Comics school a no-go for DOE
Nestled in a Times article yesterday about the pedagogical values of graphic novels was the information that fans of the genre tried to start a comics-themed high school but were not approved by the DOE. I'm not sure if I feel better to know that there is some limit as to what school themes are approved, or worse knowing that the DOE thinks wildlife management and fire safety are more likely than comic books to get kids excited about learning.
The Comic Book Project is a national program run out of Teachers College that aims to trick kids into developing literacy skills by reading and writing comic books. Since starting in a Queens elementary school eight years ago, the project has expanded to almost 900 schools nationwide, according to the Times. Check out some comic books by New York City kids at the Comic Book Project's gallery.
And if you're looking for something to do this holiday week, go see "Persepolis." It's based on Marjane Satrapi's excellent graphic novel series about growing up in Iran.
2 comments:
I think what the world needs is a new "Flash" comic that reveals his secret identity to be Jim Liebman. Or maybe there already is one, and that's why Tweed can't approve the school.
Oops. Just like to add that I'm a firm supporter of tricking kids into reading by just about any means necessary. There is some great adolescent literature about nowadays, so comic books might not be my first choice.
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