A couple of weeks back, I put out a call for ideas for a possible OLLI course.
For those who need a recap, the mission of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is to provide intellectually stimulating lifelong learning opportunities geared toward people age 50 and up. OLLI is affiliated with the California State University at Channel Islands.
So, I’ve been bouncing around some ideas inside my skull, and I think I’ve hit upon one good enough to let out. Let me know what you think…
There’s an educational outreach program locally that’s looking for some courses for their upcoming school terms…
Since April, I’ve been lucky enough to give a couple of Shakespeare presentations, first for the Ventura County Reading Association, the second for a group of students at Santa Clara Elementary School in Oxnard, California. Even got paid for one.
And it got me thinking.
This is what I should have been doing all along.
I’m an old dog, and in a sense these are old tricks, but papa’s got a brand new bag. (Yeah, to paraphrase the Tenth Doctor: “that sentence…It got away from me, yeah.”)
Thus, I’ve started up a speaker’s bureau. Created curricula. Wrote up lessons. Built a website (hey, real-world employment finally pays a benefit!). And am now putting it out into the world.
Take a look at billwalthall.com. There, you’ll find some pics from my recent presentations, an introductory video, and a rundown of all the presentations I can deliver (and if you don’t find one there that meets your needs, let me know… I’m sure we can put together something that will be perfect for you).
So, do your teachers or staff need to bolster their Bard bona fides? Does your school–public, private, home–need a workshop to bring Shakespeare alive for your students? Or does your group need a TED Talk-type presentation to re-introduce you to the greatest plays and poems ever written? You name it, I’ll bring it.
A week from today, on Thursday, April 9, I’ll be delivering a presentation entitled “What’s the matter with Shakespeare? Words, words words…” at the monthly meeting of the Ventura County Reading Association.
I’ll be providing teachers with the tools they need to confidently introduce Shakespeare to their students. The centerpiece will be a scansion workshop and lesson (the plan for which will be one of the takeaways for the afternoon, so that they can replicate the lesson for their own students), focusing on how character and action are revealed in the rhythm of the poetic line in passages from both Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.
Thursday, April 9, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Ventura County Foundation Building, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo.
For more info or to RSVP, vcrareading@gmail.com.
Download the flyer.
On Thursday, April 9, I’ll be delivering a presentation entitled “What’s the matter with Shakespeare? Words, words words…” at the monthly meeting of the Ventura County Reading Association.
I’ll be providing teachers with the tools they need to confidently introduce Shakespeare to their students. The centerpiece will be a scansion workshop and lesson (the plan for which will be one of the takeaways for the afternoon, so that they can replicate the lesson for their own students), focusing on how character and action are revealed in the rhythm of the poetic line.
Thursday, April 9, from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Ventura County Foundation Building, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo.
For more info or to RSVP, vcrareading@gmail.com.
Download the flyer.
I’ll be delivering a presentation entitled “What’s the matter with Shakespeare? Words, words words…” for the Ventura County Reading Association on Thursday, April 9.
