HyperText
- These web pages are designed to give you, the reader,:
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- An overview of Hypertext;
- An understanding of how it can be used in the classroom;
- Some management ideas;
- Some historical information;
- Examples of work produced by children of different ages and abilities and
- Some links to other sources of information.
This web site is intended for use by educators and is therefore heavy on information rather than 'eye-candy.'
My first introduction to hypertext fiction was at the TUANZ conference in February 2001. Rosalie Hill from Thorndon School presented a seminar that included examples of her class writing fiction using hypertext links. Shortly after that I received an email from a cyber-friend who was just back from a college reunion. During the reunion she had attended a lecture given by a fellow ex-classmate who is now a Lecturer of English at the University of Maine.
The lecture had been about 'Storytelling in the Electronic Age' and Judy (the lecturer) had talked about the timeline of storytelling - how it began as oral tales, often retelling events of the day or to commemorate some kind of ritual. With the advent of a written language storytelling moved from the flexibility of oral recount to a more rigid structure - the progression of starting at the first page and working your way through to the last page - no variations.
I 'bent' Linda's ear a lot over the following weeks about this new way of writing and publishing - which is why Linda and I are working on this project together!
The use of the internet and hypertext links has changed the structure of storytelling again. Now you can, once again, have flexibility in story writing - let the reader participate in the story as well. They can choose their endings, even add their endings (see 'The Neverending Tale') and a story now doesn't have to ever end. The possibilities are endless!
Click on the links to the left to find out some more information - including the PowerPoint notes from Judy's lecture (adapted for this medium) on the background information page - and examples of hypertext writing from children.
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