Broken Frontier

An OTB Exclusive! Remember when you got in trouble in school for reading comics? Well, thanks to pioneering “Outside the Box” thinking by the Maryland State Department of Education, comics will officially be helping kids learn to enjoy reading! We have the first exclusive comics media insight into this pilot project set to launch soon!

When I was a kid in school, I distinctly remember a few times I got in trouble for reading comics in class. I even remember teachers saying such things as “Those things will rot your brains! Read a REAL book!” etc. etc. Well, of course, I was wrong to be reading something not relevant to the class at the time, and I have indeed since discovered also the joys of prose, but, I do remember something else: comics were what hooked me on reading.

They were the catalyst and they opened a world not only of imagination, but sparked an interest in me in such things as science, history, and current events. There was the backup page that explained how someone as strong as Superman wasn’t completely out of the realm of nature, and talked about how an ant can lift 30 times its own body weight! There was me wanting to learn more about the real national intrigues between the US and the then Soviet Union because of characters like Black Widow. There was Captain America and Tomahawk that got my interest in the Revolutionary War and WWII. Here there were links to the larger world that I suddenly wanted to know more about.

So, I’ve always wondered why didn’t folks in Education hear stories like mine and see comics for the tool they are?

Well, the Superintendent of Schools for the State of Maryland, Nancy S. Grasmick, actually put the pieces together. The pilot project by the Maryland State Department of Education is the result. I was honored to have an in-depth conversation with the Superintendent’s right hand specialist, Dr. Darla Strouse to learn more about this project, who’s helping to make it happen, and what we can expect.

The project is a literacy project designed to heighten interest in reading from youth and children who may be falling behind in reading, or showing a lack of interest in prose reading for the time being. The idea is that some of these students may be a bit behind because of developmental or environmental causes which may make keeping up reading more complex prose too much of a challenge, or not enough to hold their distracted interest. “Comics are a blend of visual images and words that helps communicate the stories to the students” Dr. Strouse commented. “Because of this, they’re wonderful tools to help students get more interested and feel more connected to what they are reading.”

The project is being developed with some high powered help from the comics industry. First is Diamond Comics. “We’re fortunate enough to have Diamond right here in Maryland and they have been a tremendous resource.” Diamond has provided funds, materials and perhaps most importantly…an education in comics. “A lot of our teachers have never read comics and first will have to learn how they work, in order to teach from them.” This is because the project is not designed simply to give students material simply to read, but read, discuss, analyze and study. As a result, the development includes designing curriculum, lesson plans, and other resource tools for teachers to use.

Are comics replacing standard reading? Of course not. “The idea is to give teachers resources to be able to use voluntary lessons with selected students utilizing comics.” The important piece is making sure this is still education, and not casual reading. Dr. Strouse went on to add, “there are some comics written purely for entertainment, and others written with a predilection or bent toward learning.” The intent is to tap both kinds of comics, but also to look at the deeper mythology so wrapped in comics. They’ve been called modern myths and there are classical elements to iconic characters which have the same sort of literary impact as many other classic fiction and mythological characters.

Another foundational partner is Disney, a long-standing advocate for children and families; their stepping up here comes as no big surprise. “Disney is offering material and specially developing material for this project” Dr. Strouse mentioned.

So, where is the project right now? “Early development” Dr. Strouse says. “We are still in the process of developing the tools and resources, bringing in top rated, award winning educators and our partners to develop the full project.” Once set, the project will run the gamut from Elementary reading, up through Adult Education. There will be a limited launch of the project in select schools where educators and administrative personnel have been intimately involved in the project development to ‘test the waters’ and then expansion will come.

What specifically sparked this project? “A growing lag between reading levels of boys verses girls, and a world where reading increasingly is becoming more ‘outdated’.” Was the answer from Dr. Strouse. In our media saturated world, where the sound byte, and the instant messaging language developing (yt, brb, etc.) seems to be eroding even the standard use of language, much less longer, substantial involvement in detail; its no wonder that reading is suffering. “It’s the entertainment factor” Dr. Strouse mentioned. Youth and children have so many means to entertain themselves at their fingertips.

So what was the reaction when this was first put out to the educational gurus? Dr. Strouse laughed a little, but only a little, and said, “we got a lot of blank looks.” However, once the concept, depth and plan was put out, Superintendent Grasmick wasted no time in recruiting a team to give the project credibility. Dr. Strouse was one, if not the first so recruited and it was clear in the interview of a genuine passion for the project on her part. “Others on board are not just educators, but award winning teachers and principals.” With the commitment and partnership of Steve Geppi of Diamond and Disney / Gemstone, there was then strong connection to the comics industry. “We have a number of comic writers and others in the industry offering to help, its been wonderful” Dr. Strouse added. There is no doubt more will be coming, at least if others show as much interest as this particular columnist.

Where to from here? Its too early to tell, but May 2005 will see a 3-Hour Seminar at the International Reading Association Conference. This conference will have educators and representatives from around the world coming together to look at what’s working to improve reading. Having this much time to present this project is obviously a sign of deep faith in the potential of the project and a tip of the hat to MSDE for its forward thinking, and to comics as a whole. This will go a long way toward giving a voice to comics as being more than throwaway entertainment, but instead having literary value.

“We have high hopes and are excited about May” Dr. Strouse said, a smile in her words. “But we have a ways to get there.”

We’ll keep you updated. If you haven’t checked the OTB Forum either, hop on over there and check the posting where I have included the full text from the initial PR release from the Maryland State Department of Education.

Thanks to Dr. Strouse who gave so willingly of her time for this interview, and was extremely polite, despite my hounding her.