A Visual Shakespeare

This week, I began teaching Othello to my Honors English class, and I was reminded of the much different approach that I took with my other classes, which includes all struggling readers. Today, I attacked print literacy with my Honors students. They are strong readers, so their issue with Shakespeare is the language. They have enough knowledge of contextual clues and elements of print literacy to attack one line at a time, and while they do not understand all of his language, they certainly can get a good deal of meaning out of the text on their own. For example, this quote came up today in a "Tossing Lines" activity that I was presenting to the students:

Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

In this quote by Iago, my students recognize that "doth" may replace "does" in their minds and that "extern" could just be "external" without the last syllable. They understand the saying "wear your heart upon your sleeve" and many other words/phrases in this quote. They have incredible print literacy, as well as coping skills for when they are trying to grasp at straws and not fully understanding the text.

So I move on to my students who do not have strong print literacy skills. They are struggling readers in both comprehension and vocabulary, and this makes all reading in my class a struggle, especially Shakespeare. So in this class, I tried to tap into their visual literacy to help them comprehend and find success. Graphic novels have become mainstream in both the classroom and the library, and I was presented with three levels of Romeo and Juliet at a Newberry Library Conference by a fantastic University of Illinois literature professor. I have included a link here to the amazon.com "look inside this book" section of the original text version of this book.

Romeo and Juliet The Graphic Novel

We began with the "Quick Text" which was the easiest of the reading levels, and by the end, we worked a little bit with the "Original Text" version of the graphic novel. What I realized quickly was that this was a form of visual literacy that the students had not experienced, and I had to teach them how to read a graphic novel. The were visually illiterate in many aspects of the novel. Their first question was, "What order do we read the boxes in?" In a graphic novel, the layout of slides is rarely the same on each page, so I had to teach students how their eyes should move on the pages. Also, I have to review what each speaking bubble meant. If you look at the link, you will find that the characters have different types of speaking bubbles. Some display emotion, others simple conversation. Some of my students did not know that if a conversation bubble is attaching by smaller bubbles, that this is internal thought being spoken aloud to oneself. Since Shakespeare loves to have his characters talk to themselves, many times in long monologues or interspersed with other dialogue, this was important for them to understand.

What was great about using a graphic novel, is that all of the visual literacy that I had to teach the students was worth it. They are such visual learners already, that they really grasped the concept and ran with it. They could understand that a "SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" across the page was the sound of a sword fight, better than they would have ever understood it in a typically laid out play.

In an article by Gretchen Schwartz she states that "The graphic novel, increasingly popular with students and educators, offers teachers the opportunity to explore the “rhetoric” of the visual-print world and the opportunity for students to become media literate." This was exactly my experience. The students had a close relationship with visual literacy during this unit, and it helped them to become more print literate. Since then, a few of them have tapped into their knowledge and began reading more graphic novels. In this case "The balance of power between word and images which, after the invention of the printing press, shifted in favor of the word, seems now to be shifting in favor of the image" (Varnum & Gibbons). The technological bombardment that has existed for the majority of these students' lives makes them so much more visually literate, than print literate, especially with the most struggling learners.

Schwartz, Gretchen. "Teaching Visual Literacy Through Graphic Novels." ALA | Home - American Library Association. Jan. 2008. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. .

Varnum, R., & Gibbons, C. T. (Eds.). (2001). The language of comics. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi.

visual literacy for the blind/visual impaired

I got to thinking about visual literacy and was wondering what visual literacy is like to those that are visually impaired or blind. What popped into my mind while we were talking in class and the assigment to look at a picture book and describe the illustrations was the book, The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and illustrated by Rosana Faria. If one has never seen the book, it is completely black with white text, and the braille translation of the text. The pictures are made using a sort of 3-D effect using a raised format. It is a beautiful book. And it got to me thinking how do we teach visual literacy to those that are visually impaired or blind? As a children's librarian for PreK-1st graders I have not once encountered a student who is blind or who is extremely visually impaired that they could not see the pictures. I have worked with students who have had hearing problems and the solution is to have them sit closer to me. But what about a student that can't see the pictures. In my classess we discuss the book using the pictures especially the front and back cover to talk about what the book may be about, or what will happen next using the pictures. About how would I teach this to a student who couldn't see the pictures. I also use paper folding stories. I did not look to see if there are any sites out there to help with such a problem. Are our expectations of visual literacy the same for those that can't see? What would be some teaching techniques that one could use in this situation. I know I use alot of voices when reading (including yelling!) but alot the times the emotions are drawn from the pictures. So has anyone ever been in this situation and what did you do?

