Nova Scotia

Storytelling by Margan Dawson

Long before there were written records, there was storytelling. We are all storytellers. Stories were central to how I learned when I was growing up and it is the stories that I heard in my literacy classroom that had huge impacts on how I conducted my practice. I heard stories of success, adversity, and of overcoming hardship and barriers. These are the stories we collect as researchers in the daily process of our practice. By paying attention to these stories we improve our practice; stories are also a means for participants to reclaim voice.

• Storytelling for learning—research in action
• Storytelling in the classroom—learning that occurs through the telling of stories
• Storytelling as research—learning that occurs through listening to stories

I use images of people in circles, teaching, telling or listening to stories. I also use the symbol of fire. Fire is a source of light and energy, and a focal point around which people gather and share. Fire implies risk, as there is a risk in opening ourselves up to both telling our stories and listening to the stories of others. There’s an issue of safety or trust that has to be addressed. My images depict fire encircled by stones and therefore controlled and made safe.

There are three panels. In the first the fire spirals upwards, signifying growth and learning. This represents ancient times, when stories were used for rituals and celebration. In the medieval era, depicted on the second panel, knowledge was shared through stories passed from masters to apprentices. The contemporary era is shown in the third panel using a boat on a beach with a circle of stones. Stories are depicted as a way to connect with each other, to share what we are, to learn from each other, and to reclaim voice.