Anyway, I would like to know more about Courtney Cazden's writing class.
As for the presentations relevant to your interests in:
> in developing some way to use such a theatre/school
>connection in the middle grades and above - to make
>expository text accessible via an analysis and then _performance_ of
>the conflicts, multiple positionings, tensions, _multiple_ points of view,
>concerns implicated in an argument. I thought that by showing the
>play of social differences in what otherwise seems alien text,
>we might make links between the text and discourse practices
>of the streets (I had in mind especially those in the African American
>tradition like signifyin).
There was a paper which presented work of Boris B. Mann in, what he called:
"Theater of Historical Miniatures". His work in creating theater
performances in his history classes addresses your interests to some degree.
History is maybe a perfect subject for dramatization, and his goal was
similar to what you would be interested in -- namely, "to make expository
text accessible via an analysis and then _performance_ of the conflicts,
multiple positionings, tensions, _multiple_ points of view, concerns
implicated in an argument." However, he didn't work only from one text, but
had the students do an extensive research on a historical period in order to
create a performance of a historical event. I don't think, though that the
second issue you mention -- "to make links between the text and discourse
practices of the streets" -- was addressed explicitelly in his work. In
fact, what he did, could be interesting for you indirectly, because his
focus was different (although there may have been some points of convergence.
I will also be glad to send you copies of the abstracts you are interested
in. Just send me your address and I'll rush them to you. (They are in
Russian, though).
Ana
_________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane
151 W. Tulpehocken St. Office of Mental Health and
Philadelphia, PA 19144 Mental Retardation
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E-mail: pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
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