"The Lord of the Paragraph"

Reflection

Title: “The Lord of the Paragraph”

Target Audience and Grade Level:  This comic learning support would be targeted for a Middle School (grade 7/8) English classroom.

Instructional Design Process:  The design process I used for the comic, and the whole 5-paragraph essay lesson this would go with, is the ADDIE model.  I would analyze the gaps in 5-paragraph essay writing that exist in my classroom through a pre-test and my observations.  I designed the comic strip to illustrate the steps of the introductory paragraph, and would design the rest of the lesson to “chunk” the elements of a 5-paragraph essay so as to not overwhelm my students.  The comic strip was designed using characters from a famous movie franchise to be more relatable to students, and to add some of my personality to the lesson.  I then developed the comic through Pixton, and within this lesson would probably develop an entire set of comics to teach each step.  I did not implement this because I do not currently teach English, however, my implementation would be to read this comic with them, and then discuss the elements of an introductory paragraph.  Students would receive this visual aid to help them remember the steps, and we would talk about them, and then practice.  After discussion, students would write several prompt based introductory paragraphs over different topics to practice.  To evaluate, I would of course read their sample introductory paragraphs to see if they grasped the concept.

Lesson:  The lesson I am trying to teach is the steps and contents of a proper introductory paragraph.  This would tie in to a larger 5-paragraph essay unit.  I want the students to gain knowledge of the steps involved in writing an introductory paragraph and seeing it in a visual type of setting instead of me lecturing.  The visual element would hopefully make the information stick better than verbal instruction.

How the project can be used to support a classroom lesson:  This would support the overall lesson of the elements of a 5-paragraph essay and I would utilize more comic strips for each individual part to give the students the “story” of a 5-paragraph essay instead of a PowerPoint presentation or verbal instruction.  This particular strip would support one element of the lesson and tie in to a larger concept.

Importance of using comics/cartoons/graphic novels in the classroom: To me, the most important reason to use these in the classroom is to break up the monotony and to be creative.  Students get tired of routine when it comes to knowledge introduction and retention.  Using visual elements like a comic strip, cartoon, or graphic novel can spice up information and make it way more engaging for students which leads to a higher degree of knowledge retention.  Additionally, allowing students to participate in the creation of these as an assignment unlocks a whole level of creativity and expression for students that essays or worksheets can not provide.  These would also serve as excellent group projects because it would allow students to collaborate in meaningful ways as they compress and sort knowledge in a way that allows for the best presentation of the assignment goal. 

Multimedia Principles and/or Elements of Media/Visual Literacy:  This comic strip utilizes the multimedia theory that states that learners learn best from pictures and words.  The comic strip visualizes and textualizes the process for writing an introductory paragraph.  This also follows the coherence principle in that all images and text support the main purpose.  This also uses the segmenting principle.  The comic strip is focused only on the elements of an introductory paragraph, instead of trying to cover the entirety of a 5-paragraph essay in a short presentation.  Lastly, this comic strip utilizes the personalization principle.  The conversation of the characters models a famous movie, uses characters from a famous movie, and is done in the voice and style of the characters of the movie.  This makes the dialogue less formal, and more engaging for the students.  It is also a favorite movie of mine, so it adds a touch of my personality as an instructor to the assignment.

My definition of comics, cartoons, and graphic novels: Comics, cartoons, and graphic novels are all illustrated pieces of information that have their own unique content that separate them.  Comics are short burst scenes that can provide quick and easy information in a visually stimulating way.  You can’t overcrowd them, or use too much information because space is limited.  Visual elements of comics have to be concise because of spatial limitations.  Cartoons can be developed even if they are short.  There is audio, movement, illustration, and complex messages/dialogue and ideas can be developed due to the multimedia nature of a cartoon. A graphic novel is a combination, to me, of a comic strip and a cartoon.  There are limitations in each individual scene, however, information can be developed because of length and spatial ability.  One scene of a graphic novel could, in theory, be a whole page of a book.  A comic strip scene, is relegated to the spatial square it is designed in.  Graphic novels are not as multimedia focused as a cartoon, but they can still develop complexity due to the overall general length and illustration ability.  Educationally speaking, all three of these forms of media have vast potential in the classroom.  They allow teachers to visualize and illustrate vital information and concepts in a way that is impactful and meaningful for learners.  After completing this assignment, I can see a lot of potential for integrating these visual aids in to instruction in both a primary and supporting way.  I also believe that giving students the options to complete assignments through a comic strip, cartoon, or graphic novel would really open up a lot of possibilities for students who are very creative and expressive. 

Reflection: Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment.  It was a challenge to limit instruction and information to a 6-box comic strip, but doing so forced me to consolidate information in to meaningful chunks which could then be further explained as students interacted with the comic strip.  I enjoyed finding the characters I used from the “Lord of the Rings” movies when I was initially building out my comic strip.  This allowed me to imprint some of my personality and likes outside of school in to an instructional assignment.  Anytime you can bring a personal element to an assignment, it is really positive for student interaction and knowledge retention.  I found myself getting lost in the vast variety of options I had for scenes, facial expressions, poses, and so on while building the comic strip.  I could see students really digging in and creating something very personal to them if they were to create a comic strip for an assignment.  After completing this, I believe that I will integrate the creation of a comic strip in to my future lessons.  I would use an assignment like this in a history and English classroom without question.  The challenge to consolidate information would really make students think about what information is important and what they need to include, and would put them in to a really challenging planning process to create the assignment.  If I have learned anything, it is that students really succeed when they have to work through an assignment that makes their brain turn, and this assignment I think would be a really fun one for students.