Starting Over

Let's try this again....







Essential Questions:
What is social literacy?
How can Graphic novels and other alternative, multi-model texts promote social literacy?
How can teachers interweave discussions of these texts into the traditional English canon/curriculum?

Trials:
English 1100: Incorporate Graphic novels and alternative texts for discussion.
Record discussions and student writing on the topic. (spring semester)

Visit/collaborate with a high school English teacher (spring semester) to incorporate graphic novels and study student reactions.

Possibly teach in summer school/alternative school setting.

Texts:
Freire: Education for Critical Consciousness--discussion of "Culture Circles" and analysis of pictorial "codifications" as a means to teach social literacy. Make connection to pictorial format of Graphic novels.

Christensen and Bigelow: Incorporate their arguments on the need to make our classrooms places where social literacy is taught.

McCloud, Carey, Krashen, Bucky, et al: Discussion of literacy acquisition and use of graphic novels in the classroom.

Chapters:

1. What is social Literacy?
Answer through theory.

2. Why promote social literacy in the classroom.
Personal stories. attempts through traditional texts. arguments.

3. Graphic novels.
Definitions, descriptions, potentials, arguments for using them to promote literacy.
My own argument that they can promote social literacy as well.

4. Incorporating Graphic novels with the classics.
Discussion of how to approach alternative reading and use it effectively to enhance canonical teaching and traditional texts.

5. Classroom trials and results.
Discussion of my own use of graphic novels in the classroom. Student blogs, testimonies, discussions. Reader response. College classroom and (preferably) high school classrooms.

6. Conclusions.

Very rough timelines:

1. Meet with HSIRB asap
2. Reading and research (over break) Annotated bibliography and resources.
3. Incorporation of Graphic novels into courses: Eng 1100 (Spring '08)
4. High school collaboration (Spring '08)
5. Write introductory (Social Literacy) chapter. (By end of Jan.)
6. Write Ch. 2 draft (due mid Feb.)
7. Write Ch 3. draft (due end Feb.)
8. Read, revise, reshape Chapters 1-3 (March)
9. Begin writing Ch. 4-5 based on information from field studies. (April)
10. Read, revise, reshape (May)
11. Write conclusions, revise, polish (summer)

*Note* Important: Try not to stress out......