Community reviews for Folger Shakespeare Library

This is a hard tool to rate using the parameters above. It is for teachers and almost functions like professional development by giving ideas for improving pedagogy around Shakespeare. Modules are great, particularly for teachers who have not worked with Shakespeare before. They help make the work more accessible to students. Ideas are curated by Folger staff to ensure good quality.

I love seeing what other teachers are doing around the world, but to really take advantage of what Folger has to offer, you will need to attend one of their professional developments or buy one of their books. The site is a little busy, but once you figure out how to navigate it, you can get some good ideas. Overall, I think it is a great additional resource, but if you want help teaching an entire play, you will want to buy the book.

I feel that this is an effective teaching tool. As mentioned in the "How I Use It" section, this is a precision tool. Think more of a hammer used by a jeweler, instead of a sledgehammer. I like the sheer amount of information, it provides me with options for research, as well as lesson creation. There are also a series of lessons that have already been created, that can be used as they are, or easily adapted to the individual needs of your students. An area of weakness is that of navigation. As mentioned before, this website is DENSE and often cumbersome to find something that you need. This website, on the SAMR ladder, falls between Substitution and Augmentation, all depending on how you utilize the tools provided.

This tool requires a LOT of teacher preparation. There is so much information to sift through to pull out the quality pieces that will help your students, but there is so much here that it would be a crime to not use it when teaching Shakespeare. The plays can be difficult enough to understand on their own, so using these resources can help students connect and make their experienced enriched in a way that the play itself will not do for most of our students.

I think this site is best for teachers to create lessons. There really isn't much for students to do independently that will engage them for long. If a teacher wanted to direct students to particular areas of the site and have them complete a task she created, that could work. What I liked under the Shakespeare for Kids section (found under the Discover Shakespeare tab) are the quotations and scripts, which include sheets for insults, compliments, and and activity to “Try Your Hand at Shakespeare.” I usually do this kind of activity when beginning a unit on Shakespeare to make the students comfortable with the language and to show them the Shakespeare can be fun (and funny!). I also liked the primary sources that are included on the site. Students will be able to get a glimpse into the daily life of citizens living during Shakespeare's era. This can be a higher order activity by having students analyze how the document relates to the play. Teachers have included comments on how they have used the document in their classrooms.

In my opinion this is a great website for English teachers. It focuses solely on Shakespeare's work and offers a ton of resources and lessons for teachers. Instead of just reading and taking notes this site offers worksheets, charts, and outlines to help the student be better organized and allow for more creativity when teaching. These materials also allow students to be more engaged in their learning and will ultimately yield a better understanding of the material. Shakespearean language is very difficult and boring for student and this site can help bring more excitement. You are able to search the site based on a piece of literature and/or grade. It's very easy to navigate and is geared more for teacher use.

I use this at varying times during my Shakespeare unit when discussing Romeo and Juliet, sonnets, and Elizabethan England. The students have to motivated to discover answers, but with graphic organizers and teacher-designed webquests could be very effective.

It is the leading App for Shakespeare.

I think this is great site to get lesson and activities that engage students. Some of the lessons need to be adjusted for various tiers of thinking and doing.

Overall, I find this to be an excellent resource especially for those new to teaching Shakespeare or when teaching a new play. It serves as a "jumping off point" for teachers new to the Shakespeare experience or for those looking for a way to jazz up an old unit.