This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish
A group called
Story Pirates goes into schools and performs shows for children. But these shows
are based on stories written by the children themselves. The grown-ups are there
to help them become better writers. The Story Pirates are active in more than
two hundred schools across the United States. Their method is designed to help
children learn about the purpose and structure of writing. Actors and teachers
known as teacher-artists help students write stories. The children feel the
pride of ownership in their work and may get to see their story performed. About
two hundred actors and teachers are members of the Story Pirates. It was founded
in two thousand three. The group is based in Los Angeles and also has performers
on the East Coast. The basic program is called the Idea Storm. It involves two
visits to a school. On the first visit, the teachers and actors hold a writing
workshop at a student assembly. They help students express their ideas. Benjamin
Salka, the group's chief executive officer, says they work with children to
"open up" their imaginations. But that is only part of the process. He says, "We
work with them on the actual craft and structure of writing. In other words,
Story Pirates is not just a creativity and self-esteem-building program. It is a
writing program."He says they work with students to rewrite and shape their
story to improve it. The goal is a final product that can express the ideas that
were in the writer's head. All the children get comments and suggestions on
their work.After about a month, the Story Pirates return to the school. This
time, they perform the stories that they have chosen and prepared for the stage.
They sing, dance, tell jokes, use puppets -- whatever they can do to make the
experience fun.A more extensive program can be found at the Bronx Charter School
for the Arts in New York City. Ann Ledo is arts director for the school, where
most of the students are black or Latino and many come from poor families. Ms.
Ledo says the work of the actors is an important part of the children's
education. She says, "As a school that has a focus on the arts, we bring the
Story Pirates in to further our students' experience and understanding of
academic content."Some educators may wonder how they can measure the effects of
a program like this, given the current importance of testing in schools.But Ann
Ledo says, "It really is a magical moment when the kids see their stories come
to life." For VOA Special English, I'm Alex Villarreal.
(Adapted from a
radio program broadcast 15Mar2012)
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