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Graphic Novel Power Point

Graphic Novel Intro #1

Graphic Novel Video

Graphic Novel Graphic

Graphic Novel Two-Page Paper with Bold Print and Hyperlink

Graphic Novels in the High School Classroom?

Many high school teachers are not sure if graphic novels are appropriate literature to be taught in a high school classroom. They seem so easy and basic, lacking the depth of narrative most teachers are used to dealing with. However, as teachers we must remember that our society is changing, and to keep up with the twenty-first century learner, we must incorporate visual learning into our curricula. Graphic novels offer teachers an appropriate way to do this.

Many students these days have no desire to pick up a book unless forced to. Visual stimulation, internet information, etc., has changed the way students think and work. Graphic novels offer that visual stimulus that many readers crave, and many librarians and teachers are starting to see the value of housing and using these types of books to engage their readers. Sure, comic books and some graphic novels might be basic, but if it instills a want of reading in the student, it is worth having around (Lee).

Another reason to consider the graphic novel lies in its inherent media value. Again, twenty-first century learning is media-centered: electronic information, films, television, images, etc., are all elements of our changing society. Students need to learn how to interpret the messages they are being shown, and that is a very important skill that we need to be teaching the students of today. Graphic novels are one way that a teacher can do that. In these novels, students must interpret the images, as they are part of the story. In addition, perhaps the best thing about the potential of graphic novels is that most of the learning and inferring by students comes between the images – they really have to use their brains on these! Decoding this information and using it effectively is a lifelong learning skill that is imperative for students to learn (Lee).

Graphic novels are an excellent teaching tool for students who are English language learners, deaf students, and reluctant/poor readers (Lee). The visuals make it easier for them to learn and understand the story. In addition, all readers are more actively engaged in figuring out the images, and how they relate to the action and emotion of the story, invaluable skills for all readers, no matter what level. (See: Using graphic novels in the classroom: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=7582)

Images from graphic novels can be used separately in various exercises to help students begin to understand the story and access previous knowledge. Using the images, teachers can discuss with students what they notice about various aspects of the pictures, like emotions, actions, and body language, to see what the students already know before even starting the book. This bridge from visual images to writing is not too far apart after an exercise such as this. In addition, this gets the students more actively engaged in the story and inferring what the rest of it could hold. Figuring out the motive of the author is an important twenty-first century skill (Bylsma).

A study done in a high school English class shows how graphic novels can used as a tool to bridge the gap between in and out of school literary experiences. Sharon F. Webster, the English Department Chairperson at Narragansett High School in Rhode Island, used comics and music to teach transcendentalism and other literary terms. The results showed that her students were better able to connect this learning to more sophisticated texts, like Thoreau and Emerson, and strengthened their understanding of literary terms when analyzing poetry or more difficult forms of literature, based from the understanding they gained from learning these terms using visual media (Webster). This demonstrates that graphic novels have a use in even the sophisticated classroom, and that no piece of today’s media should be overlooked when getting students to learn.

Graphic novels, and the potential they bring to the classroom should not be overlooked. Their relevance to today’s twenty first century learner is clear. Their accessibility for all types of readers makes them very accessible and useful in the classroom. As educators, we should really examine their merits before we cast them off as useless comics.

Works Cited

Bylsma, W. (2007, May 09). Graphic novels in the classroom: an overview. Retrieved from http://www.ozcomics.com/Reading-Comics/Graphic-Novels-in- Schools/graphicnovelsintheclassroom.html?print

Lee, A. (2008). Graphic novels in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Graphic+novels+in+the+classroom.-a0195013344

Webster, S. F. (2005). Using Comics and graphic novels in the classroom. The Council Chronicle, Retrieved from http://engres.ied.edu.hk/lang_arts/onlineRead/comics/NCTEUsingComicsNGraphicNovelsIntheC lassrm.pdf

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Thing 23

This has been a great adventure and an eye-opening experience for me. My favorite discoveries were Photostories, learning how to embed videos, social bookmarking, and mash-ups. I just feel more learned knowing all of this lingo, let alone knowing how to do these things! This program has taught me what Web 2.0 really is, and how I can use it in both the classroom as a teacher and a librarian. I will take with me the ease of using these tools - no longer will things like Wikis intimidate me to the point of not using them. I will continue my connections to other libraries and librarians that I have found though this program and the other blogs. In addition, now I have an arsenal of tools and knowledge to bring with me when I get my library job. I wouldn't change too much on this very useful tool, maybe just tweek what is already there, fix a few gliches, and make sure to keep all links updated. If another program similar to this was offered to me and I had some time to invest in it, then yes, definitely, I would participate! The word I would use to sum up this journey is the following - WORTHY. I think that says it all.

