Ok so I went to the Multicultural Arts School yesterday and am still excited from being in that space. The halls are lively with framed prints lining the lockers, the classrooms are beautiful with paintings on the walls and awesome posters and more prints, the teachers seem to be totally committed and all there. AWESOME. However the one thing that I haven't been able to get over--- the book shelves. I was in a social studies classroom and they had many of their class books on the shelves- you know how the teacher has like 25 copies of a book and keeps them in the class until you read them and then you get to have one copy and then return it. Ok so that was the setup and there were some of the titles:
Yes, Yes, Y'all- Oral History of Hip Hop's First Decade
World Changing- A Users Guide for the 21st Century
Crossing the Blvd.
Malcolm X, A Graphic Novel
Beginners Guide to Community Based Arts
The Big Book of Racism
Nat Turner, A Graphic Novel
Our America- Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago
What is the What (Dave Eggers)
These are some cool books! I have ordered all of them through the library so I'll have more to say on that soon. The one thing I keep stumbling on is the idea of reading about important historical figures (Malcolm X and Nat Turner) through a graphic novel. Now I want to preface this by saying again how cool I think this is, but I then get caught on the traditional side of me- I mean what about reading the original writings of these famous people? What about the traditional biographies or autobiographies- shouldn't those be read? Will a graphic novel convey all that we get when we read thoroughly the academic writing on the great people of our nations history? I want to know more! I want to see these teens respond to reading a graphic novel- I'm sure its an amazing learning experience, I'm sure they must love it. But perhaps more so I want to know if the lasting lesson is: wow reading about Nat Turner in this graphic novel made me see how interesting his story is, I should read more (insert traditional biography here).
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i've always been a big fan of teaching through graphic novels. i see it very much as an entry point, rather than the end all be all experience, and i definitely think kids use it as a launching pad in a search for more information about the subject. additionally, graphic novels become awesome tools for chronicling the student's own experiences. look at things like maus or perseoplis. powerful stuff in an unexpected medium.
ReplyDeleteI submitted one of my Theory papers as a Graphic Novel a few weeks ago. But I do agree that graphic novels and comics are becoming a popular format for readers, especially kids and teens who are into manga and american comics.
ReplyDeletei agree that there needs to be a balance between learning through fiction/graphic novels/etc.. and reading original writings. i'm a huge supporting, however, of using literature/graphic novels in curriculum because it can engage the students on a more personal level and includes those students who may be more visual learners.
ReplyDeletePiggybacking on Blufox's comment - in Japan adults read graphic novels widely. I wonder if and when this genre will come to the American forefront. I imagine in another 10 years...
ReplyDeleteeven if students don't get every fact and figure from a graphic novel, i think there's the potential for an even stronger educational moment: that learning can be creative, fun, outside-the-box, unexpected, fresh, etc. i would think that these teachers get some major cool points from their students for thinking beyond the traditional textbook. :)
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