Saturday, October 29, 2011

Get Your Ghoul On!

Happy Halloween, everyone! 

Since no real celebration of this frighteningly fun holiday is complete without tales of terror, I thought I'd compile a list of some of my favorite classic stories and films. These are great any time of year but are ideal right now--especially to to share with others or to simply shock yourself... Have fun getting your ghoul on!

Classic Stories:

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

3. "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe (actually, anything by Edgar Allen Poe)

4. "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner

5. "The Specter Bridegroom" by Washington Irving

Classic Films:

1. The Exorcist

2. Rosemary's Baby

3. The Pit and the Pendulum

4. The Shining

5. Interview with a Vampire

Classic TV:

1. Night Gallery

2. The Twilight Zone

3. The Outer Limits

4. The X Files

5.  Dark Shadows

 What are your favorites? Share them with us...

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Critical Thinking + The X Factor: The Real Tao of Steve


The passing of Steve Jobs last week impacted me in more ways than I imagined. I think that we’ve all come to expect his innovation and gadgetry and take for granted the many tools he’s provided that have become essential to our daily lives. But reading the columns from his friends and admirers, and watching his 2005 Stanford commencement speech, I realized how much of a maverick and revolutionary he was, and how much of a nonconformist! In his own words (paraphrasing Robert Frost), he took the road less traveled by and that made all the difference.

Why this hits me so hard is that Jobs was not only a critical thinker on the deepest of levels but he believed firmly in pushing boundaries and turning commonly held beliefs on their ear. He literally thought outside the box and created computers that reflected that aesthetic. He was always thinking “what if?” and then working with his dynamic team to make it possible. He wasn’t afraid to fail, or to be well-ahead of the curve, and because of that he fell on his face more than a few times. But he succeeded far more than he failed, and, as he said himself, his failures or seeming mis-steps were key to his future triumphs.

The lessons from Steve Jobs’ life are those that we should be teaching our students today. We should be teaching them to be creative, to push the boundaries, and to think outside the box. We should be emphasizing critical thinking above all else and teaching students to follow their instincts. While I’m all for logic and reason, there is something that we’re losing when we emphasize those to the detriment of that unnamed factor that separates “genius” from “average.” All the logic and reason in the world would not lead to the invention of something like the iPhone or iPod. That took something else; and thank goodness Steve Jobs listened to it (as he put it, ‘your gut, heart, karma, destiny, or whatever you want to call it’).

In our small way, we are trying to do that with Gleeditions. We are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with digital texts, and we are promoting critical thinking skills by always returning students’ focus to the text itself so that students can deeply consider what is being said and why, and then apply that to the bigger picture. While we don’t claim to be in the same realm as Steve Jobs, we are proud to be on the same wavelength.

So, here’s to Steve Jobs and his amazing life and legacy. And here’s to all of the educators out there striving to provide more for their students to think about than rote memorization. And, finally, here’s to the hope that we become a nation of critical thinkers who will follow our hearts, rewrite current rules, and create the next wave of incredible literature and inventions.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Celebrate Free Speech; Read a Banned Book!


So, here we are, smack dab in the middle of the 30th annual Banned Books Week, and that makes me wanna shout: “Long live free speech! Hail the enduring power of the pen!”

Well, actually, today it may not be the power of the pen exactly, but it is the power of words and ideas that we celebrate during Banned Books Week. We celebrate the writers who have had the courage to challenge the status quo and offer fresh perspectives for all to consider. We celebrate their innovation, creativity, and fearlessness. We also celebrate those who stood up for these writers, living and dead, and continue to champion the cause of a vibrant, uncensored society in which all are free to express themselves, and all are free to make their own decisions.

As I look over the banned books list, I am always amazed by what’s on it. You have everything from A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen to Ulysses by James Joyce—works that, today, one might think are completely innocuous. However, many books and authors are still being “challenged” today and, in some cases, banned for many of the same reasons Adventures of Huckleberry Finn once was. That is why it is so important to stay vigilant in our support of freedom of expression and the press, and to strongly support the budding crop of writers who are picking up the torch of their fierce predecessors and pushing new boundaries.

