"Our Stories Matter" (a new book by Hans Hickler) can help students see that writing is a skill used throughout life.

Dan Pink has been writing for nearly a decade about the power of stories in advertising and persuasion.

I did a search on "the power of stories to persuade" and the list of articles confirms Pink's claim that stories often connect more than "facts."

A school mate Hans Hickler (a former CEO) sent me his book called Our Stories Matter.  These are 20 profiles of people whose "soulfulness impacted me and remained with me."

I recommend this book for classrooms.  I want to show students how adults take time to capture memories and share the stories that matter to us.  Hans has served educators by showing that adults other than writers and teachers (who both write for a living) can take time to capture thoughts and memories.  He took time to give value to his thoughts. 

 
The book was produced at McNally Jackson in New York.  

The process of writing a book takes time.  I like the phrase that Hans uses in the cover letter that he sent with the book.  He wrote that the book is part of his journey to create "the awareness that people need to lead with passion, strength and transparency."

50 Words -- Hans Hickler's Legacy for Teachers to Use to Make School Meaningful

What is the power of a simple question?

"How are you doing today?"

"You look down.  What's up?"

"What books are you reading now?"

Hans, a business coach, joins the ranks of non-teachers like Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Friedman, Dan Pink and others who have written prescriptions for teachers.  What do schools need to raise in class?  What ideas should be discussed?   What should students learn?

Why not click and give Hans some additional hits?   How about subscribing to his e-letter?  he's an executive coach and he wants to share some of the aiglon meditations with his clients.

Here is a message that I received from Hans

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I do a daily management blog through  my www.ellipsisadvisors.com website and would like to use some of the meditation messages from Aiglon College as inspiration for my blogs

Ellipsis Advisors LLC —

www.ellipsisadvisors.com

---------------   

So I sent him the following message:

here is the book    http://es.scribd.com/doc/44823702/The-Writings-of-John-Corlette

it has JC's meditations in text form

here is another version

DOC JC-SPEECH-32-pages-with-excerpts-from-the-Rule-Book.doc

HE REPLIED

Steve

thought you might be interested in checking out my blog at www.ellipsisadvisors.com

If you like it sign, up. Every day i send a short leadership lesson

also, would love some feedback or ideas on what you think i should write about.   

Ellipsis Advisors LLC —

www.ellipsisadvisors.com

He added: I am doing a lot of work with an organization called ashoka, which sponsors and supports social entrepreneurs around the world. about 600 of the entrepreneurs are engaged in one way or another in embedding values and empathy into children curriculums either through education or creative play models. I wrote a small book for my kids called "50 Words (A simple Legacy)" which is published in Amazon Kindle.(do a search for hans hickler on amazon) am now turning it into a website for teachers to use for their kids to write their 50 words book. the premise of the book is "if you could only p[ass 50 words in the english language on to the next generation, what words would they be" - an exercise in identifying personal values. will bring a copy of the book when i see you-speaking of which, how does 2 pm on 18th work for me to stop by and see you?

HERE IS THE LINK

to the kindle

http://www.amazon.com/50-Words-Simple-Legacy-ebook/dp/B008ELB060

WHY NOT GIVE A CLICK to see what he's done?

So, Hans has made an effort to tell teachers how to create discussions and thought-provoking lessons….

Imagine the discussions over the dinner table if this book were brought home in millions of homes?   

As a teacher and a trainer of teachers, I have a hard time finding valuable lessons that can connect to the real world.   When you see how this kindle book grew from Hans' desire to give his children something to think about, you can see why I'm so interested in the exercise.   I will be working with Hans to figure out a way to distribute the exercise to schools that are in need and that don't have funds for purchasing the book.   A limited exercise and lesson plan based on the book will be developed and you can request this free resource.   In exchange, please send photos and essays that your students create and give permission for Hans to share these documents and photos with other schools.    

This idea has the potential for being the "Tuesdays with Maury" for middle school and high school students.

There is the added benefit that your students will learn about Ashoka.  There's more to charity than United Way, UNICEF and Red Cross.   Send your submissions to TheEbookman@gmail.com and we'll publish together.

Conclusion:  I'm a teacher.  Do not trust that I know how to prepare your child for the future.   As Margaret Mead observed, one-third of the types of jobs have not been invented yet.  We have to prepare your children for a future that I won't live in, using words and technologies that have not yet been invented,  while using today's vocabulary.   It makes sense that I should teach your children how to learn, unlearn and relearn (Alvin Toffler's prescription).  Hans Hickler's book is a step in that direction.