Participation in Choral Readings-- Erin

In class on January 27, our group, including both Courtney and Abby read a "silly" poem to our class through choral reading. Doing this was fun, entertaining and something that I personally feel began building our classroom community. I felt that the best part of this activity was being able to put together our own choral reading. The GLCE's we covered in class fit perfectly for this activity. We were able to develop in three separate standards among speaking expectations from the eighth grade GLCE's for Language Arts. For instance, S.CN.08.02 Speak effectively using body language including gestures, posture, facial expressions, tone of voice and pace of speaking to enhance meaning and influence interpretation in narrative and informational presentations. For this particular activity, we were forced to work with our individual voice and pace in order to show emphasis at certain parts. It was funny how we practiced in our group so that we reached the right amount of emphasis and the right amount of humor for the poem. Also found in the GLCE that we practiced in this activity is, S.CN.08.01 which states, students will adjust their use of language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes by using enunciation to emphasize key ideas and concepts when presenting. This was extremely evident in the last sentence of our poem when our group was sure to emphasis on the "very, very, very, very, VERY grumbily". We were all able to read one "very" and the last "very" together to really push the point. Also seen in our reading, was the practice of S.DS.09.04 which basically asks the student to deliver an informal presentation. The group and I were able to put this reading together quickly and present it in front of the class with no pressure. It was seen as a fun activity where we were allowed to read however we decided.
When we first did this activity, I saw it as a simple introduction to poetry. The more I dissect it though, I see there was much more than that. It not only met multiple grade level standards, but it also was a hidden form of response-centered talk. In "Response-Centered Talk: Windows on Children's Thinking" Lea M. McGee explains that "... interpretations are the significant understandings that a group of readers negotiates together and commonly agrees upon" (McGee, 197). For our group to come together in agreement over what needed to be emphasized in the poem, we had to have a open-ended discussion about our view of the poem. Through our discussion we were able to agree that some parts needed hesitation while others needed a different tone. I think this activity also helped build community through the steady building of confidence and comfort of us as students. I know that the for me, the loose guidelines allowed me to read in a way that was comfortable for me. Since there was little pressure of being right, I was able to be confident in my reading with my group. I think also working in a small group helped with this. When I am a teacher I will keep these points in mind. Not only can you have rich discussion through guided talks, but also in fun activities. I will also keep in mind that without the open-ended of this activity, there could have been anxiety and pressure when presenting. The informality of this activity is something I would definitely like to carry over in my classroom. I will use a activity similar to this without a doubt in the future.