Huck and Jim on the
Mississippi River
Begun in 1982 by librarian and director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom Judith Krug, Banned Books Week was designed to not only promote free speech but to encourage everyone to read previously banned and challenged books. In that spirit, Gleeditions is proud to offer many of these progressive works, including

§        A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
§        Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (original, first edition) by Mark Twain
§        Candide” by F. M. A. de Voltaire
§        The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
§        Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Molière

Now, doesn't this make you want to pick up or download a banned book today and share it with your friends, kids, students, or even a stranger at Starbucks? Celebrate the courage and conviction of these incredible authors, and continue to promote and defend freedom of speech in America, and everywhere!

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Power of the Pen: Remembering Female Authors Who Freed Us All

The power of the pen never ceases to amaze me. It can liberate those who are even bound by physical means, and its force and impact can reach across time and space.

I am reminded of this today because 339 years ago, Anne Bradstreet, the first published colonial poet, left this world. Though she had already published a book of poetry in England, it was her work in the 'New World' that reflected her pioneering spirit and readiness to challenge the status quo--especially that of women in this newly-forming American society.  She writes
    I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, Who sayes, my hand a needle better fits, A Poets Pen, all scorne, I should thus wrong; For such despighte they cast on female wits: If what i doe prove well, it wo'nt advance, They'l say its stolen, or else, it was by chance. 
    She also adds, "Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are."

    Bradstreet may have been understated, but her message is clear. And it had an impact that extended to the next poet to be published during the colonial era, Phillis Wheatley.

    A century after Bradstreet, Wheatley became not only the second published poet but the first African American published author--all while remaining enslaved.

    Wheatley was taken to America from Gambia, West Africa when she was seven, and sold into slavery.  She not only mastered English by age 14 (she published her first poem at that age), but shortly thereafter educated herself in Latin and the Classics and produced a widely-lauded translation of the niobe episode from Book VI of Ovid's Metamorphoses. In 1772, her first volume of poetry was published in London, where she went 'on tour' and received accolades from such luminaries as Benjamin Franklin and Voltaire. After achieving international acclaim, Wheatley writes, her owner, John Wheatley, finally saw fit to "give me my freedom.” Therefore, Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to free herself by means of her own writing ability.

    Tragically, due to myriad factors, including racial discrimination, Wheatley died forgotten and impoverished in 1884 from complications after child birth.

    Despite her tragic ending, as widely noted by scholars throughout the world, Phillis Wheatley represents a number of firsts in American culture. She is the first published African American author and also the first woman who published her work largely through the efforts of a community of women: her mistress, Susanna, seems always to have encouraged her to write, and her daughter, Mary, may have served as the poet's first tutor; Obour Tanner, her black soulmate, evidently gave Wheatley encouragement and spiritual counsel, but it was probably through the efforts of Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, that she saw one of her volumes come into print. Wheatley also enjoys the distinction of being America's first woman writer who tried to make a living by the use of her pen, and she is certainly one of America's first authors, whether man or woman, to do so. In addition, Wheatley is one of America's first writers to cultivate for publication the epistolary style. According to Henry Louis Gates Jr.,  she is “the progenitor of the black literary tradition.”

    So, today, and every day, we salute these remarkable women and the power of the pen, for it freed them both and continues to offer light and inspiration to us all.

    Friday, September 2, 2011

    Become a Contributor!

    Hello everyone!

    The Guardian's first book award goes to Down the Rabbit Hole, a Vancouver B.C. theatre company stages an innovative production of Merchant of Venice, and we uncover the link between Nasa and novelists--all of these scintillating snippets are featured in the new edition of our September Literary News.

    In addition, we have an updated listing of university and local theatre productions throughout the country and English-speaking world, as well as details on an exciting poetry contest hosted by Ohio State University Press and open to all!

    We encourage all English teachers, students, librarians, publicists, and bookworms to contribute to our news page (Much Ado About Some Things) and to share with us your news and events. Please contact me with any announcements or article ideas for our next edition (October 2011). Cheers!

    Thursday, August 25, 2011

    No Funds? Get Creative!


    With all of the funding cuts to education we have to ask ourselves how we can maximize student learning outcomes with the limited resources available. Increasingly, I think that means we turn to digital texts and material and try to utilize them to their fullest potential, thus actually adding value for our students.

    This year I am taking that idea to a new level in my classes—and especially in my composition and critical thinking course. I am not just using Moodle as an interactive platform, but will be creating a student-content-based online blog/newspaper. The idea is to show students how writing is a real world activity, how it impacts society, and how all of us can learn to express ourselves clearly and forcefully in order to make the changes we want to see in the world.

