Graphic Novels in education
English 102
4 May 2013
Graphic Novels in Education Graphic novels and comic books have been some of the most debated topics recently in many different areas. Many people think that they could be helpful in education, while some others completely disagree. Some people think they are childish, and some think they require just as much comprehension as long, fictional novels. However, despite all the criticism graphic novels often get, the genre is growing recently. Many things have led to this rise in interest, from easier access on the Internet to the many superhero movies sparking interest in a younger audience. Due to this recent rise in popularity for graphic novels, several people believe that this genre can be helpful in all levels of education. There are positives and negatives to this possibility, like everything else, but the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. One thing that weighs in favor of adding more graphic novels into education is that they are easier to read and can be more encouraging for students who may not like to read. There are several things that one must be able to do to read and understand graphic novels, including comprehending visual imagery and making inferences. The biggest factors that are helping push graphic novels into education are what was just mentioned; the way students now learn, the need to make inferences, and the need for students to learn visually. Every teacher can admit to having a few students in class that were not particularly good readers or that did not enjoy reading. If graphic novels were read more widely in classrooms, that would help with these certain students learning. The vocabulary and diction used in this genre is much simpler than in most word-based novels that would be read in class. Often, students who are given a very long book, they simply do not even read for their assignments. However, if one of these same students was given a longer graphic novel, like Watchmen for example, it is very
4 May 2013
Graphic Novels in Education Graphic novels and comic books have been some of the most debated topics recently in many different areas. Many people think that they could be helpful in education, while some others completely disagree. Some people think they are childish, and some think they require just as much comprehension as long, fictional novels. However, despite all the criticism graphic novels often get, the genre is growing recently. Many things have led to this rise in interest, from easier access on the Internet to the many superhero movies sparking interest in a younger audience. Due to this recent rise in popularity for graphic novels, several people believe that this genre can be helpful in all levels of education. There are positives and negatives to this possibility, like everything else, but the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. One thing that weighs in favor of adding more graphic novels into education is that they are easier to read and can be more encouraging for students who may not like to read. There are several things that one must be able to do to read and understand graphic novels, including comprehending visual imagery and making inferences. The biggest factors that are helping push graphic novels into education are what was just mentioned; the way students now learn, the need to make inferences, and the need for students to learn visually. Every teacher can admit to having a few students in class that were not particularly good readers or that did not enjoy reading. If graphic novels were read more widely in classrooms, that would help with these certain students learning. The vocabulary and diction used in this genre is much simpler than in most word-based novels that would be read in class. Often, students who are given a very long book, they simply do not even read for their assignments. However, if one of these same students was given a longer graphic novel, like Watchmen for example, it is very
Cited: Constantino, Correne. “Teaching English and Reading with Graphic Novels”. Education.cu-portland.edu. Concordia University, n.d. Web. 3 May 2013. Randy Duncan and Matthew J. Smith. The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2009. Print. Karp, Jesse. “The Case for Graphic Novels in Education”. Americanlibrariesmagazine.org. Chicago: American Library Associarion, 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 May 2013. Starr, Linda. “Eek! Comics in the Classroom!”. Educationworld.com. Education World, 11 Jan. 2008. Web. 3 May 2013. Walter, Carlene. “Graphic Novels”. Eclection.wikispaces.com. Tangient LLC, n.d.Web. 3 May 2013.