Teaching Shakespeare Manga Style

Well, I think that teaching Shakespeare Manga has many benefits. Like all comics/ graphic novels, there are visuals that are able to assist in student's comprehension. (This is along the lines of what Rosenblatt and Wilhelm's views are for visualization in the classroom, and I agree with them. I think visuals are so helpful to a wide variety of students)...These links specifically focuses on students with autism; however, visual aids are helpful for a plethora of students who learn with this type of assistance (ELLs, ELS, etc), as well as those who have no "issue" of learning without visuals. There is some pretty interesting stuff, including a lot of theory pertaining to education, in both of these links... http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17687028 ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJt5pWeX6E4
Along with the visual benefits, I like how Manga editions incorporate contemporary ideas. This definitely allows for an easier connection from the reader to the text. When I signed up to take Shakespearean lit, I about had a panic attack. Shakespeare freaked me out and intimidated me soooo much. Only reading a few meager sections of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, I did not have a tremendous background from high school, pertaining to this author. I think the entire aura around Shakespeare was like "oh crap! Shakespeare is so old, the dialog is ridiculously incomprehensible, and we should only glimpse over his work because of the difficulty of it." Hmmm, dang it! Now after being in Shakespearean lit (I have it currently!) I do not feel the same way. I understand his work, and therefore I can appreciate Shakespeare's literature! This is possible because of the way I am being taught it. It kinda sucks that my teachers did not allow me to engage in this literature as much as they could have in the past though. Also, I think that my attitude towards Shakespeare (including me being intimidated) could have been lessened if my teachers would not have treated his work this way.
This is also where Manga comes in. The graphic novel we read gives off a less intimidating, more fun aura than the original text. It also does not make me think, "Oh great, now I have to read Shakespeare..." But rather, it makes me think, "hmmm, I wonder what this is going to be like." The latter is a much better thought, and I think that our students may have a similar response. Also, the Manga edition stays true to the dialect, which I found to be very interesting.
However, the Manga editions of a text do leave out certain scenes, and only depict the main ones that the team who creates the novels feel are important. I think that this limits the students to what they are experiencing. Perhaps one of the "insignificant" scenes within Romeo and Juliet could be the moment where a reader connects to a character, time period, etc. This is really the only negative aspect in using Manga, in my opinion (based solely upon having only one experience with Manga) .
So, I think that using Manga could be very beneficial, especially when introducing Shakespearean literature. There are many aspects of Manga that allow students to ease into Shakespeare. The graphics are able to assist in understanding for a large groups of students and students are able to relate better to the contemporary aspects added into the graphic novel (the motorcycle, watches, the fact that it's placed in Japan, etc). Manga also creates a much less intimidating atmosphere than the original text, without lacking the beauty of Shakespeare's work. I believe that Manga could be used more frequently than just easing into Shakespeare also. Perhaps in addition to original texts, or even by themselves (if there are sections or scenes that are missing in the Manga addition, you could talk about those scenes or find an interesting way of representing the scenes--like setting some sort of perimeter and having your students act our the scenes that are not included in the Manga edition).

Technology and Lost Identity :( (<--ha, you do this on a phone/computer...get it?)

The article titled "Impressionable Minds, Indelible Images" present multiple ways of delivering information to a class that I agree with. First, I like how Kramer had her students focus on a relevant topic (she discusses how current brands are noticeable within her class). When presenting the essential question of "How are you influenced by advertising?" I would do something similar: Have my students begin with independently contemplating this question (Kramer had her students give themselves a numerical value). I believe that self-assessment is a great way to engage students. Then, perhaps I would have my students elaborate on their answers to the question (she had her students elaborate their numerical value in writing). Finally, the students could then get into some sort of small groups (based upon their answers) or discuss their answers as a whole class (Kramer had her students get up and all the ones went to one side of the room and the tens went to the other). 