    While I will be using some traditional books, I am also planning to use free online texts from the Gleeditions Common Core selection. Because they are scholarly editions, nicely formatted, searchable, and free, I can assign a variety of short stories, essays, speeches, poetry, and drama that I have either already planned to use or that, because of the way the course develops naturally, suddenly fit into the content and our discussions. By going digital in this way I can be extremely flexible while saving students money on textbooks. A win-win!

    These are challenging times for educators and students alike but we need turn this dilemma into an opportunity to think outside the box and get creative. We have this amazing tool, the Internet, at our disposal and we can utilize it in so many dynamic ways. We now have the potential to not only “go with the flow” of our classes and add reading or supplemental material as the tide shifts, but also to engage students in a setting they are already extremely comfortable in.

    I hope that traditional books never disappear, and I hope that education will one day—very soon—get the full funding it deserves. But because of the outrageous cost of textbooks and the uncertainty about funding at present, I am gladly plunging into cyber space head first. I am excited about the possibilities and would love to hear how others are tapping into this tremendous potential.

    Please share your ideas here and help all of us turn those blank checks into real money for our students!

    Wednesday, August 10, 2011

    Bond Inspired the Booker--Who Knew?!

    With the 2011 long list just announced, I wanted to discover what or who inspired the Man Booker Prize. And this is what I found--who knew?!

    The Booker Prize can trace its origin, through quirks of history and the imaginativeness of one individual, to James Bond and the attainment of political freedom in Guyana.

    The imaginative individual was a Scotsman called Jock Campbell (later Lord Campbell of Eskan) who in 1945 became Managing Director of the Booker company, which then had most of its business in Guyana. A man of enormous energy, intelligence and human understanding, Campbell was deeply conscious of the wrongs and hurts of slavery and the complex relationships of the African and East Indian populations in Guyana.

    Jock Campbell, who was an active supporter of independence movements, soon transformed Booker from a typical colonial business into a thriving enterprise esteemed by employees, shareholders and customers. At the same time, realising that an expatriate-owned business producing around 35% of Guyana’s gross domestic product had a limited future, Campbell turned his attention to the UK, where he extended Booker’s business into rum marketing, food distribution, engineering, shipping and other activities.

    One day, Jock learned that Ian Fleming, an old friend and golfing partner, had been given not much more than a year to live. Over a drink at the ‘nineteenth hole’, Fleming sought Campbell’s advice about securing his estate for his family by selling his interest in the James Bond novels.
    Income tax at that time, at Fleming’s level of income, was almost equivalent to confiscation. Jock recommended a merchant bank, but in his bath next morning thought to himself: ‘Wait a moment. I know a knowledgeable tax accountant and a tax lawyer. Couldn’t Booker make something of this?’ The consequent deal was to the substantial advantage of both Ian Fleming and Booker plc and to the substantial disadvantage of The Exchequer.

    This was the beginning of Booker’s ‘Authors’ Division’ which, taking advantage of a loophole in the UK Finance Act, soon added to its portfolio the copyrights of a galaxy of writers, including Agatha Christie, Dennis Wheatley, Georgette Heyer, Robert Bolt and Harold Pinter.

    As Tom Maschler relates elsewhere, The Booker Prize took its inspiration from France’s Prix Goncourt. Seventeen years later, Le Figaro referred to the Goncourt as the ‘French Booker’. The wheel had turned full circle. Admittedly, our motives were somewhat different from those of the Prix Goncourt. Jock Campbell had gathered around him a number of young executives who combined their business ambitions with intellectual interest. Jock himself had read widely and voraciously. As a young man, his prowess in solving Torquemada’s crossword puzzles in The Observer led to his being asked by Torquemada’s widow to edit a book of his 112 best puzzles. But the main reasoning was commercial. The investments in the Author’s Division were making very high returns. Also, the further publicity might contribute to publicising Booker’s growing investments in the UK as they withdrew from the developing world.

    From: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/perspective/articles/1014

    Thursday, July 21, 2011

    Making Summer School Fun

    Hello,

    Many of you are either taking or teaching summer classes as we speak, and if you're anything like me, you're experiencing a serious love/hate relationship with the process. On the one hand, five or eight week courses speed by--in fact, they're nearly over (woohoo!). That's clearly something to love. But on the other hand, these lightning quick classes are enormously challenging. For example, grading six essays for two different classes--one of which has 45 students in it--can be a mind-numbing, eye-reddening, time-stealing venture that verges on masochism. Add to this the daily lesson planning and classwork, plus a test or two, and all summer fun is pretty much over. However, I've discovered something that really works and makes class time not only more interesting, but actually quite stimulating: outdoor activities.

