Making Comics...Maybe, maybe not

Let me start by saying my brother LOVES comics, especially Batman. I always use to read through his Batman books but found myself not really enjoying them. I have never been a fan of comics; I have never thought of doing graphic novels in a class room. I basically thought what is the point of making comics.

After reading, "Making Comics: Storytelling secrets of comics, manga, and graphic novels" by Scott McCloud, I realized how useful graphic novels and comics can be in the classroom. Say for instance you have a student who might not be the strongest writer or might be someone that is unmotivated to write, but they LOVE to draw or love art. Why not try having them write a comic or graphic novel? This way they are still going the process of pre-writing, rough draft, editing, proofreading, and publishing but maybe in a way that is more suitable for them. Or perhaps you have a student that reads and reads and reads but doesn't seem to follow story lines. Perhaps if you used a graphic novel the student would be able to see the pictures and relate the stories much easier.

When I was required to buy "Making Comics," I was a little annoyed. I couldn't imagine how this would help me with my teaching. I thought the book was going to be boring and just go through the process like any other text book. But McCloud uses comics to teach how to write comics. It is visually stimulating and explains things to the most finite of details. For me however, it was a little to much on a page and I found myself almost stressing when reading it because like I said, not a fan of comics. I think this though, would be an AWESOME book to use for a creative writing class. Opening this option up to students and providing them this text would be so beneficial. I personally don't do well with the comic style set up but others may. Offering different options for students is really offering a great all around educational experience.

As much as I dislike comics I actually can see myself using them in a lesson. I think it would be so cool to see things like "Old Man and the Sea" in a comic or "Animal Farm." It really would allow the students to show they have an understanding if they created their own comic and it would be really cool. I can also see doing a free writing activity with this. Perhaps giving students a prompt and asking them to create a comic on it. I can only imagine what my first and second periods would do. I think teachers just need to be open to different options, whether it be new ways of thinking or new technologies used. Find things that work for YOUR students, not just for you!