The purpose of this project was to prepare a script for group interpretation based upon the theme of "alienation" as it occurs in selected works of contemporary American poets. The script was produced for an audience on the North Texas State University campus under the direction of the writer. The thesis includes the script, a discussion of the process of adaptation, and an evaluation of the production. The evaluation is based, in part upon the written critiques of four expert guest critics.

This mixed methods study investigated second through fifth grade teachers’ perceptions of Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre (CBRT) as a relevant approach for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). Quantitative survey data were collected from 18 teachers who worked at the school with the largest population of ELLs in a large South Florida school district. The surveys investigated teachers’ current use of ESOL instructional strategies prior to participating in a CBRT professional development session as well as their ability to identify ESOL instructional strategies embedded within the approach after professional development and classroom implementation. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews and discussion board transcripts from eight participants, who were also members of a school-based Readers Theatre Professional Learning Community (PLC). Transcripts were used to investigate how participants implemented CBRT in their classrooms as well as how they described their identification and application of ESOL instructional strategies during implementation. The impact of PLC participation on CBRT implementation and identification of ESOL instructional strategies was also investigated. The findings indicated that participants recognized various ESOL instructional strategies embedded in the CBRT approach. In addition, data indicated that participants viewed CBRT as an effective means for delivering various ESOL instructional strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis led to similar conclusions and revealed that CBRT incorporates various ESOL instructional strategies that are recognized as effective for teaching ELLs. Teachers reported using CBRT at various points during instructional units and across all content areas. Implications and suggestions for future research are offered for the instruction of ELLs, the benefits of CBRT and other similar approaches, the design of school-based professional development, and the infusion of ESOL instructional strategies within teacher education and inservice professional learning experiences. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.

This study includes an analysis of the autobiographies of William A. Owens, a contemporary writer, educator, and Texas folklorist; a discussion of Owens' educational experiences and attitudes; an explanation of Readers Theatre requirements; and a fifty to fifty-five minute Readers Theatre script, "Lighting the Lamp: William A. Owens' School Days in Pin Hook." The script portrays Owens as a Texas schoolboy and country schoolteacher and it conveys some of Owens' attitudes about education. The script was adapted from Owens' two autobiographies, This Stubborn Soil and A Season of Weathering, to be performed by junior and senior high school students.

This thesis was written in hope that it will serve as a stimulant to spur innovative ideas in EFL teaching and learning in Taiwan.

The thrust of this study was twofold: to research and compile a script of English Medieval and Renaissance literature and to direct a group performance of the script in the oral interpretation mode at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Texas. The study sought to show that a Readers Theatre script compiled of literature from the oral tradition of England was a suitable art form for a twentieth-century audience and that Readers Theatre benefited participants in the Scarborough Faire workshop program. This study concluded that the performed script appealed to a modern audience and that workshop training was enhanced by Readers Theatre in rehearsal and performance.

No description available.