Schwab

Thing 22

Ning-A-Ling!
I went to the Texas School Librarian Ning to have a look around, and two of my fellow CSLT II members had already joined! Dendy and Mitch, way to go!! I can definitely see a niche for Ning. Very much like other social networking sites, but more specialized into groups. I could see me joining a group like the Texas School Librarian Ning for a virtual support system and to keep up with issues and trends through fellow librarians. I also like how Ning has all of the different tabbed categories where you can find pictures, videos, blogs, forums, etc., related to your grouping. You can even make subgroups, for example, the Texas Librarians on this Ning made subgroups of different grade levels of librarians. A very useful tool that will allow you a relevant community (or several!) at your fingertips!

Schwab

Thing 21

I LOVED using Photostory!! The saving of the product was a tad confusing, and making sure it worked on this post took a while to figure out, but what a fun and creative tool! This is a web tool I would definitely like to have more time with and incorporate into my lessons. This would also be great for students to work on and incorporate into research projects or putting together a presentation. A librarian could co-teach this element with the classroom teacher, and I believe this would engage the students and they would enjoy it. I sure did!

Schwab

Thing 20

Okay - the making of this post took forever because once I embedded this video from You Tube, I couldn't find out how to make it work when posted! I figured there was some little click I missed and looked for a very long time. Then I got smart and looked at others' blogs to see if they had any problems. Pam Bennett wrote about it - and informed me that the video does play when it's posted, but not in the editing mode! Thanks, Pam!

Alright - now that I've gotten that out....

I can see now how people inbed all kinds of videos into powerpoints, presentations, student information, etc. While I won't say it's the easiest thing I've done, it is certainly not the most difficult either.

I love using You Tube to enhance my lessons. I just used it today to show some powerful visuals for the intro. of the book we are reading in my Junior AP English class. You Tube is very user-friendly and for me, an invaluable resource. It's amazing how much is on there! I have tried Teacher Tube a few times, and I find it a little more confusing and specialized. Today I found what looked like a good video for teachers to watch about classroom walk-throughs, but it took quite a while to download.

Today's learner can really respond to and learn from visual images. Knowledge is becoming more based on visual learning, and it's a tool we need to use for the 21st century learner. These resources for online videos are only going to become more valuable as time marches on.

Schwab

Thing 19

I chose to investigate Twitter, as I noticed it placed first in two different categories: mobile technology and social networking mainstays (it even beat Facebook). This tool has the special ability to give and receive instantaneous information like no other. Not only is the information quick, it can be sent to large groups all at once. Twitter would be useful in the classroom as a tool of collaboration, connectivity, creativity, and discussion topics. For example, creative group writings could be assigned using Twitter. It is easy for students to use and very accessible from a computer or smart phone. As a librarian, Twitter could be used to share information about the library, advertise events, share pictures, and update its patrons ("followers") about anything.

I use this tool to keep up with breaking news in general, news about my hobbies and favorite subjects, and I follow people I want to know about. I even found some great work-related people/groups to follow, like Grammar Girl, Creative Commans, and School Library Journal. For my own pesonal use, I also follow Rotten Tomatoes and E News.

Kids love it, and it's a fun and easy multi-purpose tool that could easily be incorporated into an academic setting.

Schwab

Thing 18

Wow - Google Docs is a very useful and handy way to create and process online. What a great free way to have the tools that a Microsoft-type program would make you pay for! In addition, you have the option of sharing files and such with others without having to go through the hassle of emailing back and forth. They can even edit the files! What a great feature if you are wanting someone to read over something, or you are working on a project together. I read Dendy's blog where she has her National Honor Society kids signing in on a form she created since she can't always be there when they need to sign up for time slots. Between this and the Google Reader, I am quite blown away with all of the powerful uses for Google!

Schwab

Thing 17

http://www.rollyo.com/index.html

Rollyo was very fun and easy to use! I could definitely see myself using this for both teaching and library purposes. I had never heard of rollyo before, but it could really cut search time for its users. What an incredible resource - one of my favorites so far.

Schwab

Thing 16

I loved learning about the Wiki and posting my thoughts on 23 Things onto the Spring Branch Wiki sandbox! To me, Wikis are more like interactive blogs, as the Wiki is focused more on the interaction of users. The more I learn about Wikis. the more user-friendly and learning-friendly they become. I can really see how Wikis would be a great learning tool for the 21st century classroom. Discussions and sharing can really get your students involved. I would love to help other teachers learn how to use Wikis in the classroom. What a great, virtually untapped resource for learning!