Kramer's idea of student's knowledge of pop culture and the knowledge one gains from class should merge is interesting. I agree that students should be encouraged to apply their experiences to the texts that they read. The author stresses the importance of having your students questioning the world and questioning their own personal beliefs. This is one of my goals as a teacher. I want my students to ask these questions. Kramer stated that even though her students may only tell her that they are aware of the media and branding, this is a positive step towards having her students ask the larger questions (about their own identity, the world, etc). 

This picture is huge, BUT it shows how thorough the thought process is behind some of these logos (the Nike Swoosh is simple, stands on it's own, and is recognizable, etc) and how they compare to one another. 

1984 includes the idea of finding one's identity, or the lack of it, as well. What a scary world this book describes! There are Thought Police (where "Any sound Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up" (3)), people fearing to write and not even being familiar with doing this activity (if Winston's diary was detected "it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death" (6)), "WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" ahhhh!, and the protagonist did not even know for certain what year or how old he really was (he only had a hunch). 

This novel is rather depressing, seeing as Winston never defeats Big Brother. The entire book describes how the human race has lost the power of expressing one's self and the fear that people live in. If one were to express one's self, they would be paranoid and fear that they would be "wiped out." This concept of expressing your ideas parallels that of Feed. I think that this novel would be interesting to use, even though Winston ultimately caves into society. It would allow my students to be exposed to how media is so influential, and the possible drastic outcomes that could potentially arise from the media. I am definitely open to some suggestions on possible activities that I could use in the classroom, with comparing both Feed and 1984...

 

The two novels, Feed and 1984, both detail how identity is lost, and unity is taken overboard, which is shown in this picture. The only smiling guy is the one who's different! 

In the Classroom

Well, Feed is an excellent, brilliant novel. Anderson is able to create this new world mixed with the theme that society is becoming so attached to technology and people are materialistic and unsympathetic, combined with a love relationship. Everything in this world, which is not so "out there" compared to our present world, is readily accessible to people. Also, people, such as Titus, in this world are emotionless.

This novel would work if it were paired with other literature that pertains to human relationships. The Uglies novels would work well with this too, because they also deal with this created world in which technology is ridiculous and human emotional connections are lacking. Plus, if you present one of them in class, like Uglies, then maybe it would intrigue some students to read the others on their own time.

  
Great books by the way!

If I were to use Feed in my class, I would definitely like to ask my students questions such as "Do you think America is becoming a 'dumb' society and an illiterate society because of technology?" (vocab lessened, not using language properly, etc...Similar to the question that we were asked in class...), "Can technology be a good thing? What is too much?" and "Does technology, in your life, prevent you from making personal, emotional connections with others?" I think that this book can be used to assist our students in assessing their personal lives.
Like I said in class, I would love to have my students be challenged to go one week without their phones, getting on Facebook, or not accessing whatever their "feed" is. I would ask them to journal their experience as they went through it, noting their feelings (panic, worry, weirdness, etc) to not having the particular technology accessible, write their challenges that may have arose from not having this, and how has it affected other's views of them (ex: Perhaps a text message was sent out inviting you to the latest party, but you didn't get the message, thus you didn't go, so now your group of really close friends that did go to this party think you're a total loser....Or perhaps something beneficial/ positive arose during this) or whatever vibes they get from others during this one week period because they don't have this technology.
I also like the idea of using some sort of performance with this book. I'm not sure where or how to do this, but I think it would be interesting to do some activity that is performance based... Maybe even just having my students draw out their interpretation of the world in the novel, or create scenarios that are not directly in the book but based off of the themes (crazy technology, lack of human emotions, etc) then have them act it out in groups? I don't know... it could be interesting. What are some ideas that you all have?

This is really long, but please read it :) I think there are some valuable things in here.

  Frustration. Anger. Pretty much any word that has a negative connotation is applicable to how I was feeling after my group leader work. I was so irritated at myself for being so nervous! I couldn't help but to continuously think about the flow of the activities throughout the 20 minutes and I was trying to be aware of the time frame that I had to work with, and I do feel that I could not relax and be myself, because I was overemphasizing these aspects. This is not anyone's fault but my own because I am the one who was over thinking these aspects of teaching. 

