Protecting Pedagogical Choice: Theory, Graphic Novels, and Textual Complexity

Abstract

lisa schade eckerT W ith the publication of many research and pedagogical journal articles in recent years touting the viability, flex-ibility, and credibility of including graphic novels in English language arts instruction, as well as decades of research indicating that students can, and should, engage in a much wider va-riety of literate behaviors in an intentional, critical way, it is still useful for teachers and teacher educators to articulate the importance of including multimodal text in ELA curricula. However, given the recent announcement from the Business Roundtable, a group of corporate executives who have spe-cific interests in influencing K-12 curricula, that a panel is currently being implemented to vet instructional materials that will be deemed appropriate for inclusion in Common Core lessons, it becomes imperative that educators take con-trol of curricula. In this article I will offer theoretical approaches for teaching graphic novels; my purpose is to discuss and dem-onstrate the breadth of opportunities for literacy instruction with graphic texts—and the ways in which graphic novels provide engaging and intellectually challenging material for meeting state and national standards for teaching literary and informational texts. I also am writing this to encourage teach-ers to take control of their curricula, to determine ways in which texts meet the criteria for appropriate " text complex-ity, " not to wait for a panel of non-educators to determine what texts will be " approved " for inclusion in CCSS aligned curricula. I will articulate how theory, spanning textual, cul-tural, and post-colonial stances, offers both the means and the rationale for including graphic novels in literacy/litera-ture curricula which is aligned with CCSS. Graphic texts, on-line publications and communication, and hybrid (combined graphic and written text) literature can provide accessible, yet sophisticated, interpretive environments for student explora-tion and critical interpretation.