    Now, you may be wondering what the heck I mean by incorporating outdoor activities into a college English class, so let me explain. Rather than force everyone to pack into a non- or only slightly air conditioned room for two- to three-hour stretches, I hold part of the class outside or have students do writing activities that send them out exploring the campus. For example, when reading a short story, we head for the lawn, plop down under a tree, form a circle, and do a read-around. This is so much more engaging--not to mention healthier--than sitting inside reading and sweating. Plus, all that fresh air really makes the blood and ideas flow; the discussions are so much livelier! Another great activity is sending students out in pairs to do a "My Camera" exercise to teach them description techniques. It works like this: Have students work together to explore and describe the campus, using as many sensory details as possible. Have them wander around for about 20 minutes (in the pairs one talks while the other writes) and then regroup in the classroom and write a paragraph based on their observations. The paragraph should not just describe the campus but should support a main idea about what the physical attributes of the environment reveal about the identity of the school. I find that students not only start thinking more deeply about the mission of the school and how the campus contributes to the "vibe" of the place (and how it contributes--or doesn't--to student success), but that they notice many more specific details about it than they normally would.

    I have just started doing these activities and now my summer school experience is really becoming something to love. And I think students enjoy the change of pace and environment also. It keeps it interesting and active, and it harkens back to the open-air "classrooms" of the ancient Greeks. For my money, if it's what Socrates did, I want to try it too. So, open those doors and get yourself and your students out on your campus. I think you'll like what you all can discover together outside the confines of the classroom.

    Monday, June 27, 2011

    Macbeth Results & Terrific New Teaching Tool

    Hello!

    Thought I'd update with some news about the final results of the Macbeth papers from my English 2 students based on the Gleeditions version of the text. By and large results were overwhelmingly positive; I was very pleased with the ideas and higher order thinking displayed in both the final papers, and on the close reading of passages required on the final exam. According to the new Bloom's Taxonomy, creation is the highest level--meaning that students are beyond summarizing, synthesizing, and evaluating, and are able to create their own new meaning based on sound reasoning and informed judgment. Clearly students got to that point and I do credit the online, interactive text with helping to facilitate that level of comprehension. I think that whatever we can do to get students beyond the basic struggle with Shakespeare's language and plot points, the better. It means that they can then truly engage with the text (not a summary of it or a dumbed down/modern English version like Sparknotes or Cliffnotes provide), and add their own insight. I would not hesitate to teach with this text again, and in fact will look for many other ways to utilize it both in- and outside the classroom. Next time I'll post some excerpts from their feedback about the experience, but first I wanted to highlight another really cool technological tool that can help all of us teachers, I think.

    Have you heard of the Google Art Project? It's a virtual tour of many of the world's great museums, completely interactive and amazing. This is something teachers could show in class and then have students explore on their own, creating research projects on the paintings or artists themselves. One of the creators gave a brief overview at TED. Check it out and let me know how you think you might be able to use this in the classroom. I'd love to get ideas from everyone because I'd love to use this soon myself!

    Happy summer and either happy vacation or summer term, everyone!

    Tuesday, June 7, 2011

    Another Idea for E-text Macbeth, Act V

    Hello again!

    So, we've wrapped up Macbeth. I get the research papers tomorrow and will see how effectively my students grasped the material (fingers crossed!). We've had some excellent discussions, great insights, and, of course, many questions and a few frustrations. But overall, the class did impressively well with some weighty material, and provided some surprisingly clever analysis.

    Since I have been working with a digital text (Gleeditions), I've been discussing with peers here and elsewhere about how to use it to maximum effect in the classroom. And for Act V, I tried something new.

