Good afternoon English. by J-d-write Lyrics
Hello, English. This week's blog comes on a slightly different format - one I have wanted to show for quite some time. This, I believe, is the best way to show you this.
How am I writing on this website? I've got an account, and I'm just typing on it. I could also write this elsewhere and copy / paste it into the site. This is something that can be done with a whole range of texts. Previously, I've typed sections of An Inspector Calls onto the site, as well as copying poems from the anthology and articles that I wanted students to annotate. I know it's called rapgenius, and there is a strong Hip Hop ethos to the site - it's collaborative, off the cuff and able to be used in any way you want - sample, freestyle... it's down to you. However, that doesn't mean you have to want to annotate obscure references in Hip Hop, or the frequency of a word's usage over time (although you might); you can annotate Orwell, Shakespeare, Pilger, Dunford, Frost... the only limit is what you search and what you find. And it's not just a case of writing what you think - even with limited computer skills you can add links, images and videos. Easily.
This website bring reading and annotation to life. The annotations aren't just 'done' when you click done. If you choose to join, you can be made an editor - we currently have one pupil editor in year ten - and you can accept, reject, suggest and edit annotations. Some of the best annotations have several authors, adding depth and complexity, or alternative views. Check out this one where I've been annotating Blake's London and a friend from the #UKHipHopEd movement, a Head of English from London, has popped on to join in. We can get the pupils doing this - as seen here.
A reasonable question, and one I asked Jeremy Dean, Education Czar at rapgenius, would be on using the site as a teacher. Is it safe? Is it OK to bring kids onto a website with all of those terrible, violent, misogynistic rap lyrics.
Firstly, it is safe. Everything is open - with a brief tutorial, you can be shown how to communicate with the pupils in a completely open, viewable to the whole world sort of way. And the lyrics? Well, the website contains lyrics from a range of genres - rock, reggae and more - with equally inappropriate lyrics, and equally beautiful lyrics. It also has some very rude Roman poetry, but that's classics, innit, so that's alright.
Educators are well supported on the website. Jeremy Dean is building a global community of educators who use the site in a wide range of ways. They're getting pupils to write onto the site, they're setting tasks through it, like a VLE - literally, the only limit is what you can imagine and what you trust your students to do. This link shows a range of educators and the work they're doing - you will, of course, note that they're mostly English / Language Arts teachers. This is 'cos we're the best. To find out more click on the Education link at the top of the page and read this.
Whether you wave your hands if you love hip hop, think it's bigger than hip hop, enjoy analysing the specifics of Eminem's flow in comparison with other great MCs, want your pupils annotating Akala's Fire in the Booth, or just like reading classic literature in a new way, this website wins. And it's a potential winner for our pupils too - they've produced some excellent work; where you see it as fitting, suitable and relevant, book an ICT suite, send them onto chrome or firefox, and GET ANNOTATING!
PS - you'll notice the text is green. That's because I've annotated every line, and as a badman, I am a verified artist on poetrygenius - thanks to the founder Mahbod who verified me. Your annotations will be yellow. Ha.
How am I writing on this website? I've got an account, and I'm just typing on it. I could also write this elsewhere and copy / paste it into the site. This is something that can be done with a whole range of texts. Previously, I've typed sections of An Inspector Calls onto the site, as well as copying poems from the anthology and articles that I wanted students to annotate. I know it's called rapgenius, and there is a strong Hip Hop ethos to the site - it's collaborative, off the cuff and able to be used in any way you want - sample, freestyle... it's down to you. However, that doesn't mean you have to want to annotate obscure references in Hip Hop, or the frequency of a word's usage over time (although you might); you can annotate Orwell, Shakespeare, Pilger, Dunford, Frost... the only limit is what you search and what you find. And it's not just a case of writing what you think - even with limited computer skills you can add links, images and videos. Easily.
This website bring reading and annotation to life. The annotations aren't just 'done' when you click done. If you choose to join, you can be made an editor - we currently have one pupil editor in year ten - and you can accept, reject, suggest and edit annotations. Some of the best annotations have several authors, adding depth and complexity, or alternative views. Check out this one where I've been annotating Blake's London and a friend from the #UKHipHopEd movement, a Head of English from London, has popped on to join in. We can get the pupils doing this - as seen here.
A reasonable question, and one I asked Jeremy Dean, Education Czar at rapgenius, would be on using the site as a teacher. Is it safe? Is it OK to bring kids onto a website with all of those terrible, violent, misogynistic rap lyrics.
Firstly, it is safe. Everything is open - with a brief tutorial, you can be shown how to communicate with the pupils in a completely open, viewable to the whole world sort of way. And the lyrics? Well, the website contains lyrics from a range of genres - rock, reggae and more - with equally inappropriate lyrics, and equally beautiful lyrics. It also has some very rude Roman poetry, but that's classics, innit, so that's alright.
Educators are well supported on the website. Jeremy Dean is building a global community of educators who use the site in a wide range of ways. They're getting pupils to write onto the site, they're setting tasks through it, like a VLE - literally, the only limit is what you can imagine and what you trust your students to do. This link shows a range of educators and the work they're doing - you will, of course, note that they're mostly English / Language Arts teachers. This is 'cos we're the best. To find out more click on the Education link at the top of the page and read this.
Whether you wave your hands if you love hip hop, think it's bigger than hip hop, enjoy analysing the specifics of Eminem's flow in comparison with other great MCs, want your pupils annotating Akala's Fire in the Booth, or just like reading classic literature in a new way, this website wins. And it's a potential winner for our pupils too - they've produced some excellent work; where you see it as fitting, suitable and relevant, book an ICT suite, send them onto chrome or firefox, and GET ANNOTATING!
PS - you'll notice the text is green. That's because I've annotated every line, and as a badman, I am a verified artist on poetrygenius - thanks to the founder Mahbod who verified me. Your annotations will be yellow. Ha.