Out
Loud: Preparing for a Poetry Read-Aloud
Project URL: http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/MBHS/Scragg/Poetry/opening.html
How it works:
This program prepares students for a public poetry-reading
performance. It was originally constructed to prepare students for the
National Read-Aloud that occurs during National Poetry Month every
April, but it can be used for any public poetry performance. It uses
the Internet to enhance student performance and provide material;
students can consult online experts and reference thousands of poems
via online databases.
Standard addressed:
Students prepare and analyze an individual presentation, listen to
and analyze a public speaking performance, respond to poetry using
interpretive and critical processes, produce a response to literature,
utilize technology for research and information, read and comprehend
literature of the same genre, participate in group meetings, and make
informed judgments about TV, radio, and film.
Materials
used:
Required materials include a computer with Internet connection, an
LCD projector, videos and film. A video camera is also helpful if
available.
The students:
Murry Bergtraum High School is a large high school located in
downtown Manhattan with a range of students of varying abilities. It
is a magnet school, not a neighborhood school, and attracts students
from all five boroughs of New York City. The students were members of
a small journalism class that expressed an interest in poetry. Many of
them had the same teacher for up to four semesters in a row.
Therefore, an atmosphere of trust, where taking risks are respected,
had been established early-on.
Overall value:
Out Loud enables students to use the Internet and
technology--not to remain silent, but to enhance performance. Using
available technology and the Internet as a main resource, students
were able to increase their comfort level, search for materials, and
seek specific advice on performance and poetry reading. The students
were so well-prepared at the read-aloud that they were requested to
visit every day and during free periods to enhance the reading.
Tips:
Allowing students to work together enhances their creativity and also
increases their comfort level. Try to videotape (or at least tape the
audio portion of) an early performance. Students receive tremendous
value by listening and watching themselves before making their
performances public. Make sure you set an accepting tone in your
classroom, otherwise students will be apprehensive about
participating.
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