My Subject and Content Area

My name is Shayne M. Whitehead. I am a graduate of ASU’s journalism program. My content area is English Literature and English itself. I chose this content area because I have always had a large imagination and writing is one of the few skills that can take that imagination anywhere. The nuances of English are necessary for all other fields from reviewing history, to solving equations. You need a solid foundation in English to be proficient in math, science, history, and any kind of performance art. Effective communication is a spring board for all other disciplines; therefore, mastering it become crucial to success everywhere else. I also chose it because English is a flexible field to study. Math is somewhat rigid. Two plus two always equals four. Some students like questions with one answer; I like a wide range. I think it’s because I always felt like it improved my chances of answering correctly. There are always multiple ways of communicating a point, and I love the flexibility English gives me when more than one answer a direct question. It can also be a challenge when I get to the editing phase of writing, not to mention grading as an instructor.

My related content standard is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) I think I first gained an appreciation for this skill when an English teacher asked me to imagine the Diary of Anne Frank, if it were told from another character’s point of view. So many questions formed in my mind, and with each new one, I had a deeper understanding and appreciation for the dairy in its original form. Each question the new POV generated gave me more insight into Anne's experience and her relationship with the other characters she went into hiding with.There are so many retellings of each classic, that finding the uniqueness of the tone, mood, and theme in each new interpretation becomes a unique escapade into investigation and discovery. Looking for those nuances aligns well with both Concept-Based and Project-Based learning. When you’re interpreting these works it requires students to formulate a hypothesis and find the text-evidence to support it. Shakespeare’s tone, mood, and theme will change each time the story is told from a new point of view. Romeo and Juliet could be a lesson on fate, it could be a warning about family pride, and it could also be meant to question our ideas of love over loyalty and loyalty over love. It all depends on who is telling the story and how the listener hears it when they do. Once they learn to find those differences they can start to see how things like point of view can alter or enhance as story's tone, mood, and theme.