Comics belong in the classroom | Gene Luen Yang

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

When I was in the fifth grade,

我五年級的時候，

I bought an issue of "DC Comics Presents #57"

我從當地書店的旋轉架上買下了

off of a spinner rack at my local bookstore,

《DC Comics Presents》 （漫畫）第 57 期，

and that comic book changed my life.

那本漫畫書改變了我的人生。

The combination of words and pictures did something inside my head

文字和圖畫的組合， 在我的腦中產生了某種效應，

that had never been done before,

那是前所未有的，

and I immediately fell in love with the medium of comics.

我馬上就愛上了漫畫的表現方式。

I became a voracious comic book reader,

我變成了狼吞虎嚥級的 漫畫書讀者，

but I never brought them to school.

但我從未帶它們去學校。

Instinctively, I knew that comic books didn't belong in the classroom.

我直覺地知道

漫畫書並不屬於教室。

My parents definitely were not fans,

我父母肯定不是漫畫書迷，

and I was certain that my teachers wouldn't be either.

我很確定我的老師們也不會是。

After all, they never used them to teach,

畢竟，他們從來沒有 用漫畫書來教書，

comic books and graphic novels were never allowed during silent sustained reading,

在默讀課程中，從來就不允許 選讀漫畫書和圖像小說，

and they were never sold at our annual book fair.

在年度的書展也不會販售它們。

Even so, I kept reading comics,

即使如此，我仍持續閱讀漫畫書，

and I even started making them.

我甚至開始畫漫畫。

Eventually I became a published cartoonist,

最終，我變成了 有作品出版的漫畫家，

writing and drawing comic books for a living.

靠寫和畫漫畫書維生。

I also became a high school teacher.

我也成了一名高中教師。

This is where I taught:

這是我教書的地方：

Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California.

加州奧克蘭的主教奥多德高中。

I taught a little bit of math and a little bit of art,

我教一點點數學和一點點藝術，

but mostly computer science,

但主要是教資訊科學，

and I was there for 17 years.

我已經在那裡教了 17 年。

When I was a brand new teacher,

當我還是新老師時，

I tried bringing comic books into my classroom.

我試圖把漫畫書帶到我的教室裡。

I remember telling my students on the first day of every class

我記得，我在每堂課的 第一天就告訴學生

that I was also a cartoonist.

我也是漫畫家。

It wasn't so much that I was planning to teach them with comics,

重點不是我打算用漫畫來教導他們，

it was more that I was hoping comics would make them think that I was cool.

重點比較在於，我希望 漫畫會讓他們覺得我很酷。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I was wrong.

我錯了。

This was the '90s,

這是 90 年代，

so comic books didn't have the cultural cachet that they do today.

漫畫書不像現今有受到文化認可。

My students didn't think I was cool. They thought I was kind of a dork.

我的學生並沒有覺得我很酷。 他們覺得我是某種呆子。

And even worse, when stuff got hard in my class,

更糟的是，當我在課堂上 教比較難的內容時，

they would use comic books as a way of distracting me.

他們會用漫畫書來當作 讓我分心的方式。

They would raise their hands and ask me questions like,

他們會舉手並問我像這樣的問題：

"Mr. Yang, who do you think would win in a fight,

「楊老師，你認為若超人和浩克

Superman or the Hulk?"

對打，誰會贏？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I very quickly realized I had to keep my teaching and my cartooning separate.

我很快就發現， 我得把教學和漫畫給切割開。

It seemed like my instincts in fifth grade were correct.

我五年級時的直覺似乎是正確的。

Comic books didn't belong in the classroom.

漫畫書不屬於教室。

But again, I was wrong.

但，我又錯了。

A few years into my teaching career,

我的教學職涯開始了幾年之後，

I learned firsthand the educational potential of comics.

我親身體會到漫畫的教育潛力。

One semester, I was asked to sub for this Algebra 2 class.