I felt totally defeated. Once I got home I was questioning my ability to teach. I thought "Oh my gosh. Why am I even thinking about this profession? I'll probably just always be too nervous and I'll never be able to present my ideas without feeling this overwhelming anxiety." (Dr. Mortimore, I'm not saying that I hated this experience or that I hated the assignment. I think it's a great thing to have us do. I really liked my ideas and activities that I came up with, so it really wasn't a totally bad experience...I'm just saying that this is my first experience with having these feelings, but it's a good thing because, well...keep reading!) BUT I know this is not true. It's true that this is what I thought. It is true that I felt just awful after leading the group. What is also true is that I have taught (in a teacher's assistant position) and felt very comfortable as well. I had taught a lesson a few weeks ago and nothing of how I felt Wednesday night was present in my experience as the teacher. 

Also, the funny thing is, I had to teach the next day, after my experience on Wednesday night... I so did not want to teach. I was definitely not in the mood. But, as I reflect upon what I was thinking and how I was feeling, I think that I knew I had to do it (teach) and so I just faced that fact. As I started I seriously just jumped right into what I had planned. The crazy thing is.........I did not feel nervous. At all. I felt completely relaxed, like myself, and ready to explore the text that we had read.

To make things even better, this was the most amazing experience that I have ever seen. I'll tell you a little about the class. It's a class that has zero English majors, so many of them are not innately interested in literature--they're just fulfilling a credit requirement. Many are freshmen that don't have much of a background/ experience with literature. I'm not pointing out these qualities to suggest that my students are "dumb" or that they are unable to comprehend the things that we talk about. In fact, they present very thought provoking ideas and I was so impressed with them today.

Today was the day that they seemed to finally warm up to...to me, to the actual professor, to the concepts that we were talking about, to the thinking process. It was truly amazing. I structured the lesson around discussion, with a writing assignment that I'll talk about in a second. But with the discussion: The professor doesn't really use this much when she lectures. Well, she asks questions and allows the students to respond but many times she cuts them and their thoughts off, and then adds her opinion/thoughts to conclude what the student has said. So anyway, we discussed a lot about "Happy Endings" which is a metafiction (and really different and interesting). I had the time to allow everyone who wanted, to express their thoughts and opinions (this is something that I value--having all voices heard. I know that not every time this is feasible, but when it is I think that you will get very good feedback). The students were engaging with the text, telling me how they interpreted things and how they felt the characters were, in their eyes. More hands went up, as others shared. They were kind of seeing how I reacted to what their peers were saying, I think, to see if it was "safe" to voice their thoughts. 

I would also like to mention that the students who always participate in that class were more silent than normal. Two of the students say at least six or more things during a class and today they said maybe two things. I believe that this may be because they are a product of their environment, meaning that they (like me) have not been taught how to connect and discuss how we were--openly, freely, emotionally...They may have been used to "ok, here's the simile, this is what the author means," etc. Perhaps something unrelated to class was affecting them. Who knows. I just thought it was interesting to see this correspondence. 

So anyway, I had the students summarizing and applying their thoughts, feelings, etc to the text, for each option (the literature involves six "options" the writer provides (option A, B, C, D, E, and F). Each option talks about a certain scenario for the characters. Like, option A involves a "picture perfect" story of John and Mary. They have a nice house, nice jobs, and nice relationship. Then option C involves John being a jerk and not caring about Mary. Each option is different, talks about the beginning and ending of stories in general...the authors point is that the middle of a story is the most important part). This could have gotten mundane and boring, but I think that the pace that we had as we went through the text allowed it to not take forever, while still allowing all of the students to have their voice being heard. 

After we did this, I had them all get into 8 different groups of about four to five students in each group. They were to write a story, an option E, that differed from the options provided in the text. I was a little hesitant to put them in groups for fear that not everyone would participate. I asked them to make sure it is a collaborative writing and encouraged them to allow everyone to participate in the process from mind to paper. And they did!

