teachingarts

Super Comics Challenge!

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The global health crisis that kicked into high gear in early 2020 challenged us in so many ways. But one of the less dramatic ways it invited us to level up was in creating meaningful and engaging activities at virtual comics festivals.

I’m so grateful to Gerimi Burliegh, Aaron Polk, Gregg Schigiel, and Elizabeth for stepping up to participate in the first Super Comics Challenge game show. And thanks to Rob Stenzinger for the voice over!

And if I may congratulate myself, I’m proud of this playful, fun game show that incidentally teaches some techniques of comics storytelling. Playful teaching is my favorite kind of teaching. I think it came together pretty well. Virtual or in person, I’d love to do this one again.

You can watch the second edition below!

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Teaching: the Tension Between the Arbitrary and the Algorithmic

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This snippet of a recent episode of the Emerge podcast does a terrific job of framing the adaptation that I think is necessary for a good experience in a classroom. Yes, I write lesson plans (that’s the algorithmic part), but I change the plan based on what the room needs in that moment (that’s the arbitrary part). Here’s the whole discussion:

I explore this artful way of planning and teaching in a webinar I led for the Ohio Arts Council back in 2020:

While this series of microcasts explores the adaptive, in-the-room quality of being a teaching artist. You can start with the episode below:

TPD 264 – Ways I talked myself out of teaching

Interested in something more interactive? I regularly offer training for teachers and teaching artists. Click here to find out more about how I can help inspire your students!

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Hooray for the OAC!

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And here’s the final word on my 2023 residency at Tri-Rivers Career Center! This was made possible by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). Over nine weeks I worked with the students to make their own minicomics, which they debuted during Free Comic Book Day at Thunderfury Comics in Marion, Ohio.

I can’t say enough about the OAC’s TeachArts Ohio grants. Thanks to them, I get to see kids walk taller semester after semester.

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