I am currently enrolled as a distance student in IUPUI’s School of Library and Information Science graduate program. This fall, I am taking a course online called “High Tech Learning,” which is taught by Dr. Annette Lamb.
My name is Lisa. In lieu of using my last name, I have taken to using the name “Silver Lisa”. Silver has been my favorite crayon ever since my undergrad days (yes, there are stories!), and I started using “Silver Lisa” with my first library science-related blog, Patch of Silver. I really had a hard time deciding on what to name my first academic blog since I planned to keep it alive for a while and wanted to pick a good name. I sort of had the Grateful Dead song “Touch of Grey” in my head, and I’ve alway liked the line, “Every silver lining’s got a touch of grey.” Inspired by the title, “Touch of Grey,” I substituted the color silver, and since a garden patch is an organic living thing just like a blog should be, I came up with Patch of Silver. It was then that Silver Lisa fully emerged.
I have created another WordPress Blog, When Zombies Attack for a separate assignment for this course that explores the use of blogs, podcasts, and videocasts. Check it out here.
This blog is actually part of the final project for my course. There is an accompanying Wikispaces wiki entitled, How to Read a Wordless Book, that goes with this project. The goal of the Reading Wordless Books Blog and the How to Read a Wordless Book Wiki is to put together the many technologies that were explored during the course. Specific guidelines for the final project may be found here.
When considering the topic I wanted to explore for the final project, as often is the case, I was drawn to graphic novels. Certain graphic novels appeal to me at times when I don’t feel like reading fiction, and I am trying to get back into it. Some of the graphic novels I have enjoyed are the Marjane Satrapi books (Persepolis, Persepolis 2, Embroideries, and Chicken with Plums), the Y: The Last Man series written by Brian K. Vaughn, the Transmetropolitan series by Warren Ellis (art by Darick Robertson), and now the wonderful books written by Shaun Tan, which I’ve only recently discovered.
I also was drawn to the idea of integrating immigration issues into my final project based upon the fact that this is such a hot topic in America, and there are so many strong opinions and emotions that go with that. I personally cannot wrap my head around the entire issue without coming up with more questions than answers. But, I am thankful that I am the type of person that is able to intellectually “get” the fact that there are so many sides of this issue to explore in the first place.
So, here I am. I’ve decided to use both of these ideas in my final project. Specifically, I will be using Shaun Tan’s 128-page wordless graphic novel, The Arrival, as a springboard for teaching learners how to read a wordless book and to explore the topic of the immigrant’s experience.
I have aimed to use the blog portion as a vehicle for dialog by using minimal verbiage on my part, and the wiki portion for my more heavy-handed explanations and nearly-OCD need to document related resources that relate to my topic(s).
Whoever you are, kind reader, I hope you will enjoy your arrival to my Reading Wordless Books Blog!
–Silver Lisa
30 November 2007
2 responses so far ↓
Annette // December 11, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Thanks for sharing your passion for libraries, literature, learning, and technology!
kelly // October 22, 2008 at 12:07 am
Where did you come up with the name for the child Keltney. The reason i ask is that is my childs name. I have only heard it once before , and that is for keltney burn cottage .
I am surprised to see it used as a name anywhere.