Another side note: I said that I would like to have them all write in paragraph form, BUT if they were having problems with coming up with ideas that they could use bullet points. All eight groups wrote in paragraph form. I think that giving them this option made the task less scary or less intimidating, and they were willing to give me a nice response in return for allowing them to have some type of independence. 

As I walked around the room, to each group and sat in to listen to them, I was so excited to hear what they were coming up with. They were amazing. Also, one girl asked if her group could make two of the characters come back to life (in the options from the story they end up dying) and my response was "sure! You can do what you want with this." I really think that they enjoyed the freedom that they had while creating their work. They were so creative too. One group had secret agents, another involved going to Europe, one had a man buried alive, and another involved a woman killing her husband without anyone knowing and then marrying her dead husband's father.

So, each group went around and shared what they came up with to the entire group. I asked them to read what they wrote, instead of deterring from their writings. (I wanted to see how they were able to have the story flow, and they had a good amount of time to create their work. Sometimes I like being able to add to and not read directly from what I wrote, because sometimes I don't have enough time to write down everything in my head. I really wanted to hear what they wrote though...) 

We were laughing together, able to connect certain themes to what they wrote and aspects stemming from "Happy Endings," such as an element of surprise. The stuff that they wrote was AWESOME! The professor even said, "Wow. I'm really impressed. Some of what they wrote was better than the actual authors!"

It was really cool to see the students interacting with one another, hearing their thought process, and seeing how they formed their own, original writing. There was such a relaxed, accepting (of their thoughts) aura. 

One student really stood out to me, and to my professor. We both noted that he was smiling at certain points during the lesson. This is HUGE. This student seriously sits throughout class, very glazed over, and detached from everything that we do. Getting any emotion, even as insignificant as a smile, meant so much to me. He seemed to interact more and I could tell that there was something different with him today. Although there is much more growth that I hope to see within this student, today gave me hope. Hope that these students that seem so "out there" and so detached from class are able to change. You have to try different things, different ways of presenting material... 

I'm not sharing this with you to merely share my two drastically different experiences, just for the sake of sharing them. I want you all to know that it is basically inevitable that you will experience a day where you are really doubting your career, your ability to teach, or not being satisfied with your performance in the classroom. Even though this will happen, I want you to know that you are good enough to teach. If you are passionate about what you want to do and are willing to learn from your experiences and are able to get passed your "road blocks" (anything that re-directs your thinking pertaining to your career, ability, or performance) then you should not give up. 

It doesn't matter if you're not the top of your class, if you’re not perfect, if you’re not happy with something that you have done (like me being unhappy with my performance in class). You can still reach students, no one's perfect, and you can learn from your mistakes. We are just merging into the thoughts of teachers and just now being introduced to having our own class. We are not going to get it right every time, even when we have been doing this for years. But I urge you to keep going. Shake it off, find out what you can do to make it better next time, and go. I know that when I teach what I presented Wednesday night in my actual class, I want to move around the classroom more, I want to give even more think time since the Holocaust is such a heavy subject and students may not know what to think right away, spend more time on what I presented in general, and not seem so nervous! 

Even though the Wednesday night experience was not fun, I am glad that I experienced what I did in a way. I think that this "project" is awesome and I love it. It really gets us up there, in front of the class, and allows for a very real experience. I have learned that I will have negative experiences in the classroom. Well, it's not all that negative. Yea, it pretty much sucks that my nervousness probably affected my grade, but I have learned something that far outweighs the mere concept of a grade. I'm so glad that I was forced to have to teach the very next day. I personally needed this so much. It has allowed me to realize that I will have tough days teaching, but that those experiences don't mean that I can't teach. And I guess that is what I want to portray to you. That even though you have a not-so-positive occurrence you can still be and develop into an amazing teacher that can reach that one student that seems disconnected, uninterested, or negatively approaching your class.