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Reading Teacher.
http://www.jstor.org
Jenifer Jasinski Schneider
Sylvia A.W. Jackson
Process di rama: A
special
Dramaisa toolforinstruction ace and
&P place
and learningthatsupports literacy
?~,
developmentwhile also fostering AU. r writing
children'sinclinationto imagine.
by curricular topics, teacher objectives, and stu 1995; Tarlington, 1985), enabling them to think
dents' personal differently about the forms as well as the content
experiences (O'Neill, 1995;
of their writing. Students may also write across
Rogers & O'Neill, 1993).
The mental of process drama the curriculum for different purposes during
requirements
are very similar to those involved in reading process drama events.
& King, This article examines the creation of process
(Benton, 1992; Edmiston, Enciso,
drama and writing experiences in one elementary
1987; Iser, 1978; Rosenblatt, 1978). During the
act of reading, "the structure of the text sets off a classroom in the United States. We describe how
sequence of mental images" (Iser, 1978, p. 38). Sylvia, the classroom teacher, used process dra
the structure of process drama inter ma as a context for learning, and we examine
Similarly,
actions results in the participants' "ideation" of which genres and functions of writing were evi
mental Just as in where mean dent within the process drama frame. This arti
images. reading,
in a transaction between the reader cle was written as a collaborative effort between
ing is made
and the text (Rosenblatt, 1978), during process Jenifer, a university researcher, and Sylvia, a
drama meaning is made from the engagement classroom teacher. Our perspectives on the
and transactions the students and teacher events were often different because we had dis
among
tinct roles in the classroom and unique relation
(O'Neill & Lambert, 1982).
Yet, process drama is also a visual experience ships with the students. As the teacher, Sylvia
because students often externalize the mental im was an initiator and participant in the dramas.
As the researcher, Jenifer functioned mostly as
ages they create (Bolton, 1979). Drama provides
a context for demonstrations of the students' ac an observer, even though the children frequently
tual "lived recruited her as a participant. Therefore, through
through" experiences (Rosenblatt,
out this article, the classroom events are shared
1978), allowing them to use language, movement
and visualization to express their learning through Jenifer's observations and the data she
collected, yet the events also include Sylvia's re
(Rogers,O'Neill, & Jasinski, 1995).
Drama is a powerful be flections, recollections, and perspectives.
learning medium
cause it also provides a context within which
students may write for imaginative as well as Study background
functional purposes (Wagner, 1994). Dyson and Participants. Jenifer is a Caucasian re
Freedman (1991) described writing as a "kalei searcher and former elementary teacher who
doscopic process" because writing is shaped by was interested in studying writing within the
38 The Reading Teacher Vol. 54, NO. 1 September 2000 ?2OOO International Association
Reading (pp.38-51)
process drama frame. Sylvia, an African classroom events.
Sylvia and the students either
American teacher who has been teaching for accepted, rejected, or provided additional insight
over 20 years in an urban, public elementary into the general patterns that Jenifer found.
school, was recommended by one of Jenifer's Then, on the basis of these discussions, Jenifer
colleagues. At the time of this study, the school revisited and reexamined the data. These "mem
enrolled approximately 350 students in the ber checks" build trustworthiness of the
helped
Kindergarten through the fifth grades. The findings (Patton, 1990).
school was an alternative or magnet school that Dramaas a learning medium. From Septem
had an "informal education" focus. Across all ber until January of one school year, Sylvia led
grades, students were grouped in student the students through two complete dramas, each
centered, multiage classrooms, and instruction
lasting over 2 months. The first drama, "Journey
focused on meeting the needs of individual
to Peace Valley," sent the children on an imagi
learners. Classroom activities were structured to
nary journey to a peaceful land, and the second
accommodate integrated, hands-on learning and
drama, "The Immigration Drama," positioned the
to encourage students' active involvement. In ad
students as reporters investigating immigration
dition, there was a schoolwide focus on creativ
for the government. In order to examine process
ity and self-expression. The arts were integrated
drama as a classroom context for learning, we
into the curriculum through the collaborative ef
forts of the classroom teachers and the dance, present a chronological description of the major
events that developed each drama. Then, within
art, and music teachers.
the drama, we describe the genres and functions
The 25 children (all names are pseudonyms)
in Sylvia's second- and third-grade classroom of writing as they occurred.
were diverse students with various backgrounds
and needs. Throughout this article, we include The firstdrama
the work of many of these children as examples Sylvia's idea for the first drama unit was
of the writing that occurred during process dra based on the school's theme, "Peace Begins With
ma frames. Me." the children to embark on a
Sylvia wanted
Data and data sources. During
collection to establish a peaceful new
dangerous journey
the first 20 weeks of one school year, Jenifer The purpose of this drama was to
community.
conducted daily observations of Sylvia and the build community in the classroom through the in
students. She entered the classroom as an ob in the process. In the
terdependence developed
server and eventually became a participant ob role of the group leader, Sylvia pretended to place
server by immersing herself in daily classroom an advertisement in a newspaper that called for
life and directly observing Sylvia and the stu recruits for a peace mission. In the following ex
dents. Jenifer wrote field notes during all obser
cerpt, Sylvia initiated the first drama episode.
vations, collected writing samples from the
children, and interviewed and the stu Close your eyes and imaginethatyou are answeringan ad
Sylvia
dents both formally and informally. She also vertisement in the newspaper.The ad says thatyouwant to
and transcribed classroom events, joinus as we go to a new peacefulplace....Now beforewe go
tape-recorded
conversations, and interviews & any further,Iwant to tell you about the journey.(Transcript
(Marshall
Rossman, 9-11)
1995).
