Professional Development Workshop for Teachers

Tuesday, October 11, 2010

Act 48 approved

 

CHARACTER INTERVIEWS:  A DRAMATIC APPROACH

TO READING COMPREHENSION

Workshop Leader:  Lenore Blank Kelner

For Teachers Grades 3-8

3 hours of instruction time

$45

Registration is required: email education@pgharts.org or call 412-471-6079

 

Teachers explore an effective and engaging technique for involving students in examining literature and developing their reading comprehension skills.  Participants discover how to use an imaginary talk show format, “Books Alive!,” in which students are interviewed while portraying characters from a book.  Teachers also learn how to “become” the talk show host and pose appropriate questions that require students to support their answers from the literature, make predictions and inferences about their characters, as well as analyze the text’s theme. 

These workshops were developed in association with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is partially underwritten by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Committee for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center Corporation Fund, and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

 

 

LENORE BLANK KELNER is a professional actress, director, author, and educator.  Since 1981, Ms. Kelner has directed her own educational theater company, Interact Story Theatre, which performs in schools, museums, libraries, and theaters all over the U.S.  In addition, Ms. Kelner is an education consultant for the Maryland State Department of Education as well, as school systems and schools nationwide.  She has trained thousands of teachers on how to integrate drama into everyday classroom instruction.  She has worked with students in all grade levels, from Pre K through college.  Her most recent book, A Dramatic Approach to Reading Comprehension, was published 2006.  She  received the 2004 Creative Drama Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.