Comics as an Educational Tool

The Use of Comics as an Educa2onal Tool

Comics are the format not the genre!

Comics in the Classroom!

This is a presenta3on created by GNLM to promote the idea and the poten3al of comics and graphic novels as educa3on tools.

For more informa3on please visit our FB page or TwiBer account

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@GNLibrary Malta

What? How? Why?

What is a Graphic Novel?

§  Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey informa3on and/or to produce an aesthe3c response in the viewer. (ScoB McCloud, Understanding Comics, p. 9)

§  “An expensive or long comic book” – Alan Moore


§ A way to express ideas

§ A communica3ons medium like film, wri3ng and pain3ng

§ A container of Ideas

§ A narra3ve which includes visuals as part of the story


§  It has the same format as comic books

§ Comics contain text & illustra3ons that present informa3on

§ Book-‐length, usually contain one story

§ Comics and graphic novels are the Medium, NOT the genre

Thought Balloon

Sound Effect

Panel

Gutter

Dialog Balloon

Caption The Classic Comic Book Format

Different genres of graphic novels

§  The many different genres of comics already tell us how versa3le the medium is for story telling.

§  There are so many different genres for comics and graphic novels that it would be impossible to men3on all. Here are some of the major ones.

§ For emerging readers age 4+

§ Can be read to or by children

§ VeBed by educators

INTERESTING FACT!

§ President Obama collects both

Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics

Why have graphic novels become so important?

§  The quality of comics and graphic novels has increased substan3ally. Authors and ar3sts use the medium to express all kinds of ideas and narra3ves.

§ Children and young adults have learned to follow and understand a story visually rather than textually. (television, video-‐games, computers, electronic billboards, etc...) (Allison Lee, Graphic ABrac3on – Graphic novels in libraries, 2004)


§ Graphic novels lure teen boys, while retaining the quali3es beloved by teen girls.

§  They work for ESL (English as a Second foreign Language) students (Krashen 54), teach visual literacy (Gorman 9-‐10) and sequencing, above all else, they are wildly popular with an adolescence audience.

§  They aBract reluctant readers to read and also encourage them to explore other literary mediums.


§ Graphic novels have evolved from the superhero narra3ve into more complex analogies incorpora3ng topics of discussion such as child abuse, domes3c violence, environmental damage, sexuality and also homelessness, to name a few.

§ Graphic novels include a range of reading levels. The material can be as rigorous as a physical textbook or as vapid as a tween movie adapta3on.

What benefits do graphic novels bring to the school’s Curriculum?

§  They can cover a mul3tude of topics. Such as: Art, English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, literature, etc...

§ Graphic Novels can also be used as the basis for discussion regarding difficult or controversial poli3cal, economic or social issues.


§ Develop and increase interest in general reading §  Increase literacy

§ Develop language skills (wide and varied vocabulary)

§ Create interest in a variety of different genres

§  S3mulate crea3vity

§ Develop art apprecia3on


§ Develop the ability to discuss art and wri3ng §  Increase the understanding of visual literacy (gaining meaning from images)

§  Improve understanding of pop culture and other media

§ Make difficult concepts or texts more comprehensive

How to actually use comics in the classroom?

§  In order to show you exactly that, I have referenced Bill Boerman-‐Cornell’s ar3cle, More Than Comic Books to explain and expand on the idea of using comics in classrooms for various subjects and for different results. In this case teaching the English language.

An Example

§  The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a story about a man who travels to a strange tale

§ Using wordless narra3ve to exemplify the isola3on of his protagonist and visual metaphor to lend universal power to the journeys of other immigrant in the story, Tan gives the tale a deeply emo3onal tone.

§ Here are some examples of what that means

Open discussions

§ Why aren’t words used in The Arrival? What effects does this have on the reader?

§  Is The Arrival a colourful book? In what way? When and why does the colour change? What effects does the use of colour have on the overall reading experience?

Open discussions

§  The city the immigrant arrives in isn’t real, but what sort of a city is it? Is it meant to suggest a contemporary or historical place? In what way does it suggest that place?

§ How is visual metaphor used? Are the immigrants who tell their stories really running from giants with vacuums or through vast mazes? What are these things meant to represent? Why do you think the main character lel his own homeland?

Benefits from all this?

§  These discussions will give students awareness of meaning, visual metaphors, inclusion principles, tolerance, cri3cal thinking, and many other topics depending how ones steers the discussion.

§  It will also interest reluctant readers to immerse themselves into something new with the idea that not everything is exactly what it seams.

§  It will also introduce students to other similar works with similar topics for discussions such as Art’s Spiegleman’s Maus or Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

Possible ac3vi3es for literacy?

