The SparkNotes Effect

Lazy but competent readers…

In my high school AP Literature class, many students dreaded reading the assigned literature. High school students have busy lives and it is difficult to prioritize material that is uninteresting.

I interviewed a local recent graduate:

J (me): What did you like to read in high school?

C (student): Old books, new books, basically anything. I like a variety of genres.

J: What about the school’s books?

C: Nah.

J: Why didn’t you like the school’s books?

C: Because they told me to read to them.

J: So you were rebelling?

C: Yep. Usually they chose boring ones. I hate The Old Man and the Sea.

J: So you rebelled because they were boring?

C: For the most part, yeah. I liked the Great Gatsby, Life of Pi, and the Secret Life of Bees.

J: Did you read the boring ones?

C: Tried. They were just awful!

J: So how did you get good grades?

C: The teacher would have us discuss the book and I would pick up on the important things from the discussions…

Personally, I sometimes used Sparknotes to avoid reading long books or books that I just couldn’t get interested in. Over time my fellow students even realized that all in-class quizzes were the exact same quizzes that were on the Sparknotes website! We didn’t even have to read anymore! Sparknotes certainly saves time, but does not benefit the student in the same ways that reading the book would.

According to Nicole Dotzenrod (2012) at Attleboro High School,

Years ago, a lot of students didn’t have a computer at home to assist them in homework assignments. Having a computer was a luxury and a privilege. Nowadays, most students have access to one or many computers.

With the Internet, there is a world of knowledge at our fingertips. Some people may argue that this open access to technology is a positive supplement to a student’s learning. Others say that having access to sites like Wiki, Google, and SparkNotes, inspires more cheating than studying.

Technology can be helpful or devastating to our learning.

Overall, my English classes taught me how to be literate. I could analyze any poem, novel, short story, etc. to determine patterns, symbolism, themes, and the author’s intentions for using certain literary devices. I could also express all of these in a well-written essay or analysis paper.

In another way, though, my English courses led to the reorientation of my goals. Rather than striving the understand and explore (as I did in my math courses) I would want to merely make good grades for the sake of having good grades. I was not invested in the literature because I did not see lasting value in the books.

My English courses taught me how to critically examine literature, but not how to ENJOY literature. The laziness of my peers and I prevented us from appreciating “great works of literature.”

Similarly to the drama queens in Just Girls, many of my peers (including myself) would often do just enough work in our English courses to get an A. For many of us, paying attention to class discussions, reading Sparknotes, or even watching a movie of the book would allow us to make an A… without even reading the book! These shortcuts diminish the students’ education and teachers should be careful to truly require students to read the texts.

In my courses so far in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program, I have heard and read a great deal about the benefits of student-lead learning: class discussions, inquiry -based methods, group student-led projects, etc. Sometimes this model can lead to extremes of effort in the classroom. Some students won’t even complete the required reading; some do complete the required reading. Some students may read and understand completely but be unwilling to discuss and collaborate with others or with the teacher. Others may not understand or put in any work independently but pass because their group does well. Teachers should be careful to create thorough examinations.

How can teachers be interesting and relevant while prioritizing classics?

Teachers and students should consider what is truly important. Ultimately, you want your students to become established readers who can critique and analyze any given work and write well. Is it important to read the same exact books? Why, yes! reply the English teachers. And I agree. Students should be pushed to read material that they ordinarily would not.

However, students should have the freedom to read other materials. If your students develop a love of reading, they will continue to learn and will most likely learn much more than you could teach them. Teachers should continue to teach difficult texts, but should also value the interests of the students. Students who do not read will not understand basic references to the text or understand the cultural implications of the works.

Dotzenrod, Nicole (2012) THE PAGE: Is SparkNotes just cheating? <http://www.thesunchronicle.com/features/the-page-is-sparknotes-just-cheating/article_fff891ba-dfe0-59d9-abbc-74e10cb3c0a0.html>

Finders, M. J. (1997). Just girls: Hidden literacies and life in junior high. New York: Teachers College Press.

Gatto, John Taylor (1991) The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher — By John Taylor Gatto, New York State Teacher of the Year, 1991. http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=11375