Sangeetha lit.er-ed

Part 1

The task of finding literature related websites is deceptively simple. I have finally found my way out of the labyrinth of hyper links and here's presenting the 3 websites worth more than a peek:

1. http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/

(4.5/5)

The Norton Anthology of English Literature is both teacher and student friendly. From the Middle Ages to the 20th century, the site gives us the context, annotated texts, audio readings, illustrations, information about authors and even topics to generate critical thinking. The teacher may choose to keep track of student performance in MCQs through the Norton gradebook.

2. http://shakespeare.palomar.edu

(4/5)

A site dedicated to Shakespeare resources online, it tells us all we need to know about the bard, his works, his contemporaries and exactly where else we can find more information in the virtual world. The profusion of hyper links may be overwhelming and the condescending tone of the editor annoying; but apart from that the site is an exhaustive resource.

3.http://www.webenglishteacher.com/

(3.5/5)

Now here's a site we could use for teaching guides, lesson plans and journals. The "just for fun" section is rather entertaining. The site has useful material consolidated from other relevant websites, the flip side being that it often directs you to pay sites.

Part II

What keeps me going...

1. Theatre (Acting)

2. Photography

3. Spicy Food

4. Films

5. Indian Music

6. The tradition of 'Adda' (long chat with friends)

Part III

1. I feel role play is the best way to bring characters alive and children, when actively involved,will be able to engage with the text at a deeper level. The characters could be brought out of their spatial, temporal and cultural context allowing students to understand the nuances of characterisation.

2. I am also inclined to use photography to teach literature. I would not delve too much into the technicalities of the craft as my focus would be to link poetry to images. Students would be encouraged to take photographs themselves to capture the mood or theme of a poem. Visuals communicate effectively when printed words seem lifeless. This would be an attempt to foster a closer engagement with the text and eventually to explain the multiplicity of perspectives.

3. Role play and photography can come together to understand both characterisation and multiplicity of perspectives if children choose their favourite character from a text and try to capture the essence of that character in a shot. They can work in pairs where each takes turns to be the model while the other clicks. As they decide on the "look", body language, framing, camera angle and location, they will actually be creating the character. This is a challenging task as the character needs to be captured in a single image. The final photograph supplemented with a suitable quote from the text will be used for class discussion where they explain their shots and see how differently the same character has been imagined by their classmates.