Good luck to all of our states who will be holding their finals Feb 21st-Feb 28th!
As the first batch of states are days away from holding their championships, here is the 2nd batch of states whose finals are coming up 2 weeks from now (plenty of time to clear the date on your calendar!) Remember, most, if not all, competitions are open to the public; contact your state arts agency for locations and times. Also, please share your thoughts and experiences from your school, regional, or state contests on this blog or Facebook or Twitter…we love to hear from you!
Arizona- March 5
Arkansas- March 6
Iowa- March 6
Louisiana- March 6
Maine- March 5
Michigan- March 6
Minnesota- March 8
Missouri- March 3
New York- March 6
North Carolina- March 6
Oklahoma- March 6
Vermont- March 6
Virgin Islands- March 7
West Virginia- March 6
Wyoming- March 1-2
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 02.16.10 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
It’s that time again–the state Poetry Out Loud finals will be starting soon. Ten states are gearing up to start their competitions in 2 weeks. Most, if not all, state competitions are open to the public–contact your state arts agency to make sure and to find out the exact location and time of your area’s event. See and hear some amazing recitations and support your community in POL! Here is a list of the first finals of 2010:
Alabama- Feb 26
Alaska- Feb 23
Delaware- Feb 24
Hawaii- Feb 28
Idaho- Feb 27
Indiana- Feb 27
Maryland- Feb 27
New Mexico- Feb 21
Rhode Island- Feb 27
Texas- Feb 27
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 02.09.10 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1)
Feeling a bit “romantic” with Valentine’s Day nearing? This week the UK newspapers, The Guardian and The Observer, are highlighting one Romantic poet a day. On The Guardian’s website, you can read an introduction to each poet, listen to audio of some of their seminal works and download podcasts of discussions. Here is a snippet from the intro to Coleridge by Richard Holmes: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 01.27.10 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Former UK Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, calls for teaching a wider range of poetry in classrooms as well as putting the focus back on listening to and performing poems.
However, he added: “If we give our students only one kind of poetry to read, a kind they immediately recognise, it would be like taking someone to a palace, parking them at the door and telling them to go no further.”
Read the rest of the article here.
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 01.08.10 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Writing in EducationNews.org, Robert Oliphant considers the growth possiblities of Poetry Out Loud. Here is a snippet:
Practically considered, what Poetry Out Loud offers its participants is an easy-to-copy access list of established ready-to-memorize targets to choose from, along with biographical information on each poet. To use a Chaucerian phrase, it’s as close to Goddes foyson (plenty) as any learner would want
Read the article here
http://www.educationnews.org/commentaries/21599.html
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 01.07.10 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Check out these two recent articles in the Huffington Post about the state of poetry today and how Poetry Out Loud is helping to keep poetry alive.
Is poetry dead? In this article, Michael Koenigs describes ways he tries to make poetry relevant to high school students.
Launched in 2006 and following in the footsteps of the National Spelling Bee, Poetry Out Loud empowers students to learn and build confidence through academic competition…Such bold and well-funded initiatives restore my faith that the plug has not yet been pulled on poetry.
Are we afraid of poetry? Kim Rosen talks about the state of poetry in the US and the world and signs of a public poetry resurgence.
Finally, it seems, we are rising from the sick-bed of Metrophobia, and returning to poetry. Signs of health begin to accrue. Hundreds of thousands of teens throughout the U. S. choose to learn classical and modern poems by heart and practice together for Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation competition.
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 01.06.10 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1)
“The wind may blow the snow about,
For all I care, says Jack,
And I don’t mind how cold it grows,
For then the ice won’t crack.
Old folks may shiver all day long,
But I shall never freeze;
What cares a jolly boy like me
For winter days like these?”
–Sarah Orne Jewett, “A Country Boy in Winter”
Do you, as Wallace Stevens said, “have a mind of winter”? Do you get lost in thoughts of snow-laden tree branches and frost-covered windows? Or are you of another mind altogether; a mind that leans towards warmer climes and shuts down at the thought of putting on another layer of thermal clothing? Well, we have a list of seasonal poems to suit either mindset. Would you rather celebrate the winter weather in Baer’s “Snowflake” or wallow in the cold despair it can bring in Rexroth’s “The Bad Old Days”? Take a look at these other chilly POL poems: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 12.15.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
Of all of the lesson plans that we have online and in the Teacher’s Guide, the one that garners the most praise from educators is the Tone Map.
This 1 -3 day lesson plan is designed to show students that many poems move through a series of moods and tones to tell a particular emotional story. It has a term list for use in the classroom with nearly 200 tones from “abashed” to “zealous” to spark students to learn to describe mixed emotions and distinguish subtle shifts in tone and mood. Not only will they build their emotional intelligence, they will perfect their recitation skills by knowing how to portray the shifting tones and moods of a poem.
Click here to download the Tone Map lesson plan and other great planning resources for teachers.
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 12.03.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
We would like to thank all the educators who stopped by the POL booth this weekend at NCTE 2009 in Philadelphia. It was great to talk to all of you about the program and we hope that all of you who were able to get a teacher’s kit enjoy using the materials in your schools. For those who were unable to get a kit, all of the materials (and more) are available for free download on this site. We also would like to thank all the POL veterans who stopped by to praise the program and let us know how it’s working for them and their students. Remember, if you ever have any questions about the program or materials, don’t hesitate to email us at any time. Again, thank you and good luck for a successful 2009-2010 POL season!
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.24.09 | PERMALINK | NO COMMENTS
“I tell you it has taken me all my life
to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels,
to soften and blur and finally banish
the edges you regret I don’t see,”
-Lisel Mueller, “Monet Refuses the Operation”
Much of reading and reciting poetry lies in each individual performer’s interpretation of that poetry. Here is an animated interpretation of one of our POL poems, “Cartoon Physics, Part 1,” read by the author, Nick Flynn. This short video is part of a series of short poetry films on the Poetry Foundation website. After watching that poem, check out these other animated adaptations of POL poems: Continue reading »
Posted by Justine Chiappetta on 11.18.09 | PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1)