Learning to "Read" Media Texts in the Classroom and Beyond

After completing the music literacy assignment for this week, I started thinking about analytical assignments and why so many students--high school, college, and even graduate school students--struggle with them.

When I worked at a university writing center, I was initially surprised that so many students had difficulty writing analytical essays. Many of them volunteered that they had never been asked to complete such assignments--they had limited opportunities to engage in critical thinking in a classroom environment. If students aren’t challenged to critically evaluate texts in the classroom (and I use the word text in the most encompassing way possible), how are they going to do so in their everyday lives?

I’m obviously considering media literacy from the vantage point of a university/high school teacher and future librarian, and my concern is with helping students gain the analytical skills necessary to become active, rather than passive, consumers and users of information. Using various forms of media--“texts” with which they are familiar--provides educators with a great resource.

When I taught college composition, I focused on media literacy and media texts to introduce students to analytical thinking and writing, and then used that as a segue to thinking critically about other, more “traditional” texts like short stories and novels. While nothing works perfectly for every student, I was impressed their analysis of music videos, advertisements, toys, and movies. I think many enjoyed “speaking back” to these texts and fleshing out meanings.

One of the hardest parts for those new to critically reading media is understanding what context means. A text can’t be analyzed in an isolated environment--one needs to know how it is situated in a particular culture. I always think of this as where the fun begins. Drawing connections and piecing everything together is what makes the text and possible meanings come alive. 

For instance, when my class was studying advertisements, I had them look at some of the Guitar Hero commercials--specifically the one with Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk, and Michael Phelps. The first time I saw the athletic quartet decked out in pink button-up shirts and rocking out to "Old Time Rock and Roll" I thought one thing: Tom Cruise in Risky Business. My students, who loved this commercial, didn't have this contextual information at hand and so part of this text (and part of the entertainment) was lost on them. 

Once they started to understand context, I was pleased to see that so many of them were enjoying "the hunt." Even when we moved on to literary analysis, they were more eager to dig up any information they could find on the authors of their books to try to draw connections. With that being said, they weren't necessarily perfect when it came to expressing this in essay form, but I was happy with the thinking that was going on. Several students even complained that they'd never be able to watch a commercial the same way again. To me, that is a good thing.

Media literacy and media analysis are topics I’m planning to continue to investigate from my new perspective as a future librarian. I found some techniques and developed some assignments that worked pretty well in my own classroom (I’ll admit there were some flubs, though), but I want to find ways to bring this into a library as well.

Deconstructing Music and Meaning

This week’s readings by Jordan Stop. Hey. What’s Sound? & Jourdain’s article To Listening: Music, The Brain, and Ecstasy provided a lot of contextual background information related to music helping hone my critical thinking, analysis, and knowledge on different components of music relating to people’s emotions, thoughts and preferences. Additionally, Hurt’s video Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhyme was one of the most thought-provoking videos I have seen in a long time centering on black male masculinity and Hip Hop. Hurt specifically examines the topics of masculinity, sexism, violence, and homophobia in today’s Hip Hop culture. I also found myself engaging in dialogues with friends (outside this class) deconstructing its messages and meanings.

Although not required to watch, a great complement to the Hurt’s film is Blacking Up [see above still image]. Note that I only provided the introduction as a link, as the message is clear from the start. This film discusses the role that Hip Hop music has on some Caucasian teens/ artists as they enter Hip Hop industries and confronts stereotypes and their challenges by others.

I will elaborate on both videos in the second half of this blog, but before I do, let me add that Jordan’s article defined components of sound (but not limited to) its physical, emotional, and impact on people while situating it from a historical perspective while traversing generation to generation (p. 255). What was further insightful about this article was the exploration of digital media and how it has changed with technology (p.257). The article raised an interesting question related to, “where does science/technology [digital media] end and art begins.” This question was a central crux of this article’s discussion ending with the points that “sound” as “music” is going to change, given how it is produced.

Transitioning to Jourdain’s article, To Listening: Music, The Brain, and Ecstasy, the first part of the paper discussing various examples from around the world leading to the central point exploring how the brain poses itself to receive musical sound. Furthermore music has been designed to meet different approaches of people who listen. The paper ends noting, “People also are attached to genres of music that serves a particular function in their lives…” (p. 263). This leads to the two-abovementioned films and how both raised quite a bit of discussion for my friends and me.

I am only going to recap some salient points/ themes raised within the films, and my response seeks to answer the prompt provided to our class (how does music helps us think critically, as well as teens). Both films raised a range of questions centering on black male masculinity, identity formation of teens/ young adult, homophobia, stereotypes, classism, and the power of Hip Hop music to divide our society along racial lines. Hurt’s film in particular resonated with me because as a young black male, growing up, I listened to a lot of Hip Hop music and never really thought about the messages some artists were transmitting. I really only listened to the beat and how it made me feel.

