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Sunday, 10 February 2008 |
 Shoshana Brackett/SDN Josie Buntin, a fourth-grader at Ward-Stewart Elementary School, records a piece she wrote for Rural Voices Radio Thursday. By SHOSHANA BRACKETT
Starkville Daily News
Twice a day, the voices of Mississippi’s students and teachers break across the air waves for a brief span, bringing their thoughts to fellow Mississippians.
Participants in the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute’s Rural Voice Radio program share their personal writings for about 90 seconds each day.
The Mississippi Writing/ Thinking Institute is an affiliate of the National Writing Project and has partnered with Mississippi Public Broadcasting to air Rural Voices Radio segments daily at 12:49 p.m. and 5:59 p.m. (locally available on 89.9 FM).
In its fourth year, Rural Voices Radio relies on teachers trained at the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute to go back into their classrooms, encouraging literacy and learning and teaching students how to write for radio.
Teachers submit their students’ writings for review by a committee of teachers before selection for recording. Pieces are chosen based on how they will sound on the radio.
“Writing for radio is a lot different,” said Emily Noble, Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute coordinator for literacy development and Rural Voices Radio.
The writing must be brief, complete and interesting.
Students whose work is not selected receive a letter with revision suggestions, continuing the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute’s goal of learning.
“That’s really what writing is,” Noble said.
Thursday, several local students recorded their work for the program at the Bost Extension Center on the campus of Mississippi State University.
Josie Buntin, a fourth-grader at Ward-Stewart Elementary School, actually came in for her second recording session with Rural Voices Radio.
Though students may be nervous about recording, Noble works to tame students’ butterflies and sits down with each student for as many rehearsals as necessary before the actual recording session.
“It’s great experience for these kids,” said Tyson Gair, coordinator for Rural Voices Radio production. Gair handles the recording process.
“The adults are the ones who get the most nervous,” he said. “It’s amazing how these kids go in there ... . “By and large, they end up dealing with any fear they have and end up doing it.”
Buntin had some butterflies in her stomach Thursday, but said they were fewer than when she recorded the first time in the fall.
This time, Buntin recorded “King Roxter,” a story about her 5-year-old pug.
“I wrote about how he looks, how he acts and how he’s a thief,” Buntin said. One time, Roxter stole Buntin’s brand-new tennis shoe.
As Noble reviews the recording process, students read through their work, create an introduction and make final edits to help their stories flow better.
Thursday, Noble listened as Buntin read her piece aloud and had an “aah” moment.
Buntin realized that a sentence did not flow well and needed slight rewording and the addition of a few details.
“That’s what happens,” Noble said. “Real writing happens like this. You revise it because you get to sit and read it.”
Each student’s writing is authentic to them because they wrote it and they edit it, Noble said.
Will Murphree, also a fourth-grade student at Ward-Stewart, recorded “The Night Walk,” a story about searching for spiders during an overnight stay with his class at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.
“I think it’s a great experience,” said Kelly Murphree, Will’s mother.
Students’ families also enjoy hearing them on the radio.
“A lot of times we have kids who have written about a grandparent or some person in their family they’re paying tribute to and that’s cool too,” Noble said.
Noble said she enjoys seeing the different topics students come up with and how students of certain ages or from certain areas of the state often follow the same themes or have the same tone though each student and teacher’s writing is personal and authentic.
There are seven Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute sites at each major university across the state.
For more information on Rural Voice Radio, visit http://mwti.msstate.edu/radio.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 11 February 2008 )
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