Graphic Novels & Critical Thinking in the Winter Semester - Ron Samul, Thames Faculty

Joe Sacco, comic journalist

By Ron Samul -During the winter session, we will be working on the concept of critical thinking and expanding students' depth of thinking. This can be an important part of understanding the content in college courses. Over the winter, we will be using graphic novels and other art forms to define the ideas and perceptions of the artist and the writers. Part of our exploration will be considering nonfiction comics. Comics like Lynda Barry’s 100 Demons and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi comic journalism allows the reader to understand and view the narrator as the speaker of the comic as well as a character in the story. These perceptions of self add a dimension to the story when the narrative voice becomes character.

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Will Poole's Island by Tim Weed / A Book Review

by Ron Samul 

Will Poole’s Island by Tim Weed captures some of the best elements of historical fiction, but also delves into the world of mysticism and the native culture that existed before the colonial settlers landed in New England.

Will Poole is an adventure seeking colonial boy who sees the world beyond the strict and often confining world of early Puritan based colonial settlers of New England. He is an orphan that now lives with his guardian, Overlock, who his former servant. While Will tries to steer clear of Overlock and his tedious chores, puritan lessons at the meetings house, and the strict social code of conduct of the New Meadow Plantation, Will has been outside the walls and into the woods. There he meets an indian seer, Squamiset who is a wanted man among the colonists. As Will befriends Squimest - he realizes how much there is to learn about the spiritual understanding that brings harmony to the woods, the sea, and the natural world. Eventually, Will is accused of fraternising the with this outlaw and is punished. When he is able to escape, Will realizes that he must put his faith and his life in the hands of the wise Squamiset. As they run through the coastline of New England, fleeing the colonist and seeking guidance and help from different tribes, these two unlikely protagonists rush headlong into adventure, brotherhood, and a newfound sense of a spiritualism that is being banished by the ever growing colonial population.

Will Poole’s Island is more than a coming of age story, it does a few things remarkably well. Starting this book, you foresee a young Will Poole and his coming of age experience. And simply put, that is what this book might feel like for a bit. The surprise, dare I say revelation in Will’s character development is not only his coming of age, but his spiritual awakening. This is important to this story as Squimeset begins teaching Will how to see the natural world, how to step out of the old world views, slow time down, blend into the world of nature, use the resources that are around him, and even believe wholeheartedly that there is a spiritual essence in all things. He teaches him about Manitoos and communicating with spirits and the heavens. It builds the foundation for Will’s desire to pull away from the colonists, to see beauty in the traditions and the lives of the indian tribes and eventually never turn back. Weed uses these mystical elements to pull us away from the cliches of colonial life and into a natural mysticism that authenticates the spiritual subplot. .

The next element which I think is very important to this book is growing tide of colonization that is coming. As the story unfolds, Will Poole’s Island does turn into a fast moving adventure story. It is fraught with a sense of urgency, desperate decisions, and connections that continually bring suspense and drama to the narrative. While Overlock and Governor Rockingham feel a bit one dimensional, they do serve their purpose as the never-bending vision of puritan corruption, never living outside the bounds of a heaven or hell. Beneath the plot there is also a growing dread that the incoming colonies are growing, pushing tribes out of their villages, causing plagues, and taking advantage negotiations and trading. Knowing in hindsight what is coming, there comes a dread that a traditional and long standing relationship with nature is about to change forever.

This book is well written and because of that, there is not a lot of wasted description or long passages about history. I admire the economy of language and the craftsmanship that makes this book very digestible by anyone interested in a good story. Nathaniel Hawthorne said that “easy reading is hard writing” and that is evident in this book.

Themes in novels can be important. Some of the most important themes are character, time, and place. In this novel, the natural world and place are the elements that make this novel vivid and emotional. Like Howard’s End and the essence of that house, this book realizes some places (not matter how much time is spent there) can hold a significant cathartic change in the characters. As Will Poole moved across this narrative, as the story concludes, the reader is left with a longing to find that place, that moment when everything is right and the everything is possible. It is a longing we all search for spiritually, geographically, and emotionally. This book proves that oppression, obstacles, fate, and the world we live in should not stop us from seeking that place. If we can’t find it right now, walk in the shoes of Will Poole and rediscover that lost island in your life. It will inspire you.

