AWESOME new graphic novel for High School Readers

The Engineer: Konstrukt is an entrancing and modern spin on the traditional superhero stories of the past.  Simply put, I read it from cover-to-cover.   And, while I immediately wanted to read it again, I decided to share its brilliance on here with you first!!!  :)  Now, back to reread this awesome new graphic novel!!! 

Katie's Korner: Graphic Novel Reviews for Your Schools and Libraries

If you haven't checked it out already, be sure and stop by Katie Monnin's Diamond Bookshelf column, "Katie's Korner: Graphic Novel Reviews for Your Schools and Libraries," for the latest monthly installment:

• Female Force and Pride and Prejudice (January 2010)
• Hatter M and Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1 (February 2010)

Doodle 4 Google

From the latest Google Teacher Newsletter:

Do your students love to doodle? Give them a chance to showcase their art on Google.com's homepage by registering your school for Doodle 4 Google. Doodle 4 Google is a competition open to K-12 students in U.S. schools who are invited to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would . . . "  We are delighted to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people, and we look forward to seeing the range of creative doodles that are submitted. The competition kicks off today, and you can find details on the Official Google Blog. 

Teachers should go to www.google.com/doodle4google to register their school by 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) on March 17, 2010. Parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers to get them registered. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their doodles and entry forms by March 31, 2010 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) after they register their school online. 

A competition wouldn't be complete without prizes. What prizes are awarded to Doodle 4 Google winners and finalists this year? 

• The National Winner will win a $15,000 college scholarship to be used at the school of their choice, a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.  We'll also award the winner's school a $25,000 grant towards the establishment/improvement of a computer lab.  The winning doodle will also be featured on the Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010.
• Each of the other 3 National Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
• Each of the other 40 Regional Finalists will win a trip to New York City for an event on May 26, 2010 and a t-shirt printed with their doodle on it.
• Each of the other 400 State Finalists will receive a "Doodle 4 Google" certificate and be featured on the Doodle 4 Google web site.

As an additional incentive this year, we are also giving out eight (8) Extra Credit: Technology Booster Awards that consist of netbook computers to schools who submit the maximum number of doodles by March 10, 2010 and have a student who is one of the 400 State Finalists.  For more information on eligibility, visit the Doodle 4 Google website here, http://www.google.com/doodle4google/. 

Students' doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme, and other criteria.  This year we'll also have a panel of 10 "Expert Jurors"  who will help judge Doodle 4 Google. These are well known illustrators, cartoonists, and animators from organizations such as The Sesame Street Workshop, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and Pixar Animation Studios who are the creators of Toy Story 3.  A public exhibit of the 39 regional finalists and the national winner will be open to the public at the Smithsonian's, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum from May 27 to July 8, 2010. To give your class a little inspiration, check out last year's winners at the Doodle 4 Google website.

Great review from Graphic Novel Reporter

John Hogan recently reviewed Teaching Graphic Novels for Graphic Novel Reporter. Here's a snippet:

"It’s a pretty thorough book that covers all the bases...the real star here is the content, which is exceptional. Dr. Monnin is a trusted authority who has put together an essential book on the use of comics in the classroom."

The Comic Book Project

The Comic Book Project is a program of the Center for Educational Pathways. According to their website, "The Comic Book Project engages children in a creative process leading to literacy reinforcement, social awareness, and character development, then publishes and distributes their work for other children in the community to use as learning and motivational tools."

 

Sounds great! Well, here's some more great news from the center's e-newsletter: 

The results are in! According to an independent study conducted for the US Department of Education, students across Imperial County, California participated in the Comic Book Project and, as a result, demonstrated significant gains in their English language arts performance. After extensive professional development, classroom teachers engaged students in creating and publishing comics in content area subjects ranging from the Civil War to the water cycle. See excerpts from the students' comics and watch a video about the Imperial County project (bottom right of page in videos section--scroll to USA Project-Comic Books). For more about the Comic Book Project, visit the project website.

ING Unsung Heroes

Are you an educator with a class project that is short on funding but long on potential? Do you know a teacher looking for grant dollars? ING Unsung Heroes® could help you turn great ideas into reality for students. Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. Deadline: April 30, 2010. Imagine being the writer a teacher needs to make a creative project come to life? You could even suggest the
project to a teacher, and offer to write the grant.

Apply for a literacy microgrant from WeAreTeachers

From the WeAreTeachers e-newsletter:

Literacy is the key that unlocks the gates to the kingdom of knowledge. Take 10 minutes to apply and tell us how you can make reading your students' favorite thing. You could win $200 and the choice between a Flip video camera or  iPod nano with video.

Apply by: January 28th

Click here to learn more and apply.