Next week starts a big adventure for OCDSB elementary teachers. We are rolling out Comic Life with a big splash, releasing over 200 teachers to discuss the pedagogy of the Writing Process, Graphic Novels, cross-curricular links, and, oh yeah, have a blast playing around with Comic Life.
And I do mean play. Never has the term “SandBox” been so apropos at a workshop. What really draws me to this software is ease of use. Drag and drop template, images, lettering, Gucci it up, and done. The classroom teachers get immediate technical understanding, and then can get on with their job of building enduring learning opportunities.
I preface the workshops with a discussion of Media Literacy, and the Writing Process. Then we compare that process to what it would like using Digital Tools. Familiar words like brainstorming, graphic organizer, and revision break through resistance levels. Bottom line, teachers get excited about trying a new approach with their existing lessons, and voila, we have adoption.
The Writing Process | The Digital Writing ProcessVideo | The Digital Writing Process Comic Life |
| Pre-Writing | Pre-Writing | Pre-Writing |
| Brainstorm | Brainstorm | Brainstorm |
| Graphic organizer | Storyboard | Storyboard (template) |
| Writing | Production | Writing (Construction) |
| Draft | Film | Drag and drop images/text bubbles |
| Post-Writing | Post-Production | Post-Writing |
| Revise | Revise (cut) | Revise (images,frames,gutters) |
| Feedback | Feedback | Feedback |
| Peer/self Edit | Edit (titles, transitions) | Edit (colours, shading, fills) |
| Polish | Add music | Add background, placements |
| Publish | Publish to the Web | Publish to Web, video, print |
Keywords: Comic Life, graphic novels, Media Literacy
Comments
I would add one more thing to the writing process these days perhaps...
After we publish, we need to participate. Writing (or film-making, comic creation, etc) is done to be read/viewed. Is it time we added some formal recognition that part of the actual process of writing includes (after publishing) dialogue and feedback?
Consider those who blog.... To me, the most interesting bloggers are those that not only write, but then choose to participate in the dialogue/comments around their posts. Nothing is a bigger turn off to following a blogger than seeing that their process is only 1-way...
Barbara,
I particularly like your reference to the writing process. Using CL within an existing three week plan, term plans or in long range planning as part of the writing process is likely the way to go.
I think higher level thinking factors in, as Tim has observed. In Andrew Churches' "re-purposing" of Bloom's taxonomy, he has "Creating" [film-making, creating, participating] as the new "highest order" Bloom's qualifier.
Here is the link to the "New Blooms" http://tiny.cc/cmUa4
Thank you for starting the conversation about introducing Comic Life to your folks in Ottawa. Let's continue the conversation. Also, if there was an opportunity for myself and perhaps a colleague to travel to Ottawa, either in real life or in a virtual way, we'd really like the chance to learn together. Let me know.
Kent
Thanks for the great comments Tim and Kent.
Indeed the 2-way street of on-line reflection is a vital part of the blogging process, and something to keep in mind when creating rich learning activities with students.
Kent, I agree whole-heartedly that the re-purposed Bloom's taxonomy sets the bar high, and that tools such as CL easily scale to that level. Thanks for the link. While perhaps streaming the workshops may be a little out of my depth, there will be an upcoming webinar in the near future. In the meantime, Ottawa would make a nice little road trip;) The workshops start next week and continue through to May 7.
Barbara
I'm very excited to attend the workshop and love that this forum lets me be a fly on the wall to your e-conversations! My personal challenge with integrating such WOW technology is not forgetting that in order for it to be meaningful it should be done within a balanced literacy / gradual release model. My tempation with CL and other similar technology is to jump into the "WOW, kids, look what I was playing with last night!" mode with a "well-thought-out-re-introduction-and-learning-plan-to-follow" footnote. (Guess what I'm doing this weekend. :P )
Joelle