What if your classroom became a living story your students could step into?
In this Deep Dive, you’ll learn how to design rich, story-driven experiences—from world-building to character creation to dynamic, unfolding narratives—and then bring them to life through play.
Storytelling is already a familiar tool in classrooms. We read stories, analyze them, and discuss their meaning. This session invites educators to take the next step: not just working with stories, but co-creating them with learners in real time.
In this immersive, full-day Deep Dive, participants will step into collaborative storytelling through accessible tabletop role-playing experiences. You’ll take on the role of a learner—making decisions, inhabiting characters, navigating uncertainty, and shaping a shared narrative alongside others.
Participants will experience how role-playing: • Centers student voice and agency • Encourages perspective-taking, empathy, and collaboration • Makes decision-making and consequence visible • Supports inclusive, equitable participation by distributing power and authorship
Throughout the session, we will pause to reflect and connect these experiences to classroom practice, literacy, and deeper learning competencies.
You’ll use a flexible framework and begin building your own story-driven learning experience—starting with world-building, moving into character creation, and shaping the narrative dynamics that bring it all together.
No prior role-playing or gaming experience is required. This session is about storytelling, learning design, and creating experiences that students can step into and shape.
Participants will leave with: • A firsthand experience of role-playing as a learning tool • A practical framework for turning stories into co-created learning experiences • A designed role-playing concept ready to adapt for their students
Dylan is a Creative Coach at Classmate, where he has spent the past seven years partnering with teachers to design creative, student-centered learning experiences. His work focuses on helping educators turn ideas into classroom-ready projects that prioritize storytelling, play, and... Read More →
