Most of us have experienced the classics in high school. A lot can be learned from them and a lot is taught from them. I enjoy reading the classics, besides being educational they are also quite entertaining. I used to always shy away from them, thinking they were all boring, but when I was forced to read some classic literature for my senior English class in high school I realized that they weren’t all that bad. So what seems to be the ideal way to use these books that are both entertaining and educational? I’ve seen them fit quite well in a classroom setting and I can see why they do. They can be taught from, as they are in many english classes, but so can textbooks and anthologies. They are also entertaining, many anthologies and most textbooks aren’t. I’ve decided to dedicate this blog to teaching from the classics and how it’s beneficial. Of course, classics aren’t the only fiction that can be learned from, so I’ll include a bit on fiction in general. I believe that reading fiction is a great way to learn things, but sometimes that knowledge seems to be encoded in classics. A guided teaching of this literature can help students to decode this knowledge and get through the often difficult to read classics. I’ll probably include a few things about how knowledge and understanding gained from fiction can be applied to everyday life.
In a few less words, this blog will be about teaching from fiction, specifically the classics.
I really like this idea. There are many forms of literature to teach from, but the classics are the classics for a reason, and there is certainly a place for them in secondary schools. It’s important not to forget them (but how could we) in an age with so much literature produced daily!
So when you say classics, do you mean just English classics, or all of them. Sophocles, Homer, Virgil, Biblical texts, Milton, Romantic Period, Realism? Please let those of us who follow your blog know in your next post! I am also interested in hearing more on what the public buzz is in relation to these works. Is the public for or against the teaching of classic literature? Is it split? Does this tie into censorship when we talk about books like Of Mice and Men or are you going to focus on the teaching strategies and analysis strategies for students. This is such a great topic, there’s so many ways you can go with it.
I’m interested too in what feeds are you using for the research in this topic? I would really love to know so I can have a look at them and see if they relate to my topic too.
Chris,
Good start here. On the technical side, you’ve got a complete class blogroll, and RSS syndication. Now add a link to Google Reader and you’ll be set.
Your topic is very relevant to our class; my hope is that it yields enough articles over the course of this semester. Maybe Google News will cast a wide enough net to draw in a range of interesting pieces. Be sure to identify the feeds you’ll use to inform your blog.
RR
Chris,
This topic is very interesting, especially because one of my favorite series draws very closely from all the classics. At first, I thought they were fairly boring and seemed to ramble on about pointless things that we don’t necessarily pay attention to in novels today. But as I grew older and started to read more of them, I saw the connection the classics had to a lot of the well-known literature novels today. I could follow the storylines and comprehend the messages that the authors were trying to portray in their works. I also think that by teaching fiction, you can usually engage your students more directly into your lesson than by using just poetry or non-fiction textbooks. The very idea of a textbook usually puts students off from learning, at least at the high school level. I certainly like the idea that you have here!
Jamie
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