Memo 1--Initial Research

During my initial research, I have found several sources related to the use of Graphic Novels in the classroom setting. I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer amount of information I found right off the bat.  It may not all be useful for my purposes, however it was reassuring to know that so many people are interested in and writing about a topic which I believe can benefit students.
The first source I found was an online PDF of a case study done by Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher (both professors of Educational Leadership at San Diego University) in a particularly low performing school in San Diego.   Entitled “Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School,” this article was an inspiring look at the noticeable success that can come with using alternative literature in the real-life high school classroom.  Within the article are ideas on using Graphic Novels as writing prompts with Native English speakers and English Language Learners alike, so it will be interesting to see if more literature specifically geared towards English Language Learners and Graphic Novels exists.
Another resource I found was an essay by Gretchen Schwarz (a Ph. D. in Secondary Ed with degrees in English and Humanities) entitled “Graphic Novels for Multiple Literacies.” In this essay, Schwarz describes the need for Graphic Novels in the classroom based on the “diverse literacies” she believes they support in students.  Schwarz goes as far as to say that “reading graphic novels may require more complex cognitive skills than the reading of text alone.”  It is wonderful to see professionals in the field of teaching working in support of the use of Graphic Novels in schools, and it will be these voices which drive my research during this project.
As my research moves forward, I continue to encounter voices in support of using Graphic Novels in the classroom, and it is exciting to see that people in the field of education are spearheading this practice.

Narrowing My Sights--An I-Search Topic of Importance to Me

I have narrowed down my I-Search topic to my second option—an investigation of the use of Graphic Novels in the classroom. I mentioned in my initial proposal that I was not exposed to Graphic Novels as a literary text until my time at Rhode Island College.  In an Adolescent Literature course at RIC I was exposed to several Graphic Novels, but the one which has made me most connected to Graphic Novels as a form of literature is Craig Thompson’s Blankets.  Blankets is a beautifully written and illustrated Graphic Novel about a shy boy who comes of age and falls in love during the story.  It is beautiful to read, and it transcends the comic-y label that I feel many Graphic Novels are stamped with.  It is pure poetry.  So, I must ask myself, why don’t kids get to see more of Blankets and the like?  I think that there is a tendency for teachers of English to lean towards an all-text all the time curriculum, because it is simply what we’re used to.  So what are we saying to students when we insist (explicitly or not) that there is one form of writing that is considered literature, and one type only? Introducing students to texts that go beyond the scope of the traditional text-based novel, story, or poem can only broaden their horizons and open their eyes to nuance in life and in literature.

Based on my experience (as well as informal inquiry of friends and siblings’ friends) it seems that many students have a similar lack of familiarity with the Graphic Novel as a literary genre until exposure in college. So what about students who don’t go to college?  What about those who go to college but don’t come across a professor willing to introduce them to this intriguing literary genre? Unless they read Graphic Novels for fun, students most likely won’t be exposed to them at all.  I think that students who aren’t exposed to Graphic Novels are missing out on an interesting, creative, useful form of literature.

  My connection with this topic was sparked tenfold when we began studying Gods’ Man in our SED 445 course.  The text is wordless, and I will admit that upon first inspection I was terrified to begin “reading” it.  I tend to get stuck, on occasion, in my own way.  I am guilty of almost falling into the category of those text-only teachers I described above.  Facing Gods’ Man head on and succeeding raised my confidence with out-of-the-norm texts, and I believe it could have the same effects on any student.

In my I-Search I would really like to investigate a specific question in connection with Graphic Novels—how can using Graphic Novels in the classroom help engage students as writers in the classroom and in today’s world?  I may even consider narrowing my question to apply specifically to English language learners in the classroom.  The idea of taking words out of the equation entirely and focusing on images to tell a (still very literary) story is incredibly freeing.  I imagine it would be even more so for students who are still working on their English. 

Hello all! Welcome to my first post of my first Blog ever!

This first post will serve the purpose of helping me explore my two most likely I-Search Paper topics.  I have narrowed it down from five, and my two choices are the two from the original list which I am the most connected to.

My first topic idea involves delving into students' experiences with in-school writing.  Dr. Cook was right when she said that  no one ever asks them--I was certainly never asked when I was in school.  I love the idea of asking the kids what they think--they're so smart! You would think that'd go without saying, but in fact, I hear way too much about how dumb kids are.  I would like to explore where the teaching of writing starts.  How does it start? What are kids’ earliest memories of learning to write? Were the methods used when they were learning effective? Did they help them become better writers later? Do they even remember how they learned?  I want to go way back and figure out how it led students to where they are now—successful writers or otherwise.  I would then ask how this relates to me teaching writing now.  Are high school teachers really taking students’ needs into account when teaching writing? What can I do in my classroom to make sure this is happening?  


This project would require a fair amount of interviewing and fieldwork.  I think it would be viable, however, because I have access to high school age students through my sixteen-year-old sister and her friends.  I would also have to interview teachers, and I know a few who would be more than willing to help me out despite their busy schedules.  
My second topic idea is inspired by Dr. Cook and my time in English 212 at RIC (aka Adolescent Literature).  This project would delve into teaching Graphic Novels in the high school classroom.  I was not introduced to Graphic Novels as literature until College, and I think that a pity.  They seem to be entering the mainstream as I get ready to being teaching, and that is a truly wonderful thing.  Reading Gods' Man in SED 445 this semester has reminded me of how important teaching through different types of literature can be in differentiating instruction for accessibility.   It reminded me how much I loved other graphic novels I have read in the past.  Craig Thompson's Blankets, for instance, is an absolutely magical coming of age novel that just happens to be a Graphic Novel.  


I see graphic novels used more and more in classrooms. I would like to find teachers who are using graphic novels so I can talk to them about their experiences.  This project may also involve speaking to students about their experiences (or lack thereof) with graphic novels.  I would also investigate different methods for teaching graphic novels.  I think this will be a very rich and interesting research topic which will keep me going in the months to come.  There is so much to investigate here.  

If you couldn't tell, I am leaning towards the Graphic Novel project.  This is in part because I am really inexperienced with the medium, so I really would be searching for new and interesting information and ways of using Graphic Novels.  I think this project would keep my research from becoming artificial. 

I am actually really excited to pick a final topic and begin my I-Search.  I hope anyone reading is excited to watch me explore!