As an adult, I now pay more attention to the messages in music mainly because of my interest in gender studies and the importance of serving as positive role model for my nephews and other black male mentees. I also look at Hip Hop music from a different lens now, although I do not totally take the stance that Hurt’s seems to make that it de-sensitizes all people to violence, but do agree that its promotes a one dimensional view of black males, while reinforcing stereotypical images while marginalizing other males of color (i.e., gay male, etc.) who do not fit into constructive norms. Also, this film provided insight into how other ethnic groups (teens) viewed Hip Hop music and raised questions about their awareness of some of its negative messages.

As I watched this film and subsequently held discussions with my friends, I was reminded of another film, Blacking Up, although not on the same subject matter, it still raised questions in my mind about what messages are being transmitted to teens, specifically how Caucasians artists/teens engage with Hip Hop. Unlike the Hurt’s film that was produced by an African American male, a white male produced this film, providing a different layer to the controversies and/or complexities surrounding music and its impact on teens/ young artists. To be honest, this was the first film I saw that raised this unique perspective coupled with the challenges these artists/teens encountered from the industry and their peers. Both films, although brief (1 hour), had a profound impact on me, but in different ways, helping me to understand meaning and impacts.

As I ponder what role music plays in our lives, with attention to teens in particular, I can’t help but to say/think that music is much more than just listening to beats, but resonates differently with the individual who is listening, creates it, and its importance and meaning vary. Music may have a political message or just serves to relax, and traverses many communities (ethnic groups), but also extends beyond what is obvious and can be much more complex, impactful, and profound.

Graphic Novels = Visual Literacy

One topic we did not addess during our week on Visual Literacy is graphic novels. The graphic novel collections in my libraries are small, but growing. Because it is not a format I'm well-versed in, I purchase some of my graphic novels from a book-club (Junior Library Guild), but I also follow the column "Getting Graphic" by Michele Gorman in Libary Media Collection magazine and get recommendations from the students to help guide my selections. The graphic novel collections are increasingly popular with students, but I still get a few raised eyebrows from the teachers: "You're buying comic books?"

Today's students are growing up with technology as an extension of their daily lives. These students have access to an unprecedented amount of visual media and information. They are more than just simple TV watchers: they have hundreds of digital channels available 24/7 which they can watch live, record for later viewing, or download from the Internet. The Internet itself is awash in visual images from Flikr to YouTube to Facebook, to Google logos. Kids are completely comfortable immersing themselves in visual environments like video games or Second Life. So why would I not take advantage of students' visual habits to promote reading? I notice that no one ever walks into the young readers' area and comments "You're buying picture books?"

Graphic novels are a kind of visual literacy "which is often overlooked for readers who have passed the picture book stage of reading, but will continue to rise in importance as the American culture becomes further reliant on the computer, in which text is often interspersed with graphical content, as the predominant mode of communication" (Gorman, 10). Graphic novels are simply another way of combining words and pictures. They're very appealing to visual learners and can bridge a gap for many reluctant readers. Reading researcher Stephen Krashen recommends graphic novels for students who are on a lower reading level than their peers because the simple sentences, visual or context clues, and educated guessing allow them to comprehend most of the story (Krashen 59-60). That's just what I want my reluctant readers to have: a positive reading experience in which they finished the book and enjoyed it. As visual learners, they can combine the text and the pictures in order to understand the story. And once their interest is piqued, they may make the leap to text-only as they search for more story. This is exactly what happened in my library recently as a young boy finished Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel. He wanted to know if the book was part of a series. I didn't have any more graphic novels of Artemis Fowl, but I did have the chapter books. He checked out the first two! I will certainly continue to use graphic novels as a way to engage readers and I'll work on educating the faculty as well.

Works Cited:
Gorman, Michele. Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing, Inc., 2003.

Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.

Visual Literacy: Why Is It Important, and How Can I Work With It in the Classroom Setting?

Do students really need visual literacy? Do educators have a responsibility to help their students become visually literate? According to an article by Robyn Seglem entitled “You Gotta See It to Believe It: Teaching Visual Literacy in the English Classroom,” the answer is undoubtedly yes. Seglem argues that “[i]f educators want students to perform well in both the world and on new assessments, students need a critical understanding of print and nonprint text in relationship to themselves as readers and viewers” (Alvermann and Hagood qtd. in Seglem 217). If students are going to be successful later on in life, they need the proper tools, and visual literacy is one of those important tools.