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Using Blogs in Humanities

by Ron Samul 

In the fall, I will be teaching humanities through a blog platform. It is something that I think is important for the students to connect to the content, the learning strategies, and the writing elements of the class. This is the center point of information for the students along with their textbook. Here are a few ways I think it is important to use a computer platform in teaching elements of humanities, writing, and digital humanities.

Using blogs in a college classroom can help refine the lessons and the overall outcomes of a writing course, but it can also add value to the students as they labor under the stress of writing. This article will discuss some of the elements that are important, and how apps and document sharing can make managing courses in writing, humanities, and other content based classes more effective.

Blogs have expanded from simple list sites of things we want to archive and share, to robust websites that include posts, pages, embedded video, links to articles and websites, apps, polling widgets, test and quiz add-on elements and more. As higher education moves into online course offerings some colleges have developed platforms that are often clumsy, hard to access, and dependent on the college experience to gain access to the content they are looking for. If the college network goes down, so does the content of the courses and what they have to offer.

The College Student 

Most college students come to class invested into their education via their electronic devices. Asking students to follow a class wiki (a website that allows collaborative editing of its content) or a blog isn't that complicated. All students have access or use a laptop, tablet, or their phone to connect to their work, their college, and their friends. Using the blog every week has allowed me to "flip" my class from content heavy, lecture based presentations, to lab and writing based experiences. In this "flipped" classroom, students who struggle with the act of writing can now collaborate, get help through difficult elements, and resolve simple technical computer issues. 

Students are expected to have read the content on the blog before coming to class. Breaking those assignments into different elements helps keep students engaged and focused. A typical week might include: 

Formalizing your research topic: This might include a worksheet and some of the writing they have produced in class in the previous session. (writing)

Annotated Bibliographies: this includes a video that introduces the students to how and why these citations are important and relevant to what they are doing. It also outlines the assignment they will be doing in class, working on the format and style. (video)

Difference between Form and Content: This includes reading an article about what form and content means and why it is critical to know the difference between these two elements. (reading comprehension and writing)

Check In / Out: This element allows students to take a survey or quiz that asks them executive functioning type questions. What should you bring to class? How long did it take you to read the article? What feedback do you have for me? Describe how your research paper is coming along. There answer are recorded in a spreadsheet and everyone should report in before class. (interactive assessment)

While blogs seem straight forward to many, students prefer them because the information is there when they need it, online. Students who come back to the website a few days after class can review each week's content, find source documents, articles, assignment sheets, deadlines, and even find ways to contact the instructor. 

It is important to emphasize that this blog is the center of the course. If an instructor teaches once a week, it is even more imperative to post content online as it grounds students who might otherwise drift away from main ideas and topics over the course of a week. 

In terms of big picture projects, students can work - step-by-step on research papers and projects, find connections to research and library help, and they can also find skill building elements that will help them work smarter. I also have had students create social media related to their research papers. A student who writes about Gun Control also has to work with elements of social media concerning this topic. Students can use social media, create a blog, make a video, or interact with other elements. Students have gone so far as to make comics and visual representations of their work to add to their collection of digital media. 

For instructors: 

• Archive weekly overviews
• Offer expanding videos
• Links to articles
• Links to Campus resources
• Offer tutorials on different topics
• Give surveys and quizzes
• Syllabus, assignment, and instructor contact is always available
• Reinforce deadlines and reminders
• Create mini-lectures that you didn't have time for in class
• Show other innovations and projects 
• Offer extra credit work
• Include grading rubrics and how the work in the course

Check out some of my online courses. Most of these are from past semesters but you can see the elements embedded in them. Murder Midterm is a special project that included writing and a field study that is added to the website. 

http://samulspring14.blogspot.com/

http://midtermmurder.blogspot.com/

Technical Elements: I am a fan of Google and the power of Blogger, Google Documents, and meeting the needs of the students. All the services that I use in the classroom are free. This allows for inclusion without any special software, special services, or add-on fees to the course load. Even students who don't have access to a personal computer can use the resources of campus computers to get to the course content and be successful in the classroom. 

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