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Family storytelling was the subject of the program at our August 25th meeting.   Telling stories to family members is important because stories help connect one generation to another. The speaker, Leann Shamash, also provided attendees with some storytelling techniques.  Below are some additional storytelling resources that could prove to be very useful

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No matter how many times that grandparents may have shared their favourite memories with their children, the stories are new to grandkids, who are likely to enjoy hearing about the way life used to be. Grandchildren usually relate well to their parents’ parents and find them endlessly entertaining – and of course, grandparents return that sentiment!


http://www.proudgrandparents.co.uk/sharing-your-life-story-with-your-grandparents.html

 

Kids love stories.  

Think about the types of stories you might tell them.

Stories about your grandchildren when they were tiny.

Stories about their parents (your children) when they were children

Stories about you when you were a child, or

Stories about things that used to be around and aren’t around anymore. (land-line telephones for example!)

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Storytelling For Families

Storytelling is rapidly becoming a dying art in our culture, but if we lose our stories we lose parts of ourselves. In this busy, fractured, speed-of-light world, our stories all too often go ungathered. We’ve largely abandoned the tradition of chatting around family dinner tables and spending long evenings on front porches while the young folks sit at the knee of the older ones. I can’t tell you how often, as I’m out speaking about my books, someone in the audience expresses regret at not having recorded the recollections of a mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandparent or neighbor.

https://www.agelessonline.net/storytelling-with-grandchildren/

 

Keep your stories age appropriate

Vary your expressions

Vary voice quality and speed

Add visual aids

 

We are the “Keepers of the Tale!”


 

https://www.mensaforkids.org/teach/lesson-plans/the-art-of-storytelling/

 

 

The story mountain. Getting from the beginning to the end of your story.

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Introduction to the Storytelling V.  Using different voices for different characters.

Vary your methods.  Vary your voices and your speed. Use your hands.

Effective storytelling is a fine and beautiful art. A well-developed and presented story can cut across age barriers and will hold the interest and reach its listeners. Stories will be remembered long after other orations. Knowing and applying the basics of storytelling will strengthen your stories.

You are most welcome to copy and use this document! It is about 6 printed pages long. You might read some of the good books available on how to tell stories as well.

https://www.eldrbarry.net/roos/eest.htm

 

Don’t ramble

Don’t go on to long

Come to an ending and end!

Practice your story in front of the mirror

Be enthusiasm


 

Storytelling For Families

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Storytelling is rapidly becoming a dying art in our culture, but if we lose our stories we lose parts of ourselves. In this busy, fractured, speed-of-light world, our stories all too often go ungathered. We’ve largely abandoned the tradition of chatting around family dinner tables and spending long evenings on front porches while the young folks sit at the knee of the older ones. I can’t tell you how often, as I’m out speaking about my books, someone in the audience expresses regret at not having recorded the recollections of a mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandparent or neighbor.

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https://lisawingate.com/storytelling-for-families/

 

Great website!

Questions that act as storytelling prompts

Using family heirlooms as story prompts

Ways to incorporate storytelling into your children’s and grandchildren’s lives


 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq2B35pxkvM

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http://tellingstoriesforchildren.com

 

Telling stories for children can be fun for any family member, but there is a special joy in grandparents telling stories to grandchildren. The author of the "DaddyTeller" (http://www.daddyteller.com) book, K. Sean Buvala, shares three tips so that grandparents can learn how to tell a story to their "grands." Sean Buvala has been professionally storytelling for nearly 25 years and teaches workshops across the United States on how adults, and especially dads and grandfathers, can build up the children in their lives through storytelling techniques. Go grab some storytelling stories and get started todayA video about the basics of storytelling for grandparents.  Short and informative!


 

https://howtotellstoriestochildren.com/

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Fantastic and interesting collection of why telling stories is important and scientific back-up that listening to a story helps you remember facts better.

 

Description of the Storytelling Loop  

 

Reality  to imagination to new reality

 

Building relationships is at the heart of storytelling.

