I received a copy of this book with the understanding that I would share my thoughts about it. Those thoughts are very positive.
Ahiyya has pulled togI received a copy of this book with the understanding that I would share my thoughts about it. Those thoughts are very positive.
Ahiyya has pulled together a series of short read-alouds focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social-emotional learning. (It's depressing that these are considered "Rebellious", but I have to agree that there are a lot of folks who would probably find the idea that sharing these stories with children would be "indoctrination" - horrifying, but true.)
In addition to the stories, Ayihha has provided suggestions for ways to use the stories with students to help them reflect on the ideas contained within the stories. She's also ordered the stories in a very thoughtful way - she very clearly states that educators are welcome to use the material in whatever order they like, but her organization provides a very nice laddering of topics. She also provides a series of additional reading suggestions to go along with the pieces and exercises she's selected.
I would 100% get copies of this workbook for early elementary educators & school librarians. ...more
What it's about: This book explores the arguments for and against creating open borders across the world, and makes a compelling case for why such an What it's about: This book explores the arguments for and against creating open borders across the world, and makes a compelling case for why such an action would provide massive benefits to the entire world, and the United States in particular.
Caplan is a professor who's been studying this issue - and making this case - for quite a while. He's enlisted the help of Weinersmith, a cartoonist known in part for his intelligence. Together, they've crafted an entertaining take on Caplan's more academic work.
What I thought: I usually enjoy Weinersmith's Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal cartoons - they are often based on real science and philosophy concepts that he has carried into an absurdity. They make me feel smart when I get them, and they introduce new ideas when I don't.
I enjoyed how he managed to work with Caplan to take a very difficult and divisive topic like immigration and illustrate it - quite literally - such that a much wider audience can grasp the main concepts Caplan puts forth.
Although this has been on my "to be read" list for a while, I specifically picked it up to preview it for a class on graphic novels I hope to teach. I want to use it as an example of how graphic novels can not only be about nonfiction stories, but they can also be used to illustrate nonfiction topics that aren't specifically narrative - the graphic novel as textbook, as it were.
Why I rated it like I did: Although there are some areas where the arguments are a bit tough to follow, this is overall a thoughtful presentation of political, economic, and sociological arguments about immigration. ...more
I enjoyed McCloud's first book, Undestanding Comics, quite a bit, and followed up with his other technical works, as he seems to consistently offer inI enjoyed McCloud's first book, Undestanding Comics, quite a bit, and followed up with his other technical works, as he seems to consistently offer interesting analysis of comics and insights into why they are ore than just a children's entertainment. Although I did not personally enjoy this volume as much as the first, mostly because of the many references back to that first work, I am planning to recommend this book to the art teachers in my school district, as it provides an excellent overview of the importance of comics as an artistic medium, as well a providing a series of exercises readers can attempt to improve their creation of comics. And there are chapters which I think would benefit any students working in any medium, be it graphic arts, film, or literature, as McCloud does a fine job of discussing story structure and the uses of symbolic elements to engage readers. Well worth a read!...more
This text provides a very thorough grounding in school librarianship. I am a teacher with a few decades under my belt, and I am working on completing This text provides a very thorough grounding in school librarianship. I am a teacher with a few decades under my belt, and I am working on completing a school library media specialist certification. My professional experiences over the years have prepared me for the "school" part of the SLMS profession (and some of the LMS parts, too); and Woolls and Coatney do a fine job in this tome of laying out a lot of the important concepts, experiences, and patterns of thought of the education profession. For those with limited professional experience in the world of education, this is an excellent resource. ...more
This is one of the best collections of professional education standards I've ever read (and I've had to read standards across various K-12 grade levelThis is one of the best collections of professional education standards I've ever read (and I've had to read standards across various K-12 grade levels and subjects). The standards themselves are well thought-out, there are plenty of clear explanations and examples, and the formatting and layout keep things clear and easy to follow.
I highly recommend than every school library get a copy of these standards to have on hand for reference purposes; and school librarians should familiarize themselves with this standards so that they can enact them within regular practice.
Unlike some education standards, these are not "fluff" or a waste of time - they provide valuable guidance for school library media specialists. ...more
Jul 2020 re-read: This is still an amazing guide to deciphering the many layers and intricacies of the deceptively simple comic / graphic novel formatJul 2020 re-read: This is still an amazing guide to deciphering the many layers and intricacies of the deceptively simple comic / graphic novel format. This re-read was preparation for writing curriculum for a middle school elective class, "Graphic Novels: Seeing the Bigger Picture", a class meant to help students (and through them, their parents and teachers) understand that graphic novels are not a "lesser" form of reading - and that, in fact, our brains need to do a whole lot of work to decipher the information presented in these works.
The work definitely shows its age a bit in places - this is a very white-male-centric view of comics. But the ideas are thoughtful and thought-provoking, and are far beyond anything I might have come up with on my own. McCloud displays an intellect, in addition to his depth of knowledge, that is very impressive!
2018: McCloud's graphic "novel" about the art of comics and graphic novels is very interesting and insightful. It made me realize some things about comics I had never really considered before. He does a very admirable job of arguing that comics can be much more than people in tights punching each other, and he provides an interesting and engaging breakdown of the key artistic elements that are employed in the creation of comics. The deceptively-simple comic becomes something much deeper when analyzed carefully, as McCloud has done quite successfully here. Well worth the read by those who love comics, and particularly by those who see comics as "low" art or a waste of time....more
This is a great introduction to HTML and CSS - full of clear explanations, illustrations, and screen shots to help noobs (like me) make sense of web dThis is a great introduction to HTML and CSS - full of clear explanations, illustrations, and screen shots to help noobs (like me) make sense of web design coding. ...more