Multi Media: Graphic Novels
I decided that I would try my hand at using Weebly to create a website that showcased the literary quality of graphic novels. I first read a graphic novel a few years ago when my wife bought me one for Christmas. I had always thought that this was a baser form of literacy and any respectable person would not read graphic novels. I was shown how wrong I was when I read David Small’s Stitches. This book could not have been as impactful in any other format. I also learned that to really read a graphic novel critically it takes time. It reminds me of reading a great poem. I find myself re-reading and stopping to ponder the importance of certain panels.
I hope that you enjoy my multimedia contribution.
http://jlundgraphicnovels.weebly.com/
I enjoyed viewing your website, Literacy and Graphic Novels. I think that graphic novels provide a colourful and entertaining way to engage the imaginations of young people. I often find students in my grade 4 class gravitating toward graphic novels. Over the past few years our school library has blossomed into an environment rich with a wide variety of graphic text. My experience using graphic novels in the classroom has demonstrated for me how effective they can be in teaching reading skills. I have especially found graphic novels to be a powerful tool in teaching the skill of inferencing. They are able to use a combination of words and pictures to read between the lines and deepen their understanding of the authors message.
Realizing how engaged my students are while reading graphic novels or comic strips has prompted me to create opportunities within my classroom for students to create their own graphic text. According to Carter (2009), “By acknowledging that here is a process behind the production of comics and asking students to consider the process and even engage in it, teachers help students build crafting, composing, viewing, and visualizing skills” (p.71).
There are an extensive assortment of tools that teachers can use in the classroom to engage students in the creation process. I personally like using Bitstrips for Schools. It is a user friendly program that allows teachers and students to create web comics. Students are able to bring characters to live by adding actions, words and emotions.
Thanks for sharing your website. It is a valuable source of information and one that I will hold onto.
Reference
Bitstrips for Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.bitstripsforschools.com/
Carter, J. B. (2009). Going Graphic. Educational Leadership, 68–72.