§  Find a text students are usually expected to know. (Try to find a few paragraphs with a limited sequence of ac3ons happening. It may contain but not be limited to, a brief conversa3on)

§ Ask students to translate the passage from words to sequen3al art, using words and other devices, such as: the guBer, thought or word balloons, ect...

Language Arts, Panel by Panel

§  The American “Common Core Standards” call on all language arts teachers to teach mul3ple media, including websites and movies.

§ Graphic novels can offer another way to think about how narra3ves work in different modes.

Language Arts, Panel by Panel

§ Graphic Novels can either be adapta3ons of classic stories or other well-‐known texts, or new and original work.

§  The combina3on of text and images offers addi3onal ways to make intra-‐ and inter-‐textual connec3ons, allude to other works, established, characters and develop themes through mo3fs.

Conclusion

§  So are teachers just supposed to give up on regular books and give students graphic novels or comics?

§ Of course Not. Teachers should not present graphic novels as an alterna3ve to regular text-‐only reading, but as a different useful format.

Conclusion

§  Students with access to a variety of reading materials have higher average reading scores.

§ Graphic Novels challenge readers of more tradi3onal literature

§ Comics help students embrace the nature of a mul3media world

§ Graphic Novels fulfill the NCTE’s (Na3onal Council of Teachers of English) “21st Century literacies” (mul3ple streams, simultaneous informa3on)

Conclusion

§ Graphic novels are another tool in differen3a3ng reading instruc3on.

§ Graphic novels can be an effec3ve way to engage students who might not necessarily be interested in par3cular subjects.

§ Graphic Novels present complex material in readable text

§  They serve as a bridge to more difficult reading

Video -‐ Newest Teaching Tool: Comic Books (Dated March 25, 2005)

§ hBp://www.cbsnews.com/news/newest-‐teaching-‐tool-‐comic-‐books/

Any Ques3ons?

§  For more informa3on and other resources please visit our Facebook and TwiBer pages:

Graphic Novels Library Malta

§  In order to make comics more accessible we want to ins3l in Malta the idea of a Comics Library or for comics to be included in libraries.

facebook.com/GraphicNovelsLibraryMalta

@GNLibrary Malta

References

§  Castle, K. (2011). Library collec3ons for teens: Manga and graphic novels. School Library Journal, 57(5), 147-‐148.

§  Downey, E. M. (2009). Graphic novels in curriculum and instruc3on collec3ons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49(2), 181-‐188.

§  Doyle, A. (2008). Graphic novels: Mice in masks and ageing superheroes: Using graphic novels in the media classroom. Screen EducaIon, (51), 68-‐73.

§  Duncan, R., & Smith, M. J. (2009). The power of comics: History, form and culture. United States of America: The Con3nuum Interna3onal Publishing Group.

§  Fingeroth, D. (2008). The rough guide to graphic novels [ ] Rough Guides Limited.

§  Griffith, P. E. (2010). Graphic novels in the secondary classroom and school libraries. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(3), 181-‐189.

§  James, B. C. (2007). Transforming English with graphic novels: Moving toward our "op3mus prime". The English Journal, 97(2), 49-‐53.

§  Karp, J. (2011). The power of words and pictures: Graphic novels in educa3on. American Libraries, 42(7), 33-‐35.

References

§  Klock, G. (2002). How to read superhero comics and why Bloomsbury Academic.

§  Mallia, G. (1994). Comics as illustrators: The use of comics in instrucIon. (M. A. Communica3on Studies, University of Malta).

§  McBroom, K. (2009). Graphic novels beyond the basics: Insights and issues for libraries. Booklist, 106(6), 56.

§  McCloud , S. (1993). Understanding comics: The invisible art [ ] William Morrow Paperbacks.

§  OrcuB, D. (2012). Graphic novels and comics in libraries and archives: Essays on readers, research, history, and cataloging. Library Resources & Technical Services, 56(2), 116-‐117.

§  Rick, J. (2011). Educate the educators about graphic novels: Five 3ps for success. Library Media ConnecIon, 30(2), 34-‐38.

§  Schwarz, G. (2006). Expanding literacies through graphic novels. The English Journal, 95(6), 58-‐64.

§  Socknat, C. K. (2011). Graphic novels and comics in libraries and archives: Essays on readers, research, history and cataloging. Feliciter, 57(3), 120-‐121.

§  The ipl2 Consor3um. (2012). Graphic novels. Retrieved from hBp://www.ipl.org/div/graphicnovels/gnsSchoolsNLibs.html

§  Wolk, D. (2007). Reading comics: How graphic novels work and what they mean Da Capo Press.