Sarah M's Learning Outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Gain Shakespeare Literacy

I have appreciated how many of the works of Shakespeare I have been able to study and learn about in this class.  I came having read Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet and Henry IV and now I also have knowledge of The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors, King Henry V, and King Lear,  and I have been exposed to Measure for Measure, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and The Merchant of Venice.  I feel that I have come to a deep understanding of Twelfth Night, through thoroughly studying and doing research on it.  I have enjoyed watching many productions of Shakespeare, both through play atmospheres and through motion pictures.  Watching these performances and reading the plays has helped me better understand the history of Shakespeare and his effects in our culture today.

2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically

I learned how to better analyze Shakespeare’s works through the papers and blog posts I wrote on reading the plays and watching them.  I did a close reading of Hamlet’s To Be or Not To Be speech and Henry V’s monologue after speaking with the commoners before the battle, wrote a research paper based in part of the historical context of Twelfth Night, and analyzed many Shakespeare productions. 

4. Share Shakespeare Meaningfully

I have shared the formal writing I’ve done on BYU's Scholar Archive, made regular posts in Learning Suite and then on the blog about the things I was learning about Shakespeare, and shared what I learned with class members and with roommates and my mother.  I also shared my thoughts about ideas other students in the class were developing about Shakespeare's works.

5. Gain Digital Literacy

I definitely gained more digital literacy through this course.  Because of the unique research paper we did I learned how to find information in more digital sites than just scholarly databases.  I also had never used a blog before, so I learned how to do that, and I also connected with friends on Facebook who have opinions about Shakespeare and about teaching his works in middle school. For example, I found that one of my Facebook friends has directed Twelfth Night in a middle school. He gave me insights into what that experience was like and why it is a valuable and enjoyable play for young students to study.

Reflections:

I have developed a love of Shakespeare with his brilliant wit, his insights into human nature, and his incredible verbal powers over the course of this semester. I have also learned new ways of accessing and sharing information and ideas that will be beneficial to me in further studies of Shakespeare, and of anything else.