Ccsu Faculty - Student Research Grants

CCSU FACULTY - STUDENT RESEARCH GRANT PROPOSAL

A Stranger in a Strange Land: Exploring Shaun Tan’s The Arrival through the Vehicle of a Literature Cyberlesson

Presentation 23rd World Congress on Reading of the International Reading Association

Faculty: Dr. Catherine Kurkjian Professor Department of Reading and Language Arts Central Connecticut State University

Student: Maureen Billings, M.Ed. 6th Year Student Department of Reading and Language Arts Central Connecticut State University

Amount Requested: $3987 A Stranger in a Strange Land: Exploring Shaun Tan’s The Arrival through the Vehicle of a Literature Cyberlesson

At one time or another every citizen in the United States has had some familial connection to immigration/migration whether voluntary or forced. This teacher research project focuses on the implementation Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival (2007) across classroom contexts (graduate level, grade 2, and a grade7 remedial reading contexts) through the vehicle of an Internet Methods Framework, the Literature Cyberlesson (Kurkjian, C., & Kara-Soteriou, J., Abadiano, H.R. & Mulcahy, C. 2008;2006;2005. Shaun Tan’s graphic novel serves as the centerpiece of this project. Graduate students enrolled in a sixth year level class participated in The Arrival Literature Cyberlesson and then modified it for use with varying levels of students within their individual classrooms (students ranging from primary to middle grades).

In particular, the faculty member worked with two graduate students enrolled in a sixth year level class participated in The Arrival Literature Cyberlesson and then modified it for use with varying levels of students within their individual classrooms (grade 2 and grade 7). This project requests for funding of the grade 2 teacher, Maureen Billings, still enrolled in the 6th year program, to present her work to an international audience at the International Reading Association’s World Congress held in Auckland, New Zealand, July 12-15, 2010.

The Book Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival has been described as an “intellectual masterpiece” that gives the reader the gift of seeing things through the eyes of an immigrant (The Trade Review). The series of drawings in sepia document the story of the main character who leaves his home and family and embarks on an immigration journey in which he becomes a stranger in a very strange land. Images are at the same time historic, futuristic, realistic, and surrealistic. In combination, Tan conveys both a sense of time and of timelessness, of place and placelessness that serve to heighten the “strangeness” of the situation. This project is ideal for presentation at the World Congress since it evokes global comparisons in considering what it means to be a newcomer in a new land. What is a Literature Cyberlesson? The Literature Cyberlesson is an Internet framework, originally designed by Susan Tancock (2001), and subsequently refined and modified in light of teacher research projects exploring its efficacy as a methods framework (Kurkjian,), in supporting teaching and comprehension of fiction and content area reading (Kurkjian, C., & Kara- Soteriou, J., Abadiano, H.R ) , and as a vehicle to heighten critical literacy in a remedial reading high school classroom (Mulcahy, C. 2008 & Howard Bender),;2006;2005). The affordances of the Internet can support struggling readers who often come to text with limited background knowledge (Coiro, J. & Dobler, E., 2007.) and as such the Literature Cyberlesson is a promising literacy framework. in leveling the playing field for these readers.

Methodology As part of their graduate work students enrolled in Multicultural Literature in the Classroom were responsible for participating in the Literature Cyberlesson developed for graduate students and for reflecting on this work. Two students volunteered to create a modified version for their respective class and implement it. Data was collaboratively Research questions were generated and are in the process of being analyzed.

Artifacts are being analyzed qualitatively for patterns and themes both within and across participants. Data sources include classroom teacher response to the Literature Cyberlesson in graduate class, classroom teachers’ modified Literature Cyberlessons developed for students) in the form of written reflections and interviews, and observations. The presentation will discuss results across levels of participation and themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis in light of the following foci which include:

 Teachers’ own reader response to The Arrival through the vehicle of the cyberlesson, Teachers’ modifications to the cyberlesson to accommodate varying levels of student diversity,  Teachers’ responses to the use of cyberlessons in a school setting to support teaching and learning,  Students’ reader response to the The Arrival through the vehicle of the cyberlesson (grade 2 and grade 7)  Students’ response to the use of cyberlessons as a vehicle to support learning (grade 2 and grade 7)

Expected Scholarly Outcomes Participants and professor are in the process of collaborative refining the qualitative analysis by asking questions of the data and considering patterns that emerged across participants. The preparation of this presentation will provide an impetus to refine our work thus far and move us along in drafting a paper to submit for publication in The Reading Teacher. The presentation of this paper will allow its global dissemination. It is hoped that the global nature of this conference will support our international agenda within the participating teachers classroom and university classroom. Moreover, the Literature Cyberlesson is a cutting edge ,methods framework that will be shared across the globe.

References Coiro, J. & Dobler, E. (2007). Exploring the online comprehension strategies used by sixth-grade skilled readers to search for and locate information on the Internet. Reading Research Quarterly, 42, 214-257. Download for personal use only.

Kara-Soteriou, J & Kurkjian, C (May, 2008).Engaging in Literature Study and Promoting Reading Comprehension through Literature Cyberlessons, 53rd International Reading Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.

Kurkjian, C. & Kara-Soteriou, Mulcahy, C. & Abadiano, H.R. & (December, 2006).Cyberlessons in K-12 Classrooms. Annual National Reading Conference, Los Angeles, California.

Kurkjian, C. (May, 2005).Children's Literature and New Literacies: Genre, Author, Thematic Studies and Guided Reading Cyberlessons. 50th Annual Conference of International Reading Association, San Antonio, Texas. Line Item Budget Travel costs to disseminate findings on an international level

Conference Registration $375.00 (preregistration rate) Travel airfare (estimate from Travelocity) $2500 Hotels/Food per diem $278.00 X4 $1112 (Auckland, New Zealand, July 12-15) http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem_action.asp?MenuHide=1&CountryCode=1134 Total $3987