Visual literacy is essential to success. Without a decent understanding of the visual, people would have difficulty driving:

It would be harder to understand advertisements:

More importantly, visual literacy enables people to understand how advertisements manipulate them. For example, being visually literate helps the viewer understand that Bud Light looks more refreshing because it is being paired with the light blue ice crystals surrounding it.

An understanding of visual elements also helps people understand color better like how meeting someone in white may immediately give them an impression of innocence:

Obviously, better visual literacy skills are going to benefit students. The question then becomes how an educator can teach students this valuable skill. First, students need to know the basics such as color. How does the color affect a visual element? One way to address color is to use objects or ideas they already know. A teacher or librarian could present pictures to which students can make connections. Through careful questioning, teachers can help lead students to color meanings.

For example, an instructor could present an image like this one:

Once students have looked at the picture, the teacher could ask the following questions:

What color is the heart?

With what holiday would this treat be associated?

What emotion is associated with this holiday?

What could this color represent?

These four questions would lead students to understand that red is often associated with love.

However, students need to know multiple meanings for the colors, so it would be important to follow this up with another red image:

This image could go with the following questions:

What is this?

What color is it?

With what is blood associated?

Where would one find blood?

These questions could lead students to understand that red is often associated with blood, pain, and war.

If a teacher introduces color with an activity like this one, students not only learn about color symbolism, but they also begin honing their visual literacy skills.

In addition to color, space is another important component of visual literacy. How do objects use the space given to them? How does it change our impression if things are close together or far apart? Again, visual elements could help with this discussion. By showing pictures and discussing the use of space, learners will begin to move from subconsciously recognizing these elements to consciously understanding their effect on a viewer. Take this picture and these questions:

What is the spacing like between these two people?

What does it say about them?
Can the viewer infer anything about their relationship because of spacing?

By creating activities like these to discuss important visual literacy elements (like color, spacing, shapes, content), students will become ready to apply their knowledge more holistically. At this point, students can become more visually literate through practice. Best of all, visual literacy can easily be integrated with the curriculum an instructor already has planned.

In my current English classroom, I like to have my students practice visual literacy in conjunction with background information. Before reading To Kill a Mockingbird, students learn about the 1930s. It’s important to understand the financial troubles and race issues of the era to connect to the novel. Rather than being lectured, students can discover information for themselves through paintings and photographs.

One picture I have students look at is Prayer for Rain by James E. Allen:

From this, students can learn about the Dust Bowl and also many people’s reliance on farming. Most importantly, students are ready to have a discussion on how they figured out this information. They often cite the dark coloring, the dilapidated fence, the position of the people, and the bones of an animal as evidence for their conclusion.

In the library, students are surrounding by carefully designed book covers. This opens up the opportunity for countless discussion utilizing students’ visual interpretation skills.

Every textbook in the school involves pictures within its pages. An understanding of visuals can enhance every class reading assignment. Students can have interesting and relevant discussions that deepen their understanding of the topic while simultaneously preparing them for their future needs of visual literacy. It all starts with bringing more visual literacy into schools.

Works Cited

Seglem, Robyn, and Shelbie Witte. "You Gotta See It to Believe It: Teaching Visual Literacy in the English Classroom." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 53.3 (2009): 216-226. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Kids on the iPad

We’re all seen the youtube videos made by parents showing off their toddler’s amazing technological skills. I don’t think a three-year-old’s ability to navigate an ipad is miraculous—the ipad is child sized with an intuitive platform. I am more interested in the possible differences in how a toddler uses and perceives such technology versus how an adult does. Omar Gallaga, who writes reviews of ipad picturebook apps for kids, does so in partnership with his three-year-old daughter Lilly. He recently shared with National Public Radio that he and his daughter do not always agree on what makes a good storybook app. Lilly wasn’t impressed with PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the ipad’s pop-up version of the Beatrix Potter classic. Gallaga reviewed the Peter Rabbit storybook app highly and seems unable to explain why his daughter, who interacts with the app as she does with others, doesn’t favor it.

Adult and child perceptions of this ipad application clearly don’t coincide. This dissonance in perception leaves me with a lot of questions: I want to know what’s missing from the story reading experience for Lilly? What’s been added that interrupts the narrative for her? Does Lilly perceive a computer game rather than a storybook when interacting with some of these apps? How does her mind make distinctions between print and ipad storybooks? Without print literacy skills, how does a non-reading child classify differentiate between a print and an ipad picturebook? If ipad interaction is part of the future of child-parent reading and a common path to print and media literacy, research needs to be done to better understand how children perceive the technology. Knowing and understanding how toddlers and other non-readers perceive technology will help us to educate very young children in media literacy.