Some educators are trying to engage (吸引) students’ attention with technology, such as educational videos, computer gaming and AI just to name a few. But using these methods in the classroom can be very challenging. Teachers using these tools often struggle to keep students focusing on the materials, competing with the latest social media, and can feel limited by using them to get some knowledge across. Graphic novels (图画小说) offering visual information married with text provide a means to engage students in the classroom.
Educators have used this method in their teaching. For example, instead of filling out problem sheets, students in a math class were asked to read a mystery called Who Killed Professor X? In this story, all of the suspects (嫌疑人) are famous mathematicians. As they tried to figure out the connections between the suspects, students often forgot that they were doing math focusing instead of finding secret details to solve the problem. Although this is just one experience for these students, it improves their confidence and shows them how math can be fun.
Jason Ho, an assistant professor at Dordt University, uses Max the Demon Vs Entropy of Doom to teach his physics students about a topic. This topic can be particularly difficult for some students because they can’t physically touch something. Ho said graphic novels can create an engaging learning environment, and most of his students now understand the subject by getting clear explanations for some ideas.
Although the Internet offers a lot of math and physics resources, it can be tiring to search through many hours of videos to find the perfect one to get the “aha!” moment in learning. Graphic novels provide a staring point with a wide range of topics. Want to learn about programming? Try the Secret Coders series. Need more female role models in science? Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier could be just what you're looking for.
With all that graphic novels offered, we believe that the right set of graphic novels can inspire future scientists as much as any single person can.
【小题1】What problem are some teachers faced with?| A．Teaching students to learn self-control. |
| B．Helping students gain high-tech knowledge. |
| C．Holding students’ attention with technology. |
| D．Controlling the bad influence of social media. |
| A．They are mainly designed for students. |
| B．They can make learning more enjoyable. |
| C．They require students to learn through performance. |
| D．They lead students to work hard on problem sheets. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Curious. |
| A．They allow reading anytime and anywhere. |
| B．They introduce many role models to students. |
| C．They are more attractive with wonderful pictures. |
| D．They enable students to quickly find suitable materials. |
