Storytelling is two-way – about SBLs? Washington DC conference

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Storytelling is two-way

How does my hero, the blind swordsman, listens and catches a fly with chopsticks?

I learned from the conference “Organizational Storytelling” (Smithsonian, Washington DC, April 16-18, 2009):

Storytelling is two way skill – telling and listening. I understood a while back about telling. Listening has not occured to me until now. I continue to ask: can someone listen completely without the mind automatically interpreting the teller’s story? Does listening mean putting a hold on our interpretations to encourage the teller? Does interpreting mean interrupting? What is effective listening? In-person and in e-Learning?

Back to e-Learning, how do online learners “listen”? It must be more difficult to “listen” to a character in an SBL, online scenarios? How do we encourage better listening by online learners? What replaces listening or how is the transformation to other skills.. maybe?

I wonder if allowing learners in SBLs to make choices is a way of listening? Would it add value if after the SBL we ask learners three questions:

What do you like with the story?

What image do you remember th emost?

How do apply what you learned?

Allow learners to share their answers to the group.

I remember my hero the Blind Swordsman, Zatoichi, how does he catches a fly with with chopsticks?
He must have another, which others do not have … just because they sight.

How do we make our SBLs two way?

Ray Jimenez, PhD