Abstract
Graphic novels are making their mark in the hands of school aged readers, in school libraries and on the desks of teachers. Why? Aren’t they a glorified comic book? What value do they have? These are all valid questions which will be explored throughout this paper. Graphic novels have great potential to engage reluctant readers, extended the established readers, but more particularly in this paper how they support the curriculum in diverse ways and empower the teaching and learning of Literacy and Cross Curriculum Priorities. Furthermore, this paper discusses the role and benefits of the teacher librarian in promoting the use of graphic novels within the school’s library collection to support teaching and learning will be explored.
Introduction
Graphic novels are growing in popularity for the multimodal presence to support reluctant readers, develop visual and critical literacy skills, increase comprehension, support teaching and learning across the curriculum and deepen understanding of content (Downey, 2009, p). Questions are often asked about how to engage students in reading, the curriculum, content, the world around them, and the list goes on. Teachers, and teacher librarians, often look to literature to find engaging and practical (and literary) answers to our fundamental concerns. However, this particular literary format takes some hits from those unaware of the value of graphic novels. It is important to understand their worth, how they can be included in teaching and learning, how the teacher librarian (TL) can support teachers by connecting them with quality graphic novels with various areas of curriculum in a high school setting.
Value to the Collection
Having a collection that directly, and even indirectly, supports the understanding of the curriculum is an element of guiding collection development. To provide opportunities for students, and staff, to develop specific literacy skills with their own personal choice is an important factor to consider. By developing the graphic novel collection the library is supporting the: understanding; development and integration of visual and critical literacy across the curriculum; and understanding the world (Gavigan, K., 2012, p21). Students are able to transfer and apply the explicit skills and knowledge being taught within their lessons outside the classroom (Daley, 2019, p 166). This particular collection, while still developing credibility, needs to be developed with educated collaboration with teachers and the curriculum, more of this later. To provide this format to students and staff, in their library, allows them to explore, practice and engage in titles and skills they develop over time.
The Role of the Teacher Librarian
Knowing the current literature trends is a part of the role of a teacher librarian. Knowing the growth in popularity it is important to capitalise on this to engage the students through the library collection. However, it is important to note that this is not enough to include graphic novels purely based on popularity. In order to recommend graphic novels as a nontraditional educational treasures the TL needs to understand the format (Rudiger & Schliesman, 2007, p 57) to be able to promote and provide examples for staff to include in their teaching (appendix A).
As promised earlier, collaboration is a key role of the TL. This collaboration comes in two forms: 1. Working with staff and students to meet the literary needs of both. 2: Understanding the curriculum and knowing the teaching content to be able to support with quality resources, with particular literature to deepen understanding and make connections (Gavigan 2012, p22). Collaboration also includes educating staff in what is available, how it connects with the content and curriculum to diversify teaching and learning (Jaffe & Hurwich 2019). The TL is a leader in ensuring the collection that is available is quality, engaging, relevant and meeting the patrons needs. Furthermore, graphic novels have, and with some, a reputation of not being quality literature. The role of the TL in this instance is to share and educate staff through promotion and, if needed workshops (Gavigan, 2012, p 20). Providing opportunities for teachers to discuss, collaboratively, to better understand the diverse way graphic novels can encourage the joy of reading, supporting reluctant readers, support and diversify the curriculum, complement the general and cross curricular capabilities is invaluable (ALIA, 2004.). These professional conversations are what build working, collaborative relationships, connections and support across the curriculum and richer learning opportunities for the students all ignited by the knowledge of the TL.
Moving forward knowing the TL has a handle on the collaboration, collection, curriculum needs of teaching and learning, and understands the format of a graphic novel. Now comes the promotion of the format. Authors of graphic novels are realising the potential and producing meaningful titles adaptations of classics and new titles with relevant themes and educational worth (Yang, 2018). Like any unknown information is key and in order to break through any stigma, the TL must be proactive with thorough promotion and clear communication the benefits of the graphic novels bring them into the known (ResourceLink, 2014). To provide quality literature, graphic novels included, provides credibility for the TL and the collection. When titles clearly support teaching and learning, and not every book needs to, they are more likely to dispel any disapproval when the connections are clear (ALIA, 2004). Graphic novels, as has already been outlined, provide ample examples to support: visual and critical literacy; concepts and themes; a well as multimodal elements in the Visual and Media Arts.
The TL needs to sell the worth of graphic novels not only to staff but the wider community of the school. Going beyond the obvious, of displaying titles, the TL must build the collection with purpose. This purpose needs to be considered and accessible the school community (ALIA, 2004). By developing a thorough and specific collection policy and supported by relevant procedures, the TL can avail the process of accountability with the school community (Downey, 2009, p185). The TL must provide some authority from evidence based ‘professional literature’ (Rudiger & Schliesman, 2007, p58), this can take the form of an annotated bibliography of the collection, to support the inclusion of the specific graphic novels in the collection (ALIA, 2004). Through the library management system, the collection can be shared, outlining the connection subject headings with curriculum based reading lists and curation platform, such as LearnPath (SoftLink, 2019).
Conclusion
Exploring a variety of texts is key to support comprehension and understanding of the concepts outlined in the Year 11 Unit. To completely understand the texts, the representation of concepts, communication Visual and Critical Literacy needs to be embedded in the teaching and learning with graphic novels. This format provides perfect examples to explore artistic intent, emotive language, communication through the marriage of image and text to support teaching and learning. The graphic novel allows the reader to immerse themselves in the story and concepts to fully understand the narrative and ability to apply visual literacy skills.
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