I think that Perry’s research offers a good foundation for teaching students of all different backgrounds. As she stated, her small research study focused on three participants should not be thought of as a generalized study for all refugees. She noted that even within the Sudanese refugee communities, feelings towards storytelling varied from tribe to tribe and person to person. While it is true that we should not generalize the situations of all refugees (or immigrants), I think it wouldn’t do any harm to practice the storytelling techniques she discovered in her research with students in our own classrooms. We must keep in mind, however, that “No refugee should be forced to share his or her story with others, and educators must exercise sensitivity and discretion in using storytelling in their classrooms.
While reading Perry’s article, I was reminded of Zonnie and the fact that she did not like to write fictional stories. Her poetry, like the Def Jam poetry, could have been used as her mode of storytelling. Perry stated that the purpose of storytelling with Sudanese refugees was changing from maintaining history and culture into educating the world of the situations that society sometimes chooses to ignore. I think Lamont Carey has the same purpose in his poetry. Although he has not participated in a civil war in his country, he seems to feel at war with the education system that has failed him. To me, this shows that the “Transformed Storytelling” described by Perry can apply to a variety of people in a variety of situations. If students feel that there is an authentic purpose behind their writing, they will feel a desire to write. That authentic purpose could be simply making others in the class aware of their community situations or it could be as complicated as trying to convince a principal to allow afterschool clubs focused on Native American dancing. Through Perry’s article I learned that, by encouraging our students to speak up about situations that may be difficult in their lives, we may be creating more effective eager writers.
Andrea Schlobohm
Comments (4)
Andrea,
You are correct that Perry’s research is meaningful and a great example for educators but was not intended to serve as a universal statement for working with all refugees. Obviously careful consideration should be given to each individual and their situation. However, I do feel that encouraging our students at any level and regardless of their background to voice their stories if they feel comfortable is important. It can be a therapeutic exercise for the individual, a means of finding new confidence, as well as exposing others to a broader world view. All important and authentic reasons for using the storytelling techniques with our students.
Posted by Ruth Ann Timmons | June 17, 2011 5:03 PM
Posted on June 17, 2011 17:03
I've been guilty of generalization among an array of situations. Storytelling was one of them, and this article opened my eyes to the fact that storytelling isn't just a form of entertainment where one expressively accentuates the details of a legend or myth. While those are important to cultures, as also mentioned in Perry's article, where the story tries to teach the audience about something, storytelling transitions into something so much more. In fact, Carey's performance would have been just a monologue of truth for me to open the mind's eye of the audience. Instead, after reading Perry's article, I now understand that storytelling is often a personal experience that aims at bring attention and awareness to an unjust situation in order to bring the audience to a "call of action." Carey did just that as the Sudanese orphans and refugees did. Therefore, teachers need to make sure that students understand all that storytelling involves so that they too can bring out their inner storyteller in them. The truth can become a mode of making others aware in an entertaining arena.
Posted by Melissa Riley | June 17, 2011 9:36 PM
Posted on June 17, 2011 21:36
I agree that if students feel there is an authentic purpose behind their writing, I feel that they will be more eager and willing to write. As a storyteller, our students could teach the other students, as well as us, about their culture, beliefs, traditions, etc. It will make them feel like they are the teacher; they are educating the minds of others. I find that this is a role that most students like to fill. The reason I became a teacher is because I wanted to educate the minds of children. Ultimately, I believe, education is power!
Posted by Lisa Beach | June 17, 2011 11:27 PM
Posted on June 17, 2011 23:27
I'm so glad that you brought up the multi-genre aspects of storytelling! What a wonderful integration of the readings that you mention. Very smart to see these connections!
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 20, 2011 9:53 AM
Posted on June 20, 2011 09:53