Ideas and Resources for a Technology-Based Unit

By Erin ReedIntended for Secondary Education

Technology IntegrationRationale:

William Shakespeare is one of the most infamous writers in all of history. Studying Shakespeare is ubiquitous in English classes because of the literary styles, language-usage, and iconic story-lines that Shakespeare presents. How can technology be used to teach Shakespeare's most infamous works, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet? What new ideas, themes, or questions can be raised about the works of one of the most established writers in the literary canon? These questions are the foundation of this technology-based presentation.

The internet is a key resource when teaching Shakespeare in the classroom. Integrating various aspects of internet sites, such as YouTube, internet blogs, and podcasts, offer new and exciting teaching methods that will bring new knowledge to students.

The next three slides offer examples of the kinds of resources that are available.

Internet Content

YouTube Content

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRrvQ1vZxcg

Above: Learn the story of Romeo and Juliet through an animated video with audio.

Internet Blog

http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2013/01/the-complete-works-of-william.html Shakespeare Geek offers various posts about everything that is Shakespeare, from haikus about his works to the idea of there being a “Shakespeare Matrix.” The blog introduces contemporary ideas on both viewing and teaching Shakespeare.

Internet Podcast

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/romeo-juliet-version-2-by/id382696295

This podcast, available free on iTunes, is a great way to incorporate technology into the classroom while teaching Shakespeare. Students can listen to the play Romeo and Juliet while using their imagination to paint a picture of what the scene would look like.

Podcasts also aid to audio learners that have trouble reading Shakespeare and understanding its language and story-lines.

Internet Resources

The internet provides direct access to private organizations that dedicate themselves to the study of William Shakespeare. The next two slides identify some of these organizations, as well as a description of who they are and how their websites might be used in support of teaching about Shakespeare and his works.

Internet Resources

The Shakespeare Association of America dedicates their time to the complete study of William Shakespeare and his complete works.

“The Association holds annual meetings in different North American cities so that its members can exchange ideas and

discuss strategies for reading, teaching, researching, and writing about Shakespeare's works and their many contexts,” (Shakespeare Association of America website).

The Shakespeare Resource Center is a site created to make finding information about Shakespeare, his works, and Shakespearean culture easier by collecting internet websites, biographies, and images useful for studying Shakespeare.

http://www.shakespeareassociation.org/

http://www.bardweb.net/

Internet Resources cont.

The Shakespeare Society of America is a nonprofit cultural organization that vows to secure the enjoyment, appreciation, and understand of William Shakespeare. The SSA uses educational activities, performances, and commentaries to illustrate the cultural depth of Shakespeare inside as

well as outside the classroom.

http://www.shakespearesociety.org

Inspiration: A DiagramThis diagram was created to show the various themes of the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and also how these themes combine to create the story.

This diagram was created using Inspiration.

Teaching Materials

http://www.stickfigurehamlet.com/ is a great site that uses simple pictures in a comic book format to tell the story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It is easy to follow and incorporates the original text in its pictures.

http://www.wordsearchfun.com/60534_Romeo_and_Juliet_wordsearch.htmlis a word search worksheet that incorporates major themes, characters, and symbols of Romeo and Juliet into a fun activity for students.

http://www.teach-nology.com/ is a website that includes many different types of teaching materials, from worksheets to graphic organizers, all that aid in teaching various subjects.

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/figlang/fig1.html includes a worksheet that helps students identify similes, metaphors, etc. in sentences, which are all literary devices found in Shakespeare's works.

Teaching Materials cont.

Subject-Specific Resource

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/vengeful-verbs-shakespeares-hamlet#sect-introduction

EDSITEment contains activities and lessons appropriate to each grade level and material being taught.

The lesson “Vengeful Verbs in Shakespeare’s Hamlet” offers students a new way of looking at Hamlet, by showing how verbs affect the scenes of the play. Various activities are done to achieve this objective.

Uses of the Internet

http://speakshakespeare.com is a website that allows you to take any texts written in Shakespearean English and translate them into Modern English. This site is useful for students who have trouble grasping the literal meaning of Shakespeare's texts.

The Sources of Shakespeare's Plays is a book that discusses what sources Shakespeare used to write his plays and how he came about to writing them. Each play is examined and the development of Shakespeare's writing is illustrated.

Uses of the Internet

SlideShare Presentation Link:

http://www.slideshare.net/?ss

http://www.facebook.com/shakespearesociety?fref=ts

Web 2.0

The Shakespeare Society of America maintains a Facebook page where they keep followers up-to-date on various performances, information, and events that are happening around the country.