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Cutting the Cable Cord

 

Moving from cable tv to internet streaming

 

Mirroring your mobile or PC to your tv

 

Overview

 

  • What are we covering today

  • Converting from cable tv to internet live streaming tv to save money and pay for only what you want

  • Watching mobile phone and pc content, e.g. Zoom or Facebook live streams, on your tv

 

Live Stream TV

  • Connecting your TV to the internet to stop paying so much for cable

Live Stream TV

  • Connecting your TV to the internet to stop paying so much for cable

Cable TV Conversion

 

  • Most of us are paying a lot of money each month to Comcast to watch tv

  • CostXfinity Double Play (Premier Internet + TV /DVR service) for 2 televisions costs about $210 per month

  • Premium channels add even more

 

  • Streaming TV Recurring Costs

  • Live streaming TV over the Internet can save you money and provide flexibility to watch almost anywhere

  • Cost

Xfinity Performance Pro Internet

  • Streaming live TV service with DVR, e.g Hulu + or YouTube TV

  • Monthly cost - $130 to $160

  • Move your service to almost anywhere with a WiFi connection or on your smartphone

 

Streaming Requirements

  • TV with HDMI connection port *

  • Streaming adapter e.g. Roku or Amazon Firestick

  • High Speed WiFi Internet service

  • Sufficient WiFi bandwidth at the TV adapter

 

Live streaming TV service with DVR

  • Smart TV may work for you but limited, e.g. Hulu+ or YouTube Live

  • Make Sure You Have Enough Internet Speed

  • Measure your WiFi speed at your TV locations to make sure you have sufficient

  • bandwidth (25mbps for HDTV)Speed Test or Xfinity X1 apps can measure speeds

  • Measure multiple times per day to see variation

  • You might need to get a WiFi extender if your bedroom or basement TV is far from your WiFi router (about $30)

 

Streaming Devices

 

  • Roku, Amazon Firestick, Chromecast with Google TV, TiVo, Stream, etc.

  • Device and Streaming Service Costs and Limitations

  • Adapters: connect TV to internet and provide on demand apps

  • Roku - $30 - $140, no HBO Max app

  • Amazon Firestick - $40 - $50, no HBO Max app

  • Chromecast with Google TV - $50, no Apple TV app

  • Live Streaming Services: provide live tv

  • Hulu Plus - $61/month, 60+ live channels, 2 simultaneous screens (additional $15/month for DVR and unlimited screens)

  • YouTube TV - $65/mo, 85+ live channels, 3 simultaneous screens, unlimited DVR

 

 

 

 

Set Up

Pretty simple to set up

  • Connect the streaming device to the HDMI port of your TV and connect to power, if required

  • Turn on your TV and set the source to the HDMI port

  • Follow the on screen instructions and connect the device to your WiFi

  • Download the Hulu Plus or YouTube TV app and sign up for an account

  • Login to your new live streaming account

  • You are good to go!

  • You can add and delete premium services when you want

  • Connecting Additional TV’s

  • Purchase an additional streaming device

  • Connect the streaming device to the HDMI port of your TV and connect to power, if required

  • Turn on your TV and set the source to the HDMI port

  • Follow the on screen instructions and connect the device to your WiFi

  • Download the Hulu Plus or YouTube TV app and Login to your live streaming account with the

  • credentials from your first TV

  • Now you’re all set!

 

Screen Mirroring

  • Watching content from your mobile device or PC on your TV

  • Wired connection vs wireless

  • Wired Connection

  • Best solution for Apple devices is lightning adapter to HDMI cable to TV

  • To connect an Android phone or tablet to a

  • TV you can use an MHL/Slim/Port (via

  • Micro USB) or Micro HDMI adapter, if

  • supported

  • For PC use an HDMI cable to connect

  • directly to the TV

In most cases you just need to connect your phone or PC to the TV

Wireless Mirroring

 

  • Wireless Mirroring Requirements

  • TV with HDMI port

  • iPhone, Android smartphone, tablet or PC

  • High speed WiFi service

  • TV mirroring adapter, e.g. Chromecast, Roku,or Apple TV adapter (ridiculously expensive at $190)

  • Mobile phone or PC and TV mirroring adapter connected to the same WiFi network

  • Each 3rd party app is required to mirror to the adapter. This limits usefulness. Facebook Live and YouTube work

  • beautifully. Zoom doesn’t have this ability. Google claims if you use their Chrome browser it can mirror content. I haven’t been successful with this.

  • There are separate apps that claim they can mirror anything to the adapter. They charge money and the mirror quality

  • is pretty poor

 

Summary

  • Technology is pretty advanced to switch from cable TV to internet streamed TV

  • You can save money every month

  • You can watch your service in different locations and on different devices with little effort

  • Decide on which adapter and streaming service based on your needs

  • Mirroring content from your mobile or PC to your TV is easy with a wired adapter

  • Wireless mirroring still has a way to go before I would use it

 

References

Streaming Devices

Roku:  https://www.roku.com/products/players

Amazon Firestick: https://www.amazon.com/fire-stick/s?k=fire+stick

Google Chromecast with Google TV: https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast_google_tv

 

Live Streaming Services

Hulu Plus: https://www.hulu.com/live-tv

YouTube TV: https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/?zipcode=02067

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