Process Drama And Multiple Literacies: Addressing Social, Culturla, And Ethical Issues

"These profoundly courageous teachers and researchers will be an inspiration to others . . . . They work to offer opportunities for their students to grow as competent and complete individuals accepting responsibility for the society in which they live."
- Cecily O'Neill Students are often asked to imagine themselves into the shoes of another person - an historical figure, a literary character, a contemporary political or social figure - then to consider life from that person's perspective. But what if they could really step into that person's life? Experience different conditions? Make decisions based on someone else's biases, knowledge, and intuition? With process drama they can, and "Process Drama and Multiple Literacies" will show you how. "Process Drama and Multiple Literacies" takes you inside nine classrooms where process drama successfully taps students' multiple literacies, integrates content from across the curricular areas, and develops students' social and critical awareness. These classrooms span a wide range of ages, and their stories will show you how this technique allows students to view the world from multiple perspectives by involving them in situations where they must make informed decisions. And far from simple classroom plays, process dramas are conceived and enacted by students in response to the issues and questions raised by content in the curriculum and by the world.

Backed by research, filled with smart ideas for introducing process drama into your teaching, and illustrative of a variety of classrooms and process-drama projects, "Process Drama and Multiple Literacies" will help your students see the world through different eyes.

Jenifer Jasinski Schneider is Associate Professor of Childhood Literacy Education at the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on the reconceptualization of writing and writing instruction through the use of process drama and children's literature.Thomas P. Crumpler is Associate Professor of Reading and Literacy at Illinois State University, where he teaches graduate courses in educational drama and teacher assessment and coordinates the doctoral program in curriculum & instruction. His research focuses on drama and portfolio assessment in literacy classrooms.Theresa Rogers is Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. She has published in the areas of drama and literary response, adolescent literacy, and teaching in diverse contexts. She is the author or coeditor of several books on literacy and learning.