REFLECTION- STORYTELLING  AS A TOOL FOR POTENTIAL DISCOVERING AND DEVELOPMENT

Bankole Ismail

Challenge and Selection

As a teacher and coach, storytelling has been one of the indispensable tools and techniques I use al the  time to help my students discover and develop their potential in such a way that they are able to pattern  their profession in line with their potential and passion.  Coaching students and adults who came out from  inner city schools were they never had the privilege of having a school guidance or career counsellors  could be very challenging. Many of these people came out from schools doing things they don’t like or  have passion for. The most pathetic part is the fact that they become a victim of workplace by getting  demoralized and demotivated as a result of the fact that they work with their own weakens instead of  using their strength to work. I saw the need to help them discover their strength and how they can direct  same to for optimal opportunity that could single them out in career path and job placement using  storytelling as a tool to inspire them and inform them on how they can use their natural empowerment  and talent to turn their lives around in job search and in workplace.  When I work with students, I share  stories of different stores to help them discover themselves and identify inherent potentials and talent  that can be channeled into a career or hobbies.  Often they think those skills are just what is different  from what they need to become in life. Thus, the stories shared help them to visualize the strength and  strategize and help nurture those abilities not just for academic purpose but for accomplishments in life.

Application

In my story telling strategy for design thanking for innovation, I tell students story of focusing on individual  strength and abilities and making them recognize each person as a unique being and indivisible entity with  distinctive ability and cannot be found even in identical twins. One of the most inspirational story I used  in my class is the Story of Olympic Competition in the Animal Kingdom.  In my story telling strategy, there  was a time when all animals decided to embarked on competition and a Committee was set up to sample  opinions from all animals on what would be the type of sport all animal should participate on. Though  every animal has its strength and weakness, but the outcome of the survey showed that, each animal  consulted recommended where they have strength. For instance, when fish was consulted, it  recommended that swimming should be part of the game but for lion, it recommendation was roaring  while elephant was trumpeting. The story ended up with the fact that the game could not hold as every  animal wanted the game to focus on area of strength and ability. Each animal actually has area of  specialization. Thus was an aberration for a fish to be sent to learn in Bird school, as fish can’t fly.   I made  the students to understand the simple principle of success and failure in life. That if one would discover  and develop what flows naturally from within, he would succeed effortlessly.

Insight and Approach

The eye opener from this insight and approach was wow! One of the students who was very gifted in  music but has a university degree and Oracle Certificate in Computer Science was so inspired and  motivated to the point that, he jumped up and had a heavy handshake with me. He has been searching  for job for years and nobody was calling him for one. He got himself and resolved he was going to pursue  music as a career. A few weeks from that time, he has started sending proposal to teach music in schools

and churches in the city and the wages were huge. This worked really well for him. Few years later, he  had gone for post graduate course in Music in University of Lagos, Nigeria. I think the storytelling had a  great impact on people, a lot of my students get lesson driven home to their faculty through storytelling  and bring out the giant in them and thus helping to rebrand their lives with the victual impact they reflect  on.

This course, Design Thinking for Innovation has also in a great deal impact and inspire me to see this tool  in a broad dimension. When I did that in the pass, it was not tool professional, but now, with the help of  this course, I can diversify and demystify more inspiring and visual story to get students and people  succeed in life. I am a good thinker before this time, but taking this course is an invaluable asset to me  and I am so indebted to Coursera.


REFLECTION- STORYTELLING AS A TOOL FOR POTENTIAL DISCOVERING AND DEVELOPMENT Bankole Ismail Challenge and Selection As a teacher and coach , storytelling has been one of the indispensable tools and techniques I use al the time to help my students discover and develop their potential in such a way that they are able to pattern their profession in line with their potential and passion . Coaching students and adults who came out from inner city schools were they never had the privilege of having a school guidance or career counsellors could be very challenging . Many of these people came out from schools doing things they do n’t like or have passion for . The most pathetic part is the fact that they become a victim of workplace by getting demoralized and demotivated as a result of the fact that they work with their own weakens instead of using their strength to work . I saw the need to help them discover their strength and how they can direct same to for optimal opportunity that could single them out in career path and job placement using storytelling as a tool to inspire them and inform them on how they can use their natural empowerment and talent to turn their lives around in job search and in workplace . When I work with students , I share stories of different stores to help them discover themselves and identify inherent potentials and talent that can be channeled into a career or hobbies . Often they think those skills are just what is different from what they need to become in life . Thus , the stories shared help them to visualize the strength and strategize and help nurture those abilities not just for academic purpose but for accomplishments in life . Application In my story telling strategy for design thanking for innovation , I tell students story of focusing on individual strength and abilities and making them recognize each person as a unique being and indivisible entity with distinctive ability and can not be found even in identical twins . One of the most inspirational story I used in my class is the Story of Olympic Competition in the Animal Kingdom . In my story telling strategy , there was a time when all animals decided to embarked on competition and a Committee was set up to sample opinions from all animals on what would be the type of sport all animal should participate on . Though every animal has its strength and weakness , but the outcome of the survey showed that , each animal consulted recommended where they have strength . For instance , when fish was consulted , it recommended that swimming should be part of the game but for lion , it recommendation was roaring while elephant was trumpeting . The story ended up with the fact that the game could not hold as every animal wanted the game to focus on area of strength and ability . Each animal actually has area of specialization . Thus was an aberration for a fish to be sent to learn in Bird school , as fish ca n’t fly . I made the students to understand the simple principle of success and failure in life . That if one would discover and develop what flows naturally from within , he would succeed effortlessly . Insight and Approach The eye opener from this insight and approach was wow ! One of the students who was very gifted in music but has a university degree and Oracle Certificate in Computer Science was so inspired and motivated to the point that , he jumped up and had a heavy handshake with me . He has been searching for job for years and nobody was calling him for one . He got himself and resolved he was going to pursue music as a career . A few weeks from that time , he has started sending proposal to teach music in schools and churches in the city and the wages were huge . This worked really well for him . Few years later , he had gone for post graduate course in Music in University of Lagos , Nigeria . I think the storytelling had a great impact on people , a lot of my students get lesson driven home to their faculty through storytelling and bring out the giant in them and thus helping to rebrand their lives with the victual impact they reflect on . This course , Design Thinking for Innovation has also in a great deal impact and inspire me to see this tool in a broad dimension . When I did that in the pass , it was not tool professional , but now , with the help of this course , I can diversify and demystify more inspiring and visual story to get students and people succeed in life . I am a good thinker before this time , but taking this course is an invaluable asset to me and I am so indebted to Coursera .