October 11, 2004
Retro Poetry Slam
To be honest, I was petrified to go through with this thing. It is one thing to read a poem, but to act it out in front of the class, well that's a wnole different ballgame. I can say that after presenting, though it did not go quite as I had practiced, I was relieved and proud to have gone through with it, sucked it up, and completed the assignment. The performances were awsome and to say the least I was certiantly intimidated to follow any of my classmates acts. But hey I'm learning right?
I was surprised to find the various elements and techniques that involves expressing a poem. The use of ones voice to create a mood, or physical motions, or props all have great significance in the deliverance of the poem. The slightest change in tone or position is able to create depth, meaning, and displays the emotions as the reader presents their own unique interpretation of the works. This assignment gave the class insight on how the performer percieved the poems' meaning in the way the deliverance was made.
I was intreseted in knowing if this form of expression was often used and what the benefits were in practicing such an art. I found this site
to be extremely compelling. P.S.2 Interdisciplinary School of Learning, located in Jackson Heights ,NY is an elementery school that practices the expression of poetry. This paticular school starts the children in the forth grade with excersises similar to ours demonstrated in class and proves to be very valuable. The article states, "The linguistic strategies help students use language and express and appriciate complex meanings, while enabeling them to understand the order and meaning of words. The bodily kinesthetic strategies help the students manipulate objects, use a variety of physical skills and develope skills through mind-body union." This article revealed that through excersises such as these the students produce creative thinking skills and become dramatic readers. I can only think that if maybe someone such as myself were introduced to a workshop like this at that tender age I would not have been so uncomfortable and more readily to grasp this assignment with confidence.
What do you guys think, should children be subjected to these kind of exercises and are these skills necessary?
Wow, I had no idea that there are schools that make poetry reading (slamming)part of the regular curriculum. That was interesting to know. However, I don't know if it is appropriate to subject young children to this? I would image that for children with speech impediment this would be immensely stressful! On the other side these kinds of excercises would really play a positive part in getting children prepared to speak infront of people. It is hard to say what I think b/c this could have both a positive and negative effect on children. Good research, and good point!!!
Posted by: Jessica Zelenak at October 11, 2004 02:18 PMI know that in 3rd grade I was one of those lucky kids forced to memorize and read poetry for the class. (Yes, I can still recite some of the poems.)
Anyway, I think that it is a good idea to have children experience public speaking at an early age. Maybe I would go so far as assigning a poetry slam, but reading poetry aloud I think would be helpful for any student to forward their public speaking ability.
Reading in class has always been a long time practice for a lot of schools at an early age. Like Diana, I was expected to make short presentations in class. We would have to do assignments such as a book report in third grade and then explain what we read to the class. I can also remember doing a project in grade school on the Romans and the Greeks and how the women were treated differently according to society.
In short, I definetly agree with having kids learn public speaking skills at a young age. It allows them to become more comfortable in front of a group of people, and helps the teacher to identify a child with a speech impediment or even a reading difficulty.
Tiffany
Posted by: Tiffany at October 12, 2004 12:13 AM