This document discusses using comics creation as a pedagogical tool in 21st century learning. It argues that comics building allows students to engage deeply with content, enhances motivation, and appeals to visual learners. Comics creation also provides a safer forum for students to voice concerns, questions, and reflect on material in a non-threatening way. The document provides examples of digital comic making tools and suggests having students partner to create single or multiple panel comics addressing course content or issues.

1. Comic Creation Beth Rajan Sockman PH.D.

2. Goal – It’s a Deal 21 st Century Learn Technology Think Deeply about Content Engaging! 3 for 1

3. What Do You See?

4. What Do You See?

5. Why Comics Creation? Builds Visual Literacy (important for digital age) Sustains interaction with content Enhances motivation Has potential for dual controversy Values multiple perspectives Appeals to males

6. What Do You See?

7. Why Comics Creation? - Inquire Allows learners to reflect on material and to create deeper meaning - VISUALLY

8. Why Comics Creation? – Safer Creates a forum to voice concerns (questioning) Allows honest observations (frustrations, fears) that may be difficult to verbalized Safer - non-threatening environment that allows for expression, questioning What do I really think?

9. Comic Pedagogy (Decker, 2007) Sustains the a question until the learning has a place of understanding Attends to complexity and discourages the search for the simple Embraces a “punch line”, the counter-intuitive option

10. 21 st Century Learning Counter intuitive for most!

11. Structure with Comics Choose a comic making tool available in your school (firewalls, flash, embedding?) Partner on Content Start with single panel prompt Introduce a “in-service issue” Then try a multiple panel

12. Try Single Panel - Enjoy Them & Share! Make one comic that addresses an issue “ How do think about technology?”

13. Comic Builders

14. Use to Introduce Content 21 st Century skill – Video, reading or presentation Give ideas on how to create a comic and an example http ://mcom510.wikispaces.com/Why+Technology%3F Write an explanation underneath comic

15. Extension Discuss on discussion board Ask if the teachers found it valuable and why Lead into ways that teachers could use it in their classroom.

16. References Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Decker, E. (2007). Q. What's funny about teaching? A.Not Enough!: Arguing for a comic pedagogy. Educational Insights, 11(3). Lamb, A., & Johnson, L. (2009). Graphic novels, digital comics, and technology-enhanced learning: Part 2. Teacher Librarian, 37(1). Mezirow, J. (1990). How critical reflection triggers transformative learning. In J. Mezirow & A. B. Knox (Eds.), Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning (pp. 1-20). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Inc. Muller, M., Ozcan, E., & Seizov, O. (2009). Dangerous depictions: A visual case study of contemporary cartoon controversies. Popular Communication(7), 1. Peery, A. B. (2004). Deep change: professional development from the inside out. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education. Reigeluth, C. M. (1999). Instructional-design theories and models (Vol. 2). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Seglem, R., & Witte, S. (2009). You gotta see it to believe it: Teaching visual literacy in the English classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), 216-226. Smetana, L., Odelson, D., Burns, H., & Grisham, D. L. (2009). Using graphic novels in the high school classroom: Engaging Deaf students with a new genre. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), 228-240. Sockman,B. R., & Sharma, P. (2008). Struggling toward a transformative model of instruction: It's not so easy! Teaching and Teacher Education 24(4), 1070-1082.

17. Comic Builders Bitstrips: www.bitstrips.com Pixton: www.pixton.com Comic Life: www.comiclife.com Zwinky: www.zwinky.com Voki: www.voki.com Younger Disney Comic Creator - http://www.nfx.com/dcc.html Build Your own comic - http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/comics/games.html Read Write Think Cartoon Creator - http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/