Cognitive Science and Early Readers

Hi everyone!

My better half sent me this link. Any thoughts? I absolutely think that it gives credence to using new literacies in the classroom. Feel free to weigh in.... :) katie

Two toony tools

Looking for a couple new online tools to engage students?

ToonDoo lets kids create, publish, and share their own comic strips online and, if you're worried about Internet safety in your class, you can subscribe to their ToonDoo Spaces site for private publishing.

GoAnimate lets users create computer-animated stories they can share online and enhance with simple or more advanced features.

Have fun!

Some new recommended websites and blogs

Just want to bring your attention to some new comics and graphic novel resources we've added to our recommended list:

ComicsResearch.org
Comics Research & Such
The Comics Chronicles
The Comics Reporter

Enjoy!

Trekking along the graphic novel road

Carol Fitzgerald, co-founder and president of The Book Report Network (TBRN), which includes GraphicNovelReporter.com, recently wrote a great "Report from the Road" on conferences, meetings, and other valuable time she spent with graphic novel creators, educators, and librarians--including Katie Monnin. Fitzgerald's articls is a nice reminder of the wonderful things being done to promote graphic novels in education that we can all take advantage of, whether we teach in the classroom, work at a library, create and illustrate, or just want to share some great books with kids at home.

Comic Artist Jerry Craft Participates in 1st Annual Charm City Literacy Challenge!!!

My friend Jerry Craft just sent me this link to an awesome literacy event sponsored by BMoreFree Programs, whose mission is to:

"The mission of BMoreFree Programs is to educate and empower under-privileged children and families and to provide resources for them to be successful in life." Jerry's AWESOME book Mama's Boyz - Home Schoolin was a featured text!!!

Toon Books does it again!!!

Check out Toon Books' new title: Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework, the first science-based early reader comic!!! Written by Nadja Spiegelman and illustrated by Trade Loeffler.

A+ material for any early reader teacher of science!!!

NCTE 2009 Philadelphia, PA

What a wonderful city Philadelphia, PA is!!!  I had an amazing time not only at the NCTE conference, but also getting to meet many new people.  

Each of the following cool people either work directly with graphic novels or with media literacy in the classroom.  So, Have FUN getting to know some of these awesome people and the awesome work that they do!  

1.  Sari Wilson / Writer, Editor, Consultant

2. Cyndy Scheibe / Project Look Sharp Executive Director

3.  Clive Bryant / Managing Director at Classical Comics (Clive has BRILLIANTLY been putting together comic versions of canonical literature)

4.  Even though I did not meet Sari Wilson's husband, Josh Neufeld, everyone should take time to check out his amazing work with nonfiction graphic novels: A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge

5.  Guofang Wan won the NCTE media literacy award!!!