    I projected two of the most powerful passages on the screen in front of the room--Lady Macbeth's "Out, damned spot!" lines (V, i, 34-38), and Macbeth's "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech (19-28), and we closely read them, word-for-word, line-by-line, as a group. It was really wonderful to project the lines on screen and be able to "show" how to closely read them. I think it clicked for many who are visual learners, and made concrete the process of interacting with a text and "unpeeling" the layers of meaning. We had a very lively discussion of the meaning of "blood," as well as the light and dark imagery, in Lady Macbeth's speech, and how it shows a change in her character. For Macbeth, we discussed both what his outlook on life is at this point in the play, and what Shakespeare might be trying to say to his audience through Macbeth. The phrasing and word choice of that passage is just so powerful, and I wanted students to savor and dissect it so they really felt the impact and appreciated the skill it takes to write something that amazing.

    After our discussion of elements and themes,  I had the students quick write an analysis based on our close reading. Specifically, I asked them to relate Macbeth's speech to the last lines of The Great Gatsby (which we just finished). Their research paper is a comparison based on the two texts, so I wanted to scaffold that process.

    Responses were deeply considered and, as I'd hoped, included close reading of some elements from the passages.

    To me, using a digital text is ideal because it allows me to interact with it in a meaningful way with the class and demonstrate how to read closely. This text in particular is extremely helpful because of the format--it's color-coded and well-designed, so it appeals to those visual learners, and it is easy to see on screen. The graphics add a great dimension as well, and help reinforce how important Shakespeare's work is (it has been painted and produced for centuries and many of those works are represented on the pages).

    Once I get the papers in, I'll report the results. I will also be getting some evaluations of the Gleedition, so I'll share that feedback as well.

    Thanks for the input, everyone--it's been so helpful! I've gotten some excellent sources from many of you and I hope to learn more about how you teach with technology--specifically with digital texts--in your classrooms. I have a new project in the fall that I'm excited about, based on creating an "underground newspaper" on the Web for a critical thinking class... But more on that soon!

    Have a wonderful week!

    Friday, May 27, 2011

    New Ideas for Teaching with E-texts from Macbeth Act III

    Hello again!

    Well, I'm happy to report that Act III really generated a lot of discussion--in fact, so much that we took two classes to complete it! As I mentioned earlier (please see previous posts on Teaching with Gleeditions Macbeth), I tried a different technique with the Gleedition this time (I'm trying to figure out the best way to teach with a digital text in a classroom where not everyone has laptops and there are no desktop PCs for students). What I came up with was printing certain passages from scenes, with the annotations (by dragging them into the printable area), and then having students form groups to 1. Decipher the passage and 2. Analyze it. I first modeled the activity on the screen, using the vocabulary annotations and my own knowledge to break the passage down line by line. Once we had a handle on what Shakespeare wrote, we closely read it to better understand the impact of the word choice (the means) and then discussed, in this case, what that first passage from Banquo in Act III, Scene i, reveals about his character. We looked at the annotation on character traits and that was a good launching point, but then we expanded upon it and tied it to previous passages to see if we could understand his traits and role in this play better. I did all this on the projected computer screen so we could really see how to both closely read and critically think about a text.

    Once I finished modeling the activity, the groups received their passages and had about 20 minutes to complete the task. I walked around and guided groups as they worked together to decipher and analyze their passages.

    When we reformed as a class, students surprised me at their level of understanding and engagement. They did not merely repeat the annotations, but used them as a starting point to  investigate the characters and language. We had especially vibrant conversations about male/female character traits, the reality or illusion of the ghost, the concept of fate vs. free will in Macbeth's decision-making, the shifting relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, and the figurative language used throughout this Act--particularly the snake metaphor and all of the allusions to bats, beetles, scorpions, etc. We discussed how the imagery so cleverly conveys what is happening in Macbeth's mind, which makes the ghost scene so much more powerful (and complex).

    As students broke down the passages, they discussed non-annotated passages as well, which I showed overhead as we talked. I think that because they had the annotations in some places, it enabled them understand the non-annotated lines better.

    I recommend this exercise if you use a Gleedition--or any electronic text--in your classroom. I really think students benefit from group close reading and analysis when they are able to share their findings with the class on a screen that everyone can see. This way, we all follow along and learn the process of both close reading and critical thinking. And, after all, isn't that our goal? So, this helps!

    Next week we tackle Acts IV and V. Any suggestions for activities?

