Writopia Gets Kids to Tell Their Stories
Programs like Writopia are in demand because people are storytelling, communicative creatures, or “story-telling animals,” as evolutionary psychologist Jonathan Gottschall puts it. In an article in Education Forum, Writopia director Danielle Sheeler elaborates: “Cultivating wholehearted teaching and learning is much like cultivating a meaningful conversation with a friend. There are three necessary elements. First is play … witty banter, games, puns, shooting hoops.… Second is authenticity. Far from an exchange of pleasantries and small talk, a wholehearted conversation is full of processing worries, venting complaints, talking about scary decisions. Third is listening and giving feedback. One person recognizes what the other person is saying … nodding and saying, “good point! Other times, it may be telling your close friend something they may not want
to hear.”