Crack-A-Story is a multi-purpose site for our young people and their educators, including parents and carers. We offer activities, tips, ideas, mentoring and much more. The site has different categories for educators and students across primary and secondary school stages. Importantly, this site does not differentiate between countries or cultures. It is for young people and educators all over the world. We encourage you to embrace the resources that include stories about places and cultures that are very different from your own. Crack-A-Story is a global community that celebrates togetherness and the strength we gain by learning from each other.
COMMUNICATION
The way we communicate is constantly evolving, but at the core of all communication is ‘meaning making.’ How do we best communicate our meanings? And how do others make meaning of our communications?
The answers to these questions depend on how we understand and apply the following ‘C’s.
CONTEXT
To ‘make meaning’, we need to understand context. In simple terms, context is the circumstances and conditions which relate to an event.
Cultural understanding often plays a significant role in context. The more we know, the more we can make meaning
CONNECTION
Throughout human history, stories have assumed many shapes and forms: cave paintings, ancient myths, text messages, songlines, movies, campfire sing-alongs, books…Never has a society existed without some form of storytelling. Stories make us think and feel. Stories help connect us with ourselves, others, and our world.
When we understand what these connections mean, we realise that stories have immeasurable power, and they need to be respected by both the teller and those who make meaning from them.
CRACK IN THE SKY
How do you see the world? When an adult looks at lightning, they may consider they’ve seen a bolt of electricity, but when a child looks at lightning, they may see the sky cracking open.
One of our biggest enemies in learning is ‘assumption.’ Sometimes we are tarnished by knowing too much and it can help if we strip back that knowledge and look at the world through the eyes of a child, using curiosity and wonder; this in turn leads to developing lifelong skills such as critical and creative thinking that transcend storytelling.
Our interpretation of ‘literacy’ is evolving. We live in a multimodal age in which narratives are much more diverse than the traditional method of writing words on a page. Think of the creativity of animations, online games, podcasts, and so on. Today’s young people read and make meaning in ways different to the ones practised by previous generations, and it’s the responsibility of educators to embrace these ways. There is so much to explore in this space, and that’s exactly what we are going to do at Crack-A-Story. Although resources about writing are a key component of this website, we want to go on a much more expansive literacy and communication journey. If there are areas you would like us to explore, please let us know.
Regardless of what we discover and discuss, we are driven by the belief that storytelling skills are transferable, and should not be constrained by formal learning. For example, the ability to ask questions and interpret information are basic tools of the storytelling trade that also have immeasurable value in everyday situations. All of us can benefit from packing these tools in our toolbox.
Above all else, Crack-A-Story is driven by the need to create a fun and positive learning environment, and that is why we have developed our Golden Understandings.
Ever since I was a boy growing up in rural Australia, I have always loved stories in all their shapes and forms. During my adult life as a writer, traveller, and educator, I have discovered stories in many far-flung places, and I’ve never stopped being inspired by what I’ve learnt from the people I’ve met and the places I’ve gone to.
Among many other experiences, I have lived and worked in India, a country I first visited as a TV reporter covering the 1996 Cricket World Cup, and I have since visited many times.
Also, I have worked as a volunteer at community centres in Ecuador and Ethiopia, and because of my love for running I’ve competed in several international marathons including New York 2001 less than two months after the 9-11 tragedy.
From trekking in Patagonia to being lost in Lahore, I’ve had experiences that continually inspire me to help young people across the world find their voices. And these voices, from all walks of life, can be heard through stories. Stories bring us together and pull us apart; either way, they help us make us who we are, and they also help us make sense (and not make sense!) of our world.
Crack-A-Story is a lifetime in the making. I hope this site will engage young people everywhere and encourage them to explore and experiment with storytelling. Importantly, the content in these pages may help students get better marks in assessments, however that is not my aim. My aim is to generate fun, interest, and engagement. I want to see imaginations being used, minds thinking critically, and the growth of such essential qualities as empathy, compassion, and the understanding and embracing of different cultures. Storytelling has the power to do all of this. So, please explore these pages, but be prepared: You may never know where this journey may take you.
Smiles,
James Knight
Author, Journalist, TV producer
M. Ed (Contemporary Literacies)
Member: Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators; Children’s Book Council of Australia