    Sunday, May 22, 2011

    Act II Down! Excited for Act III Tomorrow

    Despite the end-of-semester malaise we all experience, Act II of Macbeth elicited some probing questions and insightful comments. Students are delving deeply because the Gleedition enables us to spend less time on plot details, and more time on substantive issues of the play. While some may think that annotations on seven literary elements (including vocabulary) "do too much work" for students, I have to respectfully argue the contrary. In my experience thus far, the annotations are enabling students to grasp the play as if it were written in modern English (though the Gleedition does not dumb down the text or alter any of Shakespeare's brilliant language or syntax in any way). And because they are grasping the content, students are therefore discussing the issues, themes, characters, and relevance of the play on the intellectual level we expect of serious scholars.

    Tomorrow we tackle Act III and I am employing a new technique. I am printing various passages w/the annotations (simply open and drag them into the printable area) and having students break into groups to both translate and analyze them. The idea is to decipher Shakespeare's rich language and understand how it adds to impact and meaning; to determine themes and character traits (both agreeing and disagreeing with the annotations) and tying them to the larger issue of what these reveal about humanity (In other words, what is Shakespeare's point?); and, finally, looking at the underlying issues raised in the play and how that helps us understand rights and roles of people in medieval and Renaissance Europe and how that applies to human understanding today. Once the groups have finished, we'll regroup as a class and I'll show the results on the projected screen as students break down their passages.

    I'm excited about tomorrow and think this may be a really strong way to utilize the Gleedition in the classroom. We'll see!

    Wednesday, May 18, 2011

    Started Teaching with Gleeditions Macbeth

    Hello!

    This week I started teaching with the Gleeditions Macbeth to my Advanced Composition/Critical Thinking class at Santa Monica College. I'm using it as our primary text, and projecting it on a big screen in a "smart classroom." For the first day I had students print out Act I so we could read parts aloud and get the rhythm of the play. Students were able to not only print the text, but also the vocabulary by dragging the annotations into the printable area (something I actually didn't realize was possible), so it worked out great!

    Before we read the play, I showed the class the Background in Brief section, to provide context for the tragedy. We looked at the real Macbeth, Scotland in 1040, witchcraft and supernatural beliefs in medieval and Renaissance Europe, and the Gunpowder Plot. Students were impressed by the graphics, and surprised to learn the violent history of ascension to the British throne, as well as the belief in the supernatural.

    Once we read through the play, we went back to some key passages and dissected them with the help of the Gleedition. For example, we looked at the character traits of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and discussed some major themes, such as Appearance vs. Reality, Ambition, and Ambiguity. We related these to similar themes in The Great Gatsby, which we just finished, because my students are going to compare these texts in their final research paper (I'll post more on that later).

    Although the majority of students were a little apprehensive about tackling Shakespeare, most seemed very comfortable once we started. Because of the annotations, they were able to really understand what was going on, and as a result, were able to engage in a higher-level discussion about it (rather than merely trying to figure out the plot). We were able to take our discussion of the underlying issues to a deeper level and really dig into the character traits and motivations. For example, they tied the theme of ambiguity to an earlier discussion we had about moral relativism, and discussed how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rationalized their way to plotting murder. We also discussed the role of free will versus fate in decision-making, and whether or not Macbeth's decision was part of his destiny or an exercise of free will. It was good stuff!

    For our next class, I am having students investigate the concepts of the divine right of kings, Renaissance humanism, and women's rights and roles in medieval and Renaissance Europe. I also asked them to write discussion questions from the play and annotations in three categories: character traits, vocabulary, and theme. My goal is that next time we will add more context to the discussion, and students will delve deeper into the evolution of the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. I also want to discuss vocabulary and style so that they become more familiar with the layers of meaning through close reading of the passages. My first impression is that the Gleedition seems to facilitate the latter very nicely.

    So far, so good... Stay tuned!

    Friday, May 13, 2011

    Othello Just Got Far Less Tragic!

    Hi Everyone!

    We've just posted a new Guided Literary E-text Edition of Othello at http://www.gleeditions.com. Please take a look and if you're an educator interested in using it, or any Gleedition, as a primary text, we'll give you free access. We can also work w/your school library to purchase our whole collection for use at your school. I think that once you see what an amazing and revolutionary teaching and learning tool this is, you'll be hooked!

    For all others, this is the way to learn Shakespeare. The texts are fully annotated, color coded, and literally "guide" you through the vocabulary and key points of the play. Seven literary elements are highlighted--plot, character, voice/point of view, theme, setting, style, and vocabulary--which allow users to interact and understand the rich layers of meaning in each work. Each Gleedition also has excellent Background in Brief context, including timelines, maps, and celebrated graphics.

