Let's Face It: SparkNotes is inevitable...and that can be a good thing

I will never forget the look on my students’ faces the first time I asked them to please use SparkNotes. Exchanges of suspicious glances and looks of general bewilderment revealed their inner monologues: Is this a trap? Is this real life? Did Ms. Verick finally lose it?


In reality, I had not “lost it.” Rather, I had seen an opportunity. Granted, I had utilized Sparknotes in my class before (their No Fear Shakespeare page is quite helpful for my grade 9 students when we get to obscure passages in Romeo and Juliet). But, on more than one occasion I had joined my English department colleagues in lamenting whenever a student clearly read the summaries of a book, rather than reading the book itself. We had frequently shared strategies to encourage students to engage with reading, rather than taking these shortcuts, such as getting students to reflect on how their experience of a story is impacted by getting information in different ways (I like to share a chuckle and some reflection with students as we read The Onion’s article “Girl Moved to Tears by Of Mice and Men Cliffs Notes”). However, sometimes the frustration persisted. 


In my AP Research course, we spend a great deal of time discussing the existing body of knowledge and how students can add to that body of knowledge and fill a gap with their research. This is quite empowering for students; it shows them their voices matter, that they are not just passive vessels for knowledge. I then asked myself: Why can’t I incorporate the same concept into my literature courses? Isn’t Sparknotes part of the existing body of knowledge surrounding a text? How can I empower my students to add their voices to this literary conversation?


So, I asked my students to use SparkNotes. And CliffsNotes. And Shmoop. And so on. To be clear, we went through our unaided study of their independently-selected novels, first, through a series of activities and conferences. Then, after they finished their independent study of their novel, we reflected on all the analysis they had been able to autonomously form and support. They were now “experts” on their text, so it was time for them to share their expertise with the world.


The students searched through the existing body of knowledge on their novel (in other words, SparkNotes, scholarly articles, etc.) to find a gap in that knowledge. I asked them to reflect on: What is analysis that is still underdeveloped on these sites? What is a nuance, a complexity, that you see that hasn’t been addressed? How can you add your voice/analysis to what is already out there?


And then they were off -- writing reviews on Goodreads, adding posts to their personal blogs, contacting contributors of websites to thank them for their help throughout their high school careers and politely suggest additions of analysis to their sites. It was hard work for them, but it was also rewarding work, especially when the students received responses from the contributors of Shmoop validating their analysis and encouraging them to continue digging into literature.


Empowering students is one of the most rewarding parts of my teaching, and it is my hope that they strive to put their voices out there, in this vast world. There are so many tools available in this digital day and age, and I hope my students use/consider them well.


Mallory Verick