solving skills. It has been devised by Dr.Edward de Bono, and uses six hats of different colours. To relate this to listening to story and problem-solving/creative thinking, we must consider the genre of the told story, the problems faced by the hero/heroine face, and what outcome might have resulted if a different solution had been chosen. Information
processing Seeing, listening,
doing. The prime implication for this reason to listen to story is for those of
us who learn by doing—the kinaesthetic learners. The ‘doing’ is
the forming of images, the transforming of words heard to pictures. It is the firing, sparking of imagination. The ‘listening’ or auditory learner is fired in the same
way. The visual learner may benefit as well if a provided with
a visual ‘focus’ - a picture, maybe, or a 3-D symbol/metaphor/ prop that
cements the conceptual image. THE
CONCEPT OF 8 INTELLIGENCES OR TALENTS.  This theory of Dr.Howard Gardner, proposes that we each have eight
(possibly more) ways of learning. Some of us are adept one specific talent to
great advantage—others at using all of these
to learn. It is to be remembered that a ‘told’
story may combine words as poetry, lyrics of song, and gestures/dance TO SUMMARISE. We listen to a story
spell because We need narrative to learn more easily We like to imagine/problem solve We yearn to interact/communicate with others. We need some way to relieve chronic stress Listening to a story spell can soothe agitation and
confusion by:- Revamping active listening skills Recharging the brain Reorganising brain wave patterns Responding to basic needs Relaxing, Recreating memories, and resurfacing emotions. Refiring the imagination Listening to story spell
can assist learning by appealing to Ways of information processing Eight intelligences theory (Howard Gardner) Six thinking hats concept ( Edward de Bono) There are many other theories of learning, which include motivation, arousal, scaffolding etc. LISTENING TO A TOLD STORY has benefits that fit most of
these theories.
I acknowledge a paper presented by Dr. Alfred Tomatis and the co-relating evidence produced by other researchers. ANNETTE KNOWLER. B.Ed.
Diploma in Teaching (tertiary)
Advanced Diploma in Nursing. Registered General and Obstetric Nurse. I am currently the President
of the NZ Guild of Storytellers, and have been a Professional Storyteller for
five years. |