    Try us and see what the future of e-books looks like today!

    Friday, May 6, 2011

    Mother Goose Attracts Geese

    This is a very cute story to brighten your Friday. Apparently a gaggle of "literary" geese is flocking to the Skokie, Illinois library... perhaps attracted by its terrific Mother Goose collection? You be the judge! http://skokie.suntimes.com/news/5165957-418/story.html

    Monday, May 2, 2011

    Creative Assignments

    I'm finding that by making writing assignments more creative than just the standard 5-paragraph essay format, ELL students do much better. I've found research to back up my experience but wonder what others think. Does unleashing creativity enable breakthroughs for students who normally struggle with Standard English?

    Friday, April 15, 2011

    Answers

    William Faulkner on the typewriter--isn't that just the best image? Next, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, and Sylvia Plath. What American treasures these are--and gifts to the world.

    Sunday, April 3, 2011

    Fab Photos! Famous Writers Working




    Amazing shots of literary greats doing their thing. So inspiring! Can you name them?

    Saturday, March 26, 2011

    Teaching Macbeth

    Hi and happy Saturday! I'm teaching Macbeth this spring semester--in fact, in a few weeks--and am going to use our Gleedition (http://www.gleeditions.com/macbeth_details.html). This will be the first time I've used a digital text only and am really looking forward to seeing how the students will respond. I am lucky enough to have a smart classroom, so I can take advantage of the color-coded annotations to teach close reading and critical thinking skills to the class, as well as show the background in brief info and graphics. I'm planning to make a YouTube video of at least come of my experiences forging ahead into this new frontier, so stay tuned! Also, if you have any helpful hints about teaching Macbeth, please let me know. I'd love to hear them.

    Thursday, March 24, 2011

    Online Marketing

    Very smart, this one... Gary Vaynerchuk, the New York Times bestselling author, is back with a bold and expansive look at the evolution of today's marketplace, revealing the essential factors defining and driving successful relationships between businesses and consumers. In this groundbreaking follow-up to the bestselling Crush It!, Vaynerchuk, one of Bloomberg Businessweek's “20 People Every Entrepreneur Should Follow,” looks beyond a numbers-based analysis to explore the value of social interactions in building our economy. Check him out: http://www.vromansbookstore.com/vaynerchuk-thank-you

    Tuesday, March 22, 2011

    The Future of Digital Publishing is Here!

    Revolution is in the air—and not just in the Middle East and Africa.
    More than simply modernizing the way students and educators access great literature, Gleeditions.com is revolutionizing the concept of eBooks and free online texts.

    First, Gleeditions.com (Glee’ dish-uns) created the world’s one and only Guided Literary E-text Editions of classic works by William Shakespeare and Mark Twain. Innovative and interactive, each Gleedition features an academically approved edition of the primary text plus:
    • Color-coded, original annotations for seven literary elements
    • Comprehensive yet concise background information
    • Celebrated graphics, including maps, timelines, and art
    • A search-the-text feature and hyperlinked index

    Then, we added 50 formatted and searchable digital copies of Common Core texts*—stories, poems, plays, essays, and speeches by world-renowned writers from Chekov to Whitman.

    And now— just in time for spring studying and course planning for summer and fall— Gleeditions.com offers all Common Core titles free of charge, and Gleeditions for just $7.95 per month or $11.95 per term (with free access to educators who select a title for required reading).

    Whether you choose one of our cutting-edge Gleeditions (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Macbeth, Othello, The Tempest) or our enhanced digital downloads of Common Core texts, Gleeditions.com enables you to “go green” and “save green” simultaneously.
    Students, educators, and reviewers who have tried Gleeditions rave:

    "I was given the tools to make interpretations on my own as well as having expert information to compare my ideas to. I felt that I have a deep and greater understanding of the play than I would just reading ... the typical ... editions." Theresa M., student, Mt. St. Mary’s.

    "Wonderful! Easy to navigate and clean-looking. No fluff!" Carol Jago, President, NCTE

    "These Gleeditions texts incorporate many of the best features ... of classics for students.... Gleeditions adds a more through repertoire of annotation types, illustrations, color, and interactivity." Craig Bunch

    See for yourself what all the excitement is about and what the future of digital content looks like. Join the educators, students, and lit lovers who have already discovered this dynamic new approach to learning.
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    * Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed with teachers, school administrators, and experts for a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce.