What do teachers think of sparknotes

I've even had some teachers who draw ideas from Sparknotes for their own lessons, then they can't complain when I use it :.

All Rights Reserved. How do teachers know if you use SparkNotes or other note sites? Easy points were easy. If you use one of those obscure themes in your essay. They do, however, report scores, highlight incorrect answers, and indicate correct responses. While many of the resources here can be a huge support to struggling readers, the ads and other distracting content may prove to be too tempting -- so use with caution. If students can make it past the distractions on the home page -- advice columns, ads, and teen-friendly topical blog entries -- they still may not find what they need.

Content within the study guides is dense, and the text is quite small. The site offers over study guides, with a focus on classic literature and Shakespeare. Guides include summaries and analyses as well as "quick quizzes. There's very limited support provided. Each section of the guide is a field of dense text needing to be bolded or highlighted. A small number of guides include a video summary. Reluctant or struggling readers may need assistance.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone e. Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work e. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how complex characters e. Visit website. SparkNotes were initially created as a tool to help students understand literature, yet they have also become popular among students as an alternative to reading. While teachers believe SparkNotes are not only cheating, but prohibiting students from learning, students generally view SparkNotes as a time management device.

SparkNotes are a series of chapter-by-chapter online book summaries and analyses. Only 9 out of the students polled did not report using SparkNotes. Of these nine, most said they had never heard of the site. Now I use them all the time. The general consensus among the students polled is that SparkNotes are a time management tool to lessen homework loads.

Thank you! Let me know what you think! I know there is a lot of paid things, but I have only used the free stuff. They also have funny things like Facebook pages for Greek mythology…. Its so refreshing to see teachers truly digging deep to make learning fun.

I hope my children are blessed with creative teachers like you in the future. Thank you SO much girl!! Love these ideas! As I math teacher I like to teach the kids that using the answers in the back of the book is NOT cheating. Nicely put! Thanks girl! A book nerd to be more specific I use SparkNotes regularly in my adult life.

You are truly meant to be a teacher, my friend. Keep it up! Love that you encourage SparkNotes, too! I also use Lit Circles and assign each group a task for a specific chapter. Most students assume that because a book is assigned for class, it MUST be boring; however, it is possible to shake things up and get them involved if you can make it relevant.

Thanks for the great Teaching Tuesdays! I do tell my advanced students I feel there is a time and a place for Spark Notes.