Ten Penny Players first used color xerography in 1978, when Barbara designed and printed Little Poems for the Greenwich Village elementary school PS 41.
Little Poems
Since 1980, Barbara has done all of our printing on leased Minolta copiers, which produced high resolution black and white images. In 1989 she experimented with a two-color copier.
Waterways: Poetry in the Mainstream Vol 10 No 1
Our picture book curriculum, as we developed it with teaching artist, Molly Barker, grew out of Ten Penny Players’ chapbook series, In Search of a Song. We combined visual art with expressive writing, literary magazines and chapbooks. It became a part of our work with New York City’s Alternative High Schools and Programs; especially with NYC Vocational Training Center, which produced many individual picture books for example, “One Last Time” by Ghnea George, a student in Paul Rotondo’s VTC class at Maimonides Hospital.
In 2004-5, Barbara, Thomas and I began implementing our picture book curriculum at Staten Island elementary schools. In conjunction with PS 53 and the Richmondtown Branch of the New York Public Library we held a book party and exhibit, First Editions, at the end of the year.
By 2008-9, we had leased a color printer and brought picture books to local after school programs, like the Staten Island Children’s Aid Society at Goodhue.
Anthology of Acrostics and More: Fun with the Sounds of Words and Other Things
Picture books bridge the gap between communities of race, language, class, ability, and disability. Creating poetry chapbooks and picture books helps students in the inclusive classroom bridge new bonds of friendship through sharing their published expressions.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Picture Books IV
During the school years 2002-4, eight Island Academy teachers adapted our curriculum to their own particular teaching style. They gathered In weekly meetings to discuss what they were doing and share student publications.
The teachers brought forth the poems and pictures that lay hidden in their students. It was hard time consuming work, but the teachers looked forward to the excitement on their students’ faces when they received their own publications. At the weekly teacher gatherings teachers took pride in their students’ work. There was story after story of specific students who showed interest in schoolwork after weeks of apathy.
As the first set of books were published, teachers reported that students suddenly came to life, showing off their published books to their classmates. The students were eager to show them to their family and friends.
When students joined the discussion, they spoke about how their teachers encouraged them and how they felt seeing their art and words in print with their names on it. They told of renewed self-esteem, encouragement from teachers, praise from fellow students, and expressed a desire to continue writing and creating art. Some wrote of hoping to study journalism, creative writing or art in college.
The Civil Rights Movement
The teachers brought forth the poems and pictures that lay hidden in their students. It was hard time consuming work, but the teachers looked forward to the excitement on their students’ faces when they received their own publications. At the weekly teacher gatherings teachers took pride in their students’ work. There was story after story of specific students who showed interest in schoolwork after weeks of apathy.
As the first set of books were published, teachers reported that students suddenly came to life, showing off their published books to their classmates. The students were eager to show them to their family and friends.
When students joined the discussion, they spoke about how their teachers encouraged them and how they felt seeing their art and words in print with their names on it. They told of renewed self-esteem, encouragement from teachers, praise from fellow students, and expressed a desire to continue writing and creating art. Some wrote of hoping to study journalism, creative writing or art in college.
The Civil Rights Movement
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