Tumblr, Sonnets and Pop Songs

Hi guys, here's a link to the website I would be using: http://popsonnet.tumblr.com/

Tumblr has always been a website that allows me keep in touch with popular culture and therefore I think that using Tumblr to teach litereature would be seen as a ‘fun’ and non-threatening activity by the students. I feel that this particular Tumblr page (introduced by Ken during my comm. class module), while not specifically containing any materials that is ‘educational’, it allows students to better appreciate Literature as a subject. The main premise of the Tumblr is based on the re-writing of pop songs into sonnets. Students therefore would be able to see how an, according to them, ancient and somewhat difficult to comprehend style of writing can still be used in a modern context. Additionally, by using pop songs, students would find these sonnets relatable to them, hence making it easier for them to read it. Hence this website is very useful to help students get used to the sonnet form, to be aware the use of iambic pentameter and the use of language. This would in turn help them be familiar with the style of writing Shakespeare employed and hopefully students would not be so daunted reading his works.

I can think of two main ways that a teacher can use the Tumblr page to assess the students and these two methods can be used on students depending on their ability levels. The teacher can just ask these students to provide a personal response to the sonnets. The teacher can ask the student how they feel about the sonnet, whether these sonnets are effective at replicating the message of the song, and finally what do they feel is the point of writing such sonnets. The purpose of this is for the teacher to assess students’ comprehension ability and this task would normally be carried out towards the start of the year to assess students’ ability to craft out a personal response and their ability to express themselves. Another way that a teacher can use this Tumblr page would be asking them to analyze the sonnet version of a pop song of their choice. As there are many sonnets available, it is likely that students would choose one that they are already familiar with. The student would therefore have prior knowledge on what the song is about and also may be aware of the theme present in the song, making it easier for them to perfor