Schwab

Thing 15

To me, Library 2.0 means that if librarians want to continue to be relevant, we need to be on the cutting edge of technology and what it can do for the library and its patrons. It is not our job to acquire every new technology that comes along, but to decide what new technologies are helpful to our patrons. The way that students learn and function in their learning is different, and we need to be progressive in this area. Not only does this keep librarians relevant, but libraries as well. Not only to we have to be a filter of this new technology, we have to stay up to date and proficient with these technologies as part of our jobs. In "Into a new world of librarianship," some of these points were made, and I firmly believe this is accurate.

Schwab

Thing 14

Technorati is like a blog search engine. After playing around with it and looking up some blogs, I can see how this is and will and continue to be a valuable web tool. Tagging seems to be a common theme on many of the webtools we have been looking at. While it is all still fairly new to me, tagging seems advantageous when you are trying to look up various items or topics and they can be placed under different categories. It's like it gives you a hand in finding these topics easier, or gives you a better chance of finding your topics since they can be tagged under various headings.

Schwab

Thing 13

Exploring the social bookmarking websites was very interesting. I have never heard of these before, and I can definitely appreciate their usefulness. I have always hated how my bookmarks could never travel with me to new or different computers, and now I don't have to worry about it! When I talked to my librarians about this, they both use Magnolia and said it was very easy. I also like that you can see other people's bookmarks and this could be very useful in the library profession. Social bookmarking would be very helpful for both teachers and students alike as they research. Being able to instantly access the research they have already found from any computer not only saves times but also potentially saves other resources as well. What a great idea for bookmarking!

Schwab

Thing 12

In reading about posting to a blog, two of the thoughts I found interesting were deciding whether or not to use an alias when blogging, and the importance of responding to blogs and being less of a lurker. I never really thought about these issues before. And I believe I am guilty of lurking as I never think I have anything relevant to say.

I made comments on the following Library2Play blogs:

Becoming Mary Poppins (Thing 11)

Flower Power (Thing 12)

Nalepa's Notes (Thing 9)

Now what am I supposed to be doing? (Thing 19)

Bloggin' with Ogden (Thing 7)

As a soon-to-be-owner of a rescued Great Pyrenees dog, I searched for blogs connected to this breed. I left comments on The National Pyr Blog and Great Pyrenees 360. I was surprised to find only a handful of blogs about this breed, but these two blogs seem very informative and useful. I was also surprised that one of the blogs required a name and email before it would let me post a comment. Very interesting is the world of blogs!

Schwab

Thing 11

Library Thing would be a very useful tool in keeping up with books and selecting books for the library. I could "visit" other's libraries and get reviews on books, even be a reviewer myself and tell others what I think! Also, making a list of books and creating an account was very easy to do. The book list would be very helpful for the library and keeping track of various books since you can create different categories for them. I will definitely use this tool once I am a librarian!

I did check out some of the groups, and I would definitely join a few, like Read YA Lit, Early Reviewers, Book Talk, Non-Fiction Readers, and Crime, Thriller & Mystery, to name a few! I added the Library Thing blog to my reader!

Schwab

Thing 10

Very cool! I went on Comic Sign Generator (http://www.customsigngenerator.com/) and made this custom sign! I saw this sign in a store the other day, and it made me laugh and I thought I could use it for my desk at school! Wouldn't that be funny? I also tried some other ones, like the Trading Card Maker, which was fun. I love how it takes a photo and animates it! I am already a big fan of Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/), and I have used that for students handouts and in my work as an SLC team leader at school. It is too bad that Wordle does not have a search capability so you can find other ones that have been made about the subject you are looking for. This was a fun exercise that I really enjoyed!

Schwab

Thing 9

I tried several of the blog search tools, and added a few blogs to my reader. My favorite one was Edublog. I found it the easiest to use and it was relevant to my career as a teacher and librarian. I added "Creating life-long Learners," and "Hey Jude." I spent the most time here and would like to go back and spend some more. The most difficult tools to use were Suprglu and Syndic8, as I couldn't get either one of them to work. Syndic8 has a bug that the webmaster is aware of and is trying to work out. Topix was a bit too newsy for my needs. I didn't get on Atomic Learning because of the necessary passwords I didn't have. I also liked Technorati, and added another blog from here to my reader, called "Langwitches." This is a totally new world for me, one which I need to explore more in detail in the future. Pretty interesting!

Schwab