Introduction
2BONT2B? That is the question. This message is better known as," To be or not to be", from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, written around the 1600. It is considered to be one of the most famous quotations in world literature and the best known of this play. The form of language, 2BONT2B is better known as text messaging, or instant messaging. But what does that have to do with Shakespeare? Text messaging has become a worldwide form of communication for our students. On any given day, or place, one can see children with their cell phones sending messages. The messages could be, Can you meet me? What day is our math test? As we witness this transformation, we know that there are and have been many types of communication: talking on the phone, writing a letter, talking one on one, twittering, signing, blogging or emailing on a computer. In view of this transformation of communication, teachers need to embrace this new form of technology. In what better way can a teacher bring the words of Shakespeare and the tech-language of 21 st century learners together but through an aspect of life that begins to preoccupy many students by the sixth grade: romance in the lives of young people? This unit is called "Shakespeare on the Cell Phone: Texting Romance".
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