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ERIC EJ1147115: Creating Cartoons: A Learner-Centered Approach to Comprehending Texts PDF

2017·0.24 MB·English
by  ERIC
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TEACHING TECHNIQUES Creating Cartoons: A Learner-Centered Approach to Comprehending Texts by KATHLEEN F. MALU AND KELLY McNEAL When English as a foreign language (EFL) passages and helped the teachers reflect on educators teach reading, they often ask what the learners had comprehended. learners to read a passage and answer “who, what, when, where, why, and how” questions WHY USE LEARNER-CREATED about it. A few years ago, we led a workshop CARTOONS? on reading for advanced-level English speakers in Rwanda. Rather than ask them Teachers can use this technique when they questions, we had them draw a one-panel want a learner-centered activity that lets cartoon in response to a passage we read learners respond to text. By asking learners to from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart integrate information into cartoons, teachers (1992). We told them to include the two are giving them an opportunity to lower their characters in the passage, speech and thought affective filters. Reading is a transactional bubbles for each character, and a narrator process that takes place between readers box. When we looked at their drawings, and texts. Because readers bring unique we found that most cartoons confused experiences and knowledge to the reading “who said what” with “who thought what.” process, their responses to text vary. When Upon reflection, we realized that the learners create a cartoon based upon a reading passage was too difficult for the majority passage, they make meaning from the reading, of the participants. practice language, and construct knowledge by converting their understanding of the text We replicated this technique—having into a cartoon that includes character dialogue learners create cartoons based on a reading and thoughts. passage—with other texts, in other contexts, and with a variety of directions. Sometimes LESSON GOALS AND LEARNER-CREATED learners created cartoons from short texts in CARTOONS children’s picture storybooks. Other times they created cartoons from long passages with Before teachers use this technique, they must no illustrations. Learners were sometimes consider the lesson goal (see Table 1). One asked to include specific information in the goal that this technique can address is skills cartoons, and other times they chose what practice, giving learners opportunities to they wanted to include. Regardless of the practice reading fluency and comprehension, context, this technique helped learners writing, grammar, and vocabulary. To explore their understanding of reading meet this goal, teachers must give learners 28 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 2017 americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum Goal of the Lesson The Teacher Says … Practice language skills • Draw a one-panel cartoon about [give a specific event] and include [grammar point or specific vocabulary from the text, or another language skill you would like students to focus on]. • In the panel, include a narrator box. In this box, write the setting [where and when] of this event, the names of the characters, and what the characters are doing. • [If the text includes the characters’ thoughts] Draw a thought bubble for each character and write each character’s thoughts. • [If the text includes indirect speech] Draw a speech bubble for each character and write the words that the character says. Change indirect speech to direct speech. • [If the text includes dialogue] Draw a dialogue bubble for each character and write the words that the character said. Share affective, emotional • Think about the part of the story that [is your favorite/least responses about the text favorite; is the most interesting/least interesting to you; you find funniest, scariest, or most confusing]. • Draw a one-panel cartoon that shows this part of the story. • In the panel, include a narrator box. In this box, write the setting [where and when] of this event, the names of the characters, and what the characters are doing. • [If the text includes the characters’ thoughts] Draw a thought bubble for each character and write each character’s thoughts. • [If the text includes indirect speech] Draw a speech bubble for each character and write the words that the character says. Change indirect speech to direct speech. • [If the text includes dialogue] Draw a dialogue bubble for each character and write the words that the character said. • Write a sentence outside the panel explaining why you chose this part of the story for your cartoon. Table 1. Lesson goals and teacher directions d i r e c t ions about specific information they Another goal might be to give learners need to include in the cartoon. an opportunity to provide an affective, personal, or open-ended response to texts. When the lesson goal is skills practice, To meet this goal, teachers select a text with teachers should select a reading passage that a controversial theme or strong affective addresses the skill that they want learners to focus—without regard to skills, grammar, practice. In Rwanda, for example, our goal or vocabulary. Texts from a wide variety was to have our audience practice the language of genres, including those with or without skill of converting dialogue in a passage illustrations, are appropriate. Teachers direct from reported speech to direct speech. This learners to draw a cartoon that conveys provided us with information about the learners’ feelings, thoughts, and/or reactions learners’ knowledge of this grammar point. to the text. americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum 2017 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 29 Teachers may be concerned that learners should be instructed to place a narrator box at might be hesitant to draw. The first time the top of the panel, providing information— teachers use this technique, they can select a in their own words—about the setting, children’s picture storybook, comic strip, or including the place, time, and, if possible, graphic novel and allow learners to use the the atmosphere in this location. Teachers illustrations as a model for their cartoons. should require that these three elements Teachers who do not have access to such be included because each element gives texts can quickly create their own cartoon teachers information about what learners on a chalkboard, providing a model for understand—and do not understand—about their learners and emphasizing that cartoon the