Learning Lore

Ebba Lisberg Jensen

Ebba Lisberg Jensen is a human ecologist, who for many years did research on forestry, biodiversity and sustainable urban development. She is a frequent participant in the storytelling group here at the department of pedagogical, curricural and professional studies. She is a humanities scholar always ending up in biology. Presently, Ebba is a senior lecturer at the teacher education at the University of Gothenburg. Her main professional focus is education for sustainable development, namely how individuals and society understand ecosystem functions and the interdependence between humans and nature. Privately, Ebba cherishes all forms of history, fairytales and Nordic sentimental song lyrics.

Abdulrahman Abou Dahesh

Abdulrahman is a Fulbright scholar from Lebanon and holds a MSc in Neuroscience from The University of Texas at Dallas. He is interested in teaching neuroscience to children as a form of science education and social-emotional learning. At his startup, Neurochem Lab, Abdul develops neuroscience educational programs, using storytelling as his primary learning approach.

Si Poole

Dr Si Poole, is an Associate Professor of Cultural Education at the University of Chester, UK; He is a folklorist, trustee of the Mythstories museum and a Director and Researcher at the Centre for Research into Education, Creativity and Arts through Practice (RECAP). His work currently focuses on gardening in education, and as the founder and holder of the National Plant collection of Mentha, his work champions gardening as a creative praxis and considers what that means for communities; his research also covers a wide array of other creative praxes and pedagogies; storytelling; walking methodologies; and the intercultural use of music; informal songwriting; and arts, and crafts, based initiatives. He has worked in 18 countries developing research initiatives and presenting interactive vocal performances, most recently as a Visiting Professor at Gothenburg University, and next month a Visiting Professor at Uppsala University, Sweden. Si is also a published poet; Managing Director of Soil Records; and has written and released seven albums to critical acclaim and is still singing and songwriting with 'the loose kites’ to this day.

Clare Murphy

Dublin born storyteller Clare Murphy has worked with story for 19 years. SHe has performed on stages around Europe and the Americas for audiences of 5000 people. She tells myth, folklore, wisdom tales, science, and history, as well as the occasional true story. She teaches and consults with all kinds of people and organisations worldwide from The Royal Shakespeare Company to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to The New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team.

Rachelle Breuer and Andrea Mercier-Droste

Meet two teacher educators from Ludwigsburg in Germany. They have experience of using storytelling in language teaching. Andrea tells a bilingual version of Little red riding hood. Rachelle Breuer, M.A. has taught college-level EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and German as a Foreign Language in the U.S. and Germany, and she currently works as an EFL instructor / academic staff member in the Institute of English at Ludwigsburg University of Education. Andrea Mercier-Droste, M.A. has taught college-level EFL/ESL (English as a Foreign/Second Language) in the U.S. and. Germany, as well as Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in Germany. She currently works as a linguistics instructor / academic staff member in the Institute of English at Ludwigsburg University of Education, Germany. Her professional interests include bilingualism/multilingualism, language identity, language bans and bias, language acquisition and language attitudes. She has a passion for bilingual storytelling, code-switching, debunking myths about bilinguals/multilinguals, and encouraging a more inclusive definition of bilingualism/multilingualism.