Shakespeare Pro

Shakespeare Pro

Description:  Shakespeare Pro is an app that contains the entire works of William Shakespeare (41 plays, 154 sonnets, 6 poems). This app could be useful in the classroom because it has a search engine that can search the entire works of Shakespeare for a single word or line. The search feature has a “relaxed” search, so that if a student cannot remember the exact phrase, they can still find what they are looking for.

How it Works:

This app features every text from the works of Shakespeare, with the first folios and quartos in the original spelling. An integrated glossary is included in the app, so that the user can simply click a word to learn its meaning. The app features the ability to keep in-app notes, which would be helpful for classroom use. It is also possible to bookmark parts of a text, a useful feature for classroom use. This app also contains character descriptions, scene descriptions, Shakespeare facts, memorable quotes, Shakespeare portraits, shortened Shakespeare tales, auto-scroll, and a Shakespeare passport. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare-pro/id341392367?mt=8

Daily Poetry

Description:

Daily Poetry is a free app compatible with iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. With a new poem each day, students can view a new, easy to read, and short work every day. Users can also submit poems and may be considered to be published. They are also post poems, pictures and status updates.

How it works:

Students cannot only receive a new, short work to read each day, they can browse collections of videos, podcasts, and event listings. Students in the classroom have the opportunity to post their own works and share with other students. This can be applied to the classroom for poetry within the classroom.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/poetry-daily/id376587204?mt=8

Shakespeare

“Shakespeare” is an app that is available for iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. It contains many of the dramatic works of Shakespeare, and it features easy-to-understand synopses of each line. This makes the works accessible while introducing some Shakespearean language. The app is free, but an upgrade to “Shakespeare Pro” includes additional notes, including biographical information, a guide to scansion, and a photo gallery.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shakespeare/id285035416?mt=8

LitCharts

LitCharts is a useful app from the iTunes store that has compiled information on over 150 different texts. The app features mostly classical literature such as1984 and Lord of the Flies. The app provides not only summaries of the texts, but also analysis, quotes, and characters. I would use this app in my classroom to help students find background information about the texts we are reading, as well as encourage them to diversify their reading palate.

How it works

LitCharts can be downloaded free from the iTunes store. When first opened, the books are organized in a grid, but can also be viewed by title and author. When you select a book, the information is organized as follows: Background Info, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Symbols, Quotes, Summary and Analysis, How to Cite. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/litcharts/id867311750?mt=8

Poems by Heart

Poems by heart is a free app in the iTunes store that assists you in memorizing poems. Poetry is studied in every Language Arts classroom in nearly every grade level. This app can be adopted by students in the classroom who need a little extra help in memorizing poetry or who just enjoy learning classic poems.

How it works:

When you first open the app, you can choose between “new” poems and “suggestions.” When you click on “suggestions,” the app puts the poems in order from the easiest to the most difficult. However, these poems cost 99 cents. This may well be worth it in some classrooms. The poems under the “new” section are free. When you click on the poem, you can choose to have it read to you in either a male or a female voice. Underneath each stanza is a bar that says “learn this.” It then prompts you to fill in the missing words in the poem. It gives you a score, which makes learning the poem feel like a game. There is also a section called “Poetry Shop” where you can purchase more poems. They are organized by poet or by topic.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/poems-by-heart-from-penguin/id577789325?mt=8