Event Information
OUR PRESENTATION: "The Gift of Story – Connections” This two-part presentation will illustrate why stories are important in the language- learning classroom. Before the written word, story was an artistic and oral tradition. The art of story-telling encourages the speaker to use language to develop characters, settings, plots and timelines. A good story-teller will make the audience listen; a great story-teller will teach and the audience will walk away wanting to know more. Great stories connect the speaker and the listener linguistically and culturally. Robert will teach us about this connection through story, historical facts and scientific data and explain how and why story-telling should and could be used in our language learning classes at all levels and academic settings. About Our Presenter: Robert has been an educator for over 40 years. He retired in 2006, as a Program Consultant for the DCDSB, with responsibilities in ESL/ELD, The Arts, and Teacher/Librarians. He has written numerous educational books since 1973, with over 160 titles published to date ranging from classroom textbooks to stories for children of all ages. His latest work for Rubicon Publishing has involved editing (with David Bouchard and David Booth), authoring Turtle Island Voices, Aboriginal books for Grades 1 to 8, as well as writing the book Get Real! for Pearson Education’s Well Aware series. Robert interweaves his interests in science, history and his Kanienkeha’ka (Mohawk) ancestry with the ideas of storytelling, writing and presentations to give a unique perspective on everyday life. Robert is also a member of the Aboriginal Education Advisory Circle for the Durham Catholic District School Board. |
NEW!! Presentation Feedback
Posted: June 2015 Thank you Declan for taking the time to share this with us. We love to hear what you think about our events!! Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us. _____________________ I want to tell you a short story about an extraordinary man who told an extraordinary story. His name is Robert Cutting, author of Bear, Turtle Island Voices and many other books of Aboriginal oral history. He has been an educator for over forty years. He was the guest speaker at the March 7, 2015 TESL Durham Spring Workshop and Annual General Meeting. I have been attending TESL Durham workshop meetings for about three years now and I have always been struck by what a pleasant experience it usually leaves with me. Each time I have spent a few hours with my TESL colleagues in such a warm and inviting atmosphere on a Saturday morning, I have found myself musing about what the experience has added to my professional capabilities. Sometimes it is only a little, such as making a new acquaintance or an interesting discussion with members about teaching moments. However, more often it is a lot, such as with this latest workshop. As the Spring Workshop invitation crossed my desk, the words: "Gift of Story - Connections, A Presentation by Robert Cutting", caught my eye. I stopped for a moment to read what it said. Could I afford to miss this? What would I lose if I did? What would I gain?
I would encourage all members of TESL Durham to consider how much you might gain by coming out to the next meeting or workshop. Chances are that you will learn a lot, as I did; and you will meet some very nice new friends with whom you can discuss your classroom experiences. You will contribute to your own success in teaching as you add your creative juices to those of your colleagues. You will be warmly received and you won't ever go away hungry, as the food is great and well-presented. On the other hand, you might hunger for more experiences like this! It is a few hours well-spent June, 2015 From: Declan M. Nolan, TESL Durham Member To: TESL Durham Members |