Learning from a Student

Graphic novels are a popular genre I am learning more about. I've browsed the shelves at the local bookstore and read an article or two about these multimodal texts. But, it was a student in my 4/5 class that taught me and brought my browsing and reading about to life!

An avid reader of this genre, he explained character sketches, traits, as well as how the text "works". He read several pages with great expression and included background knowledge from other texts to help me understand. What I didn't know was that he was considered a "struggling reader" prior to this school year!

These texts build on students' interests in art (I often see students drawing anime), video games, and other popular media. Scholastic now has their own site of graphic novels to read.

How could students create their own graphic novels? ReadWriteThink has a comic creator students could use, but has limitations in design and limitations inherent in a web 1.0 tool. Another site (at a minimal cost) allows the student be the producer and creator of their own graphic novels. Negotiating these limitations can lead teachers and students to become creators as well as consumers of this engaging genre.

Creating a Learning Community

A new technology does not wipe out what went before; it transforms and enhances it. When people started writing, they didn't quit talking.

Walter Ong, (2002). Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. Taylor & Francis, Inc.

This is my first experience blogging. Creating a classroom culture where everyone's voice is heard is certainly enhanced by this technology! Responding, thinking, and wrestling with ideas to tell each of our "stories" facilitates building a strong learning community where new ideas will certainly emerge.