On October 19 I attended a session put on by the Calgary Regional Consortium entitled “Shakespeare: Words and Actions”. Michael LoMonico, Senior Consultant on National Education for the Folger Shakespeare Library, facilitated the session. LoMonico’s primary objective was to show how learning through performance can be one of the most effective ways for students to understand the language of Shakespeare. Many adult students (myself included!) may be hesitant to perform in front of the class, but performance does not have to be an elaborate, stressful production. LoMonico shared several simple performance activities with the participants, and even as teachers we could see how our understanding of Shakespeare’s language was deepened from these simple activities:
- Before you begin a Shakespeare text, introduce students to the language by choosing a passage that is full of imagery, not necessarily from the play you will be studying. LoMonico chose the captain’s monologue in Act I Scene ii of Macbeth, and had us read the passage as a class while standing, and acting out the imagery. Reading and acting together took away some of the “fear” and acting out the imagery helped to put meaning to the words.
- Using Friar Laurence’s monologue at the end of Act V in Romeo and Juliet, randomly assign students the names of all the characters that are referenced in this speech. Reading as a class, every time there is a pronoun in the speech, students need to point to the student who have been assigned the character the pronoun is referring to. This really forces students to pay attention to who is being referenced (and you sneak a grammar lesson in, as well).
- Using a scene (we used the Act I Scene ii from Midsummer Night’s Dream) split students into two groups: directors, and actors. The actors are essentially ‘puppets’ in this activity, as the directors will be telling them exactly what they should be doing and how they should be saying their lines. This really forces students to visualize the meaning of the text, while creating their own interpretations. This was by far one of the most surprisingly effective performance activities that we participated in during the session.
We also took part in several language based activities; for example:
- Once students have become more familiar with the language of the text you are studying, give them a scene (we used Act IV Scene ii from Macbeth) and have them work in groups to cut down the lines in the scene by half. This activity allows students to think about what is really important to understanding the scene. We found that the first to go was imagery and characterization, but what we were left with was a very precise interpretation of the plot development in that scene.
- To help students recognize and understand tone and visualize the text, provide them with a scene (we used Act III Scene iv from Romeo and Juliet) and working in groups, have the students distinguish the tone with which each line is said. At the same time, students should be writing their own stage directions for what they imagine the characters are doing.
The Folger Shakespeare Library website has these activities, and many more valuable resources and lesson plan ideas for teachers to access, including resources on how to approach Shakespeare when working with students with an ESL background. LoMonico and the Folger Shakespeare Library were also involved in creating Shakespeare resources for educators for PBS. The interactive approach to Shakespeare presented in this workshop is just one way to counteract the apprehension that many adult students have about studying Shakespeare.
I recently attended a Calgary Regional Consortium workshop entitled “Summer Technology Boot Camp: The Great Web 2.0 Tools Face Off.” The focus was to look at how web 2.0 tools are being used in education. The participants were broken into groups, and each group researched a different resource. Here are some of the highlights:
QR Codes
With so many students owning smartphones, QR codes are becoming more prevalent in education. QR codes can be created using a QR Code Generator, and can be scanned using any smartphone QR Scanner app. QR scanners can also be downloaded to a desktop computer, so that those who do not have a smartphone can still utilize this tool. Participants at the session shared how they are using QR codes in their classrooms. Many of these suggestions can be adapted for an adult student base:
- QR codes were used to create a scavenger hunt orientation for new students/the beginning of a new school year.
- QR codes were linked to student work to display student work in a limited space.
- One teacher has students record book reviews, which are linked to a QR code and then attached to the book. That way, when the next student takes out the book out of the class library, they can listen to the book review.
- Students can record an oral presentation and link it to a QR code, for the instructor, or other students to access. This can be helpful in building confidence for students who are hesitant to speak in front of a group.
- Rather than print out an answer key, or write out the answers on the board for learning activities, answers can be linked to a QR code, which is then printed right on the assignment, for students to access. Not only can print answers be linked to a QR code, but instructors can record audio explaining the answers.
- QR codes can be placed around the room and linked to extension activities or extra practice for students to access when they are finished their work.
Many more educational applications for QR codes can be found here.
Digital Timelines
Digital timeline tools allow students to create timelines, which could be a useful application in many subject areas. We looked at several digital timeline applications, such as Time Glider and When In Time. Digital timeline tools allow students to link images, video, audio, etc. to events on their timelines. One of the more interesting timeline tools was Precedan. Precedan allows students to layer different timelines together, so that they can compare and contrast. Digital timeline tools allows students to collaborate and edit each other’s timelines. A few of the uses participants shared for using digital timelines in the classroom were:
- Tracking plot in a story. Layering timelines allows for the actions of several characters to be compared.
- Tracking the stages of science experiments
- Timelines can also be used as a project management tool, to plot when stages of the project will be completed.
Best of the Rest
Tube Chop: Tube Chop allows you to edit You Tube videos so that you can only show what you need to the class.
Fotobabble: Fotobabble allows audio to be placed over photographs. This tool can be used to create photo essays, or to document science labs, for example.
Glogster: Glogster allows students to create digital posters. This eliminates the need (for students and instructors) for transporting and storing large poster papers.
All of the web 2.0 tools I have discussed here were very user friendly, so even the most hesitant student (or teacher!) can utilize these tools to enhance and support learning.
I was able to attend the open house and I found it inspiring. I was amazed by the number of people who braved the cold to find out more about the college. I had worked at open houses in the past, but I had never seen this much traffic at the academic upgrading booth. A good number of the people who came to see us had pre-formulated questions and knew what they needed for upgrading course, unlike in the past, where visitors did not have as high an awareness. As well, a number of people were referred to our booth from the career program and learner services booths, and we referred others on to them in return.
Special thanks goes to Petya for setting up the booth and running the academic upgrading open house area. Knowing the prospective students as she does, she brought down texts for them to see and recorded names to send them further information. Knowing the college, she answered all of their questions in a professional and friendly manner. Where needed, she directed them to booths or services in the college. She had the department pages and the mybvc.ca website open for students in investigate.
Thanks to Karen and the four students from the Aboriginal program who came on a Saturday to represent the department. Kudos to Karen for setting this up a student leadership opportunity. The students were leaders, in every sense, answering questions based on their experience. I had the chance to talk to them and they were very complimentary of their program, its coordinator and its instructors. As well, we had a few good laughs.
I was moved. I will take the opportunity to send info to students who requested further information about our courses and programs. I learned so much about the people who choose to study here and why they do. I was reminded of some of the really good people who work here and so for important reasons. I was reminded of the great students who choose to come here to learn. I certainly had fun.
