Graphica in the Afternoon: Multimodal Sites of Learning and Leading

• In Event: Technology and Learning Environments

Abstract

This proposal outlines a multiyear study of an afterschool club in a suburban elementary public school. This club, which just completed its seventh year – second as a research site – is designed for students to read and create graphica, books employing comic formats. Echoing scholars who argue that literacy educators should incorporate diverse meaning-making practices of students into their teaching, this club provides a framework for learning about and incorporating young people’s lives into pedagogy and curricula. Findings underscore the importance of student voice and autonomy in literacy instruction and discuss how school educators, including the school librarian who co-facilitated the club, can affect student learning and literacy development.

Author

• Rachel Skrlac Lo, Villanova University