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WE DID IT! (AND WHY WE NEED TO KEEP GOING)
Thank you for supporting The Graphic Textbook on Kickstarter.
From ALL of us here at Reading With Pictures, thank you so much. With your help – not just through pledges but also retweets and Facebook posts – we’ve reached our goal and taken The Graphic Textbook from idea to soon-to-be reality. Of course we still have almost three days left in the campaign, so the question now becomes… “How high can this thing go?”
We should all breathe a sigh of well-earned relief, pop some champagne and then get right back into it! And here’s why:
- Protect against cancelled pledges: Some pledges always get cancelled at the last minute and some charges won’t go through, so we need a “buffer” above and beyond our goal to protect against that.
- Provide additional proof of concept: We used Kickstarter to prove that this idea had merit and that this product had an audience. The more we earn, the more likely it is that The Graphic Textbook becomes an entire line of books rather than just a single release.
- Make Reading With Pictures a sustainable enterprise: We provide resources for educators, academics and cartoonists on our website free of charge. All of it paid for by the sale of products like The Graphic Textbook. Any funds we earn beyond our Kickstarter goal will go to pay the salary of our Executive Director, Laura Harper, so that she can continue to develop and maintain those resources.
- Hook awesome people up with awesome rewards: We still have amazing rewards from Mark Brooks, Chris Giarrusso and many more still available – with rewards from Mark Waid, Neill Cameron and more yet to come! How can you say “no” to that?!
Again, thank you all. Now let’s see if we can get this thing over $75k by Thursday!
Onward!
May 16, 2012
in Uncategorized
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Spotlight On…
TEACHING TOOLS
Clive Goodinson of Pixton.com, a website that gives anyone the ability to make their own comics online, explains how he conceived of Pixton and how it can be used in schools.
RESEARCH
Tegan Zimmerman Henry of Literacy Roots talks about best practices in teaching reading and language arts in her cognate presentation: Reading Strategies Comic Strip and Rationale.
RECOMMENDED READING
We are launching with a group of University of Chicago medical students who discover a new more effective method for studying in Redrawing the Textbook.
CARTOONIST RESOURCES
We are featuring the syllabus and story of how Elaine M. Deering, Instructor of English at Lynn University, developed her course on Comic Book Superheroes.
RWP NETWORK
We are featuring Dr. Katie Monnin, RWP supporter and Assistant Professor of Literacy at University of North Florida, who explains why we should Get Comics into Schools and Schools into Comics.
May 13, 2012
in Uncategorized
Tagged Dr. Katie Monnin, Elaine M. Deering, Superman, Tegan Zimmerman Henry, University of Chicago
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Thank You!
We’re thrilled that you’re supporting the Reading With Pictures mission of bringing comics into the classroom! We have a lot planned and support like yours will ensure that we can continue to create the most exciting programs and content that focus on just why comic books should be the source for growth in our classrooms.
Our excitement will only continue to grow, especially knowing we have your support. Thanks again for being a hero by standing by literacy and comic books.
Onward and upward!
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Reach us at info@readingwithpictures.org
April 1, 2012
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It's Official!!!
Reading With Pictures is proud to announce that we have received our official 501(c)3 non-profit status from the government. All donations to our organization are now tax deductible, and we can apply for major grants. There are many new and meaningful relationships to be forged, so please, spread the word. You never know who’s listening!
If you’d like to be part of our story, here’s how you can participate:
- Send proven lesson plans, intriguing articles and testimonials on your experience with comics in the classroom.
- Volunteer to assist with developing and importing resources to our website.
- Make a financial donation.
January 9, 2012
in Uncategorized
Tagged 501(c)3, grants, non- profit, tax deductible
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COMICS-IN-EDUCATION 2.0: TIME TO LEVEL UP
By Chris Wilson
Editor-in-Geek
The Graphic Classroom will be changing soon as we have forged a partnership with the national non-profit comics-in-education agency, Reading With Pictures. Josh Elder, award-wining graphic novelist and nationally syndicated cartoonist, founded RWP in 2009 to revolutionize the role of comics in education.
Sound familiar?
That is the same goal as The Graphic Classroom and TGC is not alone in that endeavor. There are many experts out there fighting to change the way education approaches reading, writing and discovery. I consider many of them friends. Our efforts, all our efforts, can at times feel very fragmented and disjointed –– worker bees writing, speaking, influencing educators to significantly impact students lives using comics as a tool in the teacher’s arsenal, but doing so more independently than collectively, at least most of the time.
This fragmentation is changing. Those of us in the movement are talking, sharing, and collaborating on books and speaking engagements. We are becoming friends. Through those friendships, it is becoming apparent that we must become more united in our efforts and supports. It’s time for comics-in-education experts to level up and meld our efforts more officially than tangentially.
After all, there are those who oppose our efforts, despite the academic research demonstrating that comics significantly and positively impact the reading motivation, reading skills of students and leads to reading of other modes such as novels, short stories, poetry and the like. As I have stated before:
“Not reading never leads to reading. Reading leads to reading.”
I look forward to forging more friendships and partnerships so we can stand united behind what we know changes the lives of our students and prepares the for the 21st century. I see that vision coming true and accepted Elder’s invitation to partner with Reading With Pictures. More details on the changes are on the way in January and February. Stay tuned and stay strong. Your willingness to use comics to help your students is research based, innovative, exciting, and beautiful.
The Graphic Classroom and Reading With Pictures stand with you.
December 12, 2011
in Uncategorized
Tagged comics in education, reading, teacher, The Graphic Classroom, writing
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Fund the Mission
Reading With Pictures is growing and we need your help! We'll be rolling out some major projects in the next few months and donations help make sure we can continue our mission. Your donation is fully tax-deductible too! Click the link and be a hero today!
Donate to RWP today!