text. illustrations can be as simple or complex as learners want to make them. After one or two If the lesson goal is to have learners practice lessons, learners become comfortable with a skill, teachers should tell learners what the drawing, and teachers can use texts that have skill is and explain how to integrate it into no illustrations. the cartoon. For example, teachers can tell learners to integrate five vocabulary words from the passage into their cartoons or LESSONS WITH LEARNER-CREATED convert reported speech to direct speech. If CARTOONS the goal is for learners to share their affective After teachers select the lesson goal, their reactions to a passage, teachers should tell next decision should be whether to have them to draw a cartoon that depicts a moment learners work in pairs or groups. Learners in the text that they found important, negotiate and collaborate in making decisions interesting, scary, or funny, or that produced about the scene from the text they choose to some other strong emotion in them. They develop into a cartoon, the drawings, and the should write a sentence outside the panel, at characters’ words. The classroom atmosphere the bottom, that explains why they chose to can become informal, with relaxed represent that moment from the reading. conversations focused on language and ideas. FOLLOW-UP IDEAS Now teachers can plan the lesson. It should begin with the teacher reading the text and Learners can present their cartoons to then asking learners to draw a one-panel a different pair or group, or to acwtiarvtneeTittsce ypaha o tnclhnehiqadaetur r tnlesoe e c wtrtsae- hnclxee etuann.sr tetneh etrehreycsids a rtooLne tdbcoaoiahrn ssinaetnerie ndcsarplgc suutue sdepeihrseochos nha eua tdbtln dhl udebe bb ay abspe ttal a et lts“eo,wsv ala”dsog ta e t. tcpcaahsbaor ereonlt esuccoeartlornae tnnstthsaees.et r Wiaa soesn n lsdiaepts mh egswp auetkeihinldc elt ei sbf, i eicn crOaerantscooeaon nons fr se te tvoifhsal e eultu cshmaeta t tooel esnw lat e retiaenm,r aeancprsih o-ntciregnrta egaac.annhttdee dr s , om c the end of the bubble their cartoons. ck. o and directed at the character erst who is speaking. There should be at Teachers can choose to give utt h S least one thought bubble, identified by learners an opportunity to revise and ot/ m a series of tiny circles at the end of the publish their cartoons for viewing in estpil k.co thought bubble and directed at the the classroom or on a school website. eart stoc appropriate character. Learners can be told Learners can further explore their © lin utter to include different sizes of written words understandings and interpretations of Sh to portray character voices, emotions, and the reading passage by expanding their / pilot other elements from the text. Learners can cartoons. For example, learners can est “bold” the words a character shouts, or write create a second panel—one that depicts eart in small letters the words that an event before or after the n © li characters whisper. Learners initial cartoon. 30 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 2017 americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum EVALUATION AND TEACHER REFLECTION HELPFUL WEBSITES One of the most important reasons to use This technique can be used in classroom learner-created cartoons is that we, as settings with chalkboards, pencils, and teachers, can evaluate learning and reflect on paper. If technology is available, teachers teaching. When we reflected on the cartoons and learners can use websites to create created in Rwanda, for example, we realized digital cartoons. Comic Creator (www. that we had misjudged our audience and had readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/ given them a text that was too challenging. student-interactives/comic-creator-30021. With a yes/no checklist, teachers can html) is a free, open-access, interactive determine whether learners met the lesson site. The Make Beliefs Comix (www. goal. Teachers can check for information, makebeliefscomix.com/) site is endorsed vocabulary, or grammar—if this is the goal by Google and UNESCO as “one of the of the lesson. Or they can see from the world’s most innovative websites.” cartoon and the sentence below it the learner reactions, thoughts, and feelings about the FINAL POINTS selected reading. Teachers can understand learner strengths and weaknesses as well as Reading requires learners to understand likes and dislikes. information in a text, and their understanding is mediated by the experiences and knowledge Combined with evaluation is teacher they bring to reading. By engaging learners reflection. While learners are creating their in this interactive technique, requiring them cartoons, teachers should circulate around to draw and write, teachers will lead them the room, listening to the conversations, to be active participants in making meaning which can give teachers valuable information from what they read and to find enjoyment about learner responses to a reading passage. in the process. Teachers can use this feedback when selecting the next text or designing REFERENCE subsequent lessons. Achebe, C. 1992. Things fall apart. New York: When learners use this technique, they will Everyman’s Library-Alfred A. Knopf. be engaged and productive. They will play with language and interact with each other informally, using English to communicate, Kathleen F. Malu was a Peace Corps volunteer in the support, and defend—by questioning Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and and challenging—group ideas about their was a Fulbright Scholar in Rwanda. She is a professor drawings, their interpretations, and their of education at William Paterson University of New language use. Classroom ambiance—for Jersey, an English Language Specialist for the U.S. teachers and learners—will typically be Department of State, and a Research fellow at the fun and lively! University of South Africa. When teachers examine the cartoons Kelly McNeal is an Associate Professor in the and reflect on the classroom atmosphere, Department of Special Education and Counseling they should compare the lesson goal with at William Paterson University. She has a PhD in the learner-created product and their Language, Literacy and Learning from Fordham impressions of learner engagement to University. determine what learners understood, enjoyed, and found interesting—or not— about the lesson. This information is useful for teachers when planning subsequent reading lessons. americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum 2017 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 31

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