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

2017·0.24 MB·English

by  ERIC

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
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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.
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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
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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.
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