Data analysis. In the spring of the same
school the collected data As Sylvia began the drama scene, she did
year, Jenifer examined
for emerging themes that related to the ways in not tell the children how "to do" drama. She
which Sylvia created process drama units and merely asked them to pretend, and the drama be
the writing that occurred within gan. The children quickly took on the roles of
process drama
activities (Patton, 1990). After and adults and asked questions, such as "How long
reading "
field notes, and writing will we be gone?" or Do people usually die on
rereading transcripts,
samples, she identified patterns in the data re this trip?" The direction of the drama was not
lated to teaching and writing in the process completely predetermined; it emerged from
drama frame. Then Jenifer conferred with Sylvia Sylvia's ideas coupled with the children's reac
and the students to seek their interpretations of tions and ideas.
going in and out of role. For many reasons, such ple, during the first meeting, Sabrina stated that
as behavior problems, drama clarification, or in she was a pregnant woman. Sylvia asked the oth
terruptions, Sylvia needed to leave her role. er children if a pregnant woman would be able to
??
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were hoping to find. She explained the obsta Peace Valley. Sylvia elicited ideas from the chil
cles that the students were about to encounter, dren as to how they could spread peace from this
and she emphasized the danger of the journey. far-away land. The children determined that they
The audience watched as each group em wanted to create a business that manufactured
barked on their journey. The groups silently peace toys (PTC?The Peaceful
Toy Company).
moved from imaginary obstacle to imaginary They wanted to give
the toys to people who
obstacle as the dance and movement teacher needed them, and they decided not to accept
tapped softly on a drum. Each group moved money because it was not "peaceful."
across the floor following their own plan and us To help the children develop ideas for toys,
ing their own versions of climbing, swimming, Sylvia integrated science lessons into the peace
and jumping actions. The students dramatically unit. She taught the children about simple ma
portrayed their encounters with volcanoes, croc chines so they could use wheels, pulleys, levers,
odiles, and swift waters. To everyone's surprise, inclined planes, and gears to design and create
Sylvia concluded the entire session with a jour their toys. Prior to building the toys, Sylvia
ney of her own. She twisted, crawled, and asked the children to make preliminary sketches
climbed her way across the imagined obstacles. and describe the materials they needed (see
When Sylvia reached the end safely, the children Figure 6). She also asked them towrite descrip
applauded. tions and details of how the toys worked. Once
The class finally arrived in the new land again, the children were writing for real and use
(i.e., their classroom), and they decided to call it ful purposes, albeit in an imaginary setting.
Group I trail was through a jungle with crocodiles, rivers, and volcanoes. Then they all go into a river with two
alligators, one
poison water snake, some quicksand in themiddle, and just an old bridge to get across. Around the
bridge there is a pit and it's
to out of it if fall in. After that
impossible get you they go into a snake pit with only an old, old bridge across it. Then there is
a rainbow you climb up and slide down and you
get a piece of gold at the bottom.
Lessons learned
During "The Journey to Peace Valley," the
Photo by Sylvia Jackson
students learned concepts in geography, geolo
gy, economy, and the environment. They also
learned lessons about human nature, peace,
health, and survival. In addition, Sylvia used
A return to the role of reporter. As the stu these lessons to teach the students how to write
dents continued to work on various drama ac letters, diaries, newspapers, travel routes, and
tivities, Sylvia returned to the "reporters" and other forms of nonfiction. Further, Sylvia
asked them to create immigrant booklets. The to develop a sense of community in
helped
packets required each student to complete tasks which individual strengths were recognized and
such as creating a passport for the immigrant, appreciated.
describing the immigrant's family, and outlin "The Immigration Drama" was intricate and
ing the immigrant's travel route to the United often difficult. The students were involved in a
States. In the role of a reporter, each child com great deal of writing that required them to shift
piled information about an immigrant. As an im perspectives frequently. They wrote diary en
migrant, each child created his or her own tries, summaries, stories, and letters under the
information and life history. Therefore, each guise of their immigrant and reporter roles. The
child switched between the reporter and immi immigrant booklets were particularly beneficial
grant roles frequently. To ease this transition, the because they required the students to write about
students created a time machine for the "re fictional events in a nonfiction genre. The book
porters" to use. The reporters operated in the pre lets also required the students tomanipulate their
sent, but they used the time machine to become perspectives as well as being a challenge to their
Sylvia, 11-15)
Sylvia's efforts helped build the students' form the "world" about their toys?a simulation
in
SouthFlorida Tampa. Shemaybe contacted at
there 4202 Teaching of English, 20,36-55.
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