Comics in the Classroom

There are a number of assets for using comics as a learning tool in education. Gene Yang (2003) has identified five strengths: motivating, visual, permanent, intermediary and popular. 

Students engage in reading and writing comics because of their high interest.  Comics are fun. They have the potential to help readers grow their imagination and creativity.

Reluctant readers may use visual clues coupled with brief text passages to advance their reading and writing skills.

The visual permanency of a comic strip allows students to dictate their viewing time, unlike a film or animation which is gone in a flash. 

Try using comics to engage students in higher level thinking, use them as an intermediate step to more challenging concepts.

Have you been to the movies lately?  Well, if you have, you may have run across some familiar characters battling for justice on the big screen.  The likes of Batman, Spiderman and even Captain America have all been brought to life courtesy of Hollywood.  This popularity of comic book heroes is huge and educators can tap into this popular culture, bridging the gap between students’ lives in and out of the classroom.

Free, online comic book creators are a wonderful tool for teachers to consider when looking at using comics in the classroom. 

Jonathan Wylie (Bright Hub) states his top 5 favorite ideas for using comics in the classroom:

1. Convert the Classics: Shakespeare didn't have the luxury of using comic books, but you do! Try scenes from Hamlet, or Romeo and Juliet, as comics. Challenge your students to interpret the written work in pictorial form and be prepared to be amazed with what they come up with.
2. Instruction Manuals: Have your students create visual 'how to' guides with their comic books. It would be a great sequencing activity. Have the students write the directions as part of a structured writing process first, or jump straight into your comic explanation. Your comic characters could explain anything from how to look after a pet, to inherited genetic features. Your options here are almost limitless.
3. Personal Narratives: Using comic books in the classroom for personal narratives is a great way to for students to relive that summer vacation, or even describe their daily routines.
4. Interviews: Use your comic book creator to create interview scenarios. Students can mimic a job interview, an historical event, or interview their favorite celebrity, (dead or alive).
5. Study Guides: Have your students study for a test by animating all the key learning points. The comic strips could include two students studying for a test, or chart the adventures of a hero on a quest that needs test questions solved in order to advance towards his prize.

Bitstrips is one such site that would be ideal to use when introducing your students to online comic creations.

Readings:
Bright Hub
Strengths in Education
       Parsons, J., & Smith, K. (1993) Using Comic Books to Teach.
     Zimmerman, B. (2008). Creating Comics Fosters Reading, Writing, and creativity. Education Digest, 74(4), 55-57