Bridging the Distance with Poetry and Technology
In a special workshop presented by teaching artist Lilly Blue, students from three different states were connected through the power of poetry and technology. Young writers in remote schools across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland were inspired by how poetry could provide a unique lens into the world around them, engaging in activities inspired by the Poetry Object learning resource.
Students from Bilambil Public School (NSW), Wakehurst Public School (NSW), Marnoo Public School (VIC), Stockdale Road Primary School (VIC) and Pacific Lutheran College (QLD) actively participated from their classrooms as Lilly guided them through each poetry challenge. Find out more »
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Lilly reflects on her experience:
I love walking into new schools as a teaching artist and experiencing the distinct poetry of the architecture, the tone of the teacher's voice, and the unique culture of each classroom. I have been curious about the limitations of teaching digitally as I am passionate about the importance of immediacy, being able to respond to the energetic states of students as they work, and quietly sharing memories sparked by personal talismanic objects.
I was wonderfully surprised by the scope of the digital Poetry Object workshops through ELB Education that made it possible for students from remote schools across Australia to see into each others classrooms, share their thinking about poetry, and collaborate to create a group poem written by 8 workshop participants from 4 different schools. It was a moving experience to see out of multiple windows through the eyes of children noticing different weather in a vast shared sky. The technology easily bridged distance and made remote collaboration and sharing in real time possible.
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Schools were asked to write two sentences describing the sky as they saw it from their classrooms. Lilly collected 8 student sentences into a single collaborative poem. A poem richly interwoven with diverse voices was borne from the group efforts of students separated by distance but connected by poetry.
Outside
It was a cloudy day and a big stretch of blue loomed over me.
Very dark and gloomy. It looks like is going to rain.
Drip. Drop. The cold water falling from the clouds as I watch and feel the cold, clear water making puddles.
The clouds swiftly go past the sun.
The sun ripping the clouds away from its precious blanket of blue.
Bright blue, peering through the white, lighting up our day.
Deep blue at the top; faint blue under.
The blue, magnificent thing above our heads.
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Lilly Blue is a poet engaged with Red Room Poetic Learning.
She is a visual artist and educator with a background in physical performance, installation and community arts. She has worked Internationally delivering arts residencies, professional development programs, creative commissions and exhibitions, as well as designing arts programming for young audiences driven by a rigorous studio practice. Together with dancer Joanna Pollitt she is the Creative Director of BIG Kids Magazine, an Australian contemporary arts publication that features the work of children and artists side by side and promotes the arts as an every day way of seeing and responding to the world.
Listen to Lilly Blue speak on why poetry is great for young children »