有一個學期，我擔任 「代數 2」的代課老師。

I was asked to long-term sub it, and I said yes, but there was a problem.

學校希望我長期代課， 我說好，但有個問題。

At the time, I was also the school's educational technologist,

那時，我也是學校的 教育科學技術人員，

which meant every couple of weeks

意思就是說，每幾個星期，

I had to miss one or two periods of this Algebra 2 class

我就無法上一到兩堂 這門「代數 2」的課，

because I was in another classroom helping another teacher

因為那個時段我會 在其他教室協助其他老師

with a computer-related activity.

進行電腦相關的活動。

For these Algebra 2 students, that was terrible.

對於「代數 2」的學生來說， 這是很糟的狀況。

I mean, having a long-term sub is bad enough,

我是指，有長期的 代課老師已經夠糟了，

but having a sub for your sub? That's the worst.

但還有代課老師的 代課老師？那更糟。

In an effort to provide some sort of consistency for my students,

為了給我的學生能有某種一致性，

I began videotaping myself giving lectures.

我開始把我自己 教課的過程拍攝下來。

I'd then give these videos to my sub to play for my students.

接著我會把這些影片給我的 代課老師，放給我的學生看。

I tried to make these videos as engaging as possible.

我試著讓這些影片 盡可能有互動性和吸引力。

I even included these little special effects.

我甚至加入了一些小小的特效。

For instance, after I finished a problem on the board,

比如，當我在黑板上 解完了一個問題，

I'd clap my hands,

我會拍手，

and the board would magically erase.

然後黑板就會 魔法般地自動擦乾淨。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I thought it was pretty awesome.

我覺得那樣很棒。

I was pretty certain that my students would love it,

我很確定我的學生會喜歡，

but I was wrong.

但我錯了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

These video lectures were a disaster.

影片教學是場災難。

I had students coming up to me and saying things like,

有學生來找我，說這樣的話：

"Mr. Yang, we thought you were boring in person,

「楊老師，我們以為 你本人已經夠無趣了，

but on video, you are just unbearable."

但在影片中， 你實在讓人忍無可忍。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So as a desperate second attempt, I began drawing these lectures as comics.

我做了絕望的第二次嘗試， 我開始把教學畫成漫畫。

I'd do these very quickly with very little planning.

我沒做什麼計畫， 只用很短的時間完成它。

I'd just take a sharpie, draw one panel after the other,

我只是拿起一枝 Sharpie 筆， 一張又一張畫下去，

figuring out what I wanted to say as I went.

一邊畫一邊想接下來 我想要說什麼。

These comics lectures would come out

完成的漫畫教學

to anywhere between four and six pages long,

長度在四到六頁長。

I'd xerox these, give them to my sub to hand to my students.

我會影印它們，拿給我的 代課老師，轉交給我的學生。

And much to my surprise,

出乎我的意料，

these comics lectures were a hit.

這些漫畫教學大受歡迎。

My students would ask me to make these for them

我的學生希望我能畫更多，

even when I could be there in person.

即使是我不用請代課的時候。

It was like they liked cartoon me more than actual me.

彷彿他們喜歡卡通的我 勝過真正的我。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This surprised me, because my students are part of a generation

這讓我很驚訝， 因為我的學生是屬於

that was raised on screens,

看螢幕長大的世代，

so I thought for sure they would like learning from a screen

我以為他們肯定會 比較喜歡從螢幕上學習，

better than learning from a page.

多於從頁面上學習。

But when I talked to my students

但當我和我的學生談到

about why they liked these comics lectures so much,

他們為什麼這麼 喜歡這些漫畫教學時，

I began to understand the educational potential of comics.

我開始了解到漫畫的教育潛力。

First, unlike their math textbooks,

首先，不像他們的數學教科書，

these comics lectures taught visually.

這些漫畫教學以「視覺」方式呈現。

Our students grow up in a visual culture,

我們的學生生長在視覺文化當中，

so they're used to taking in information that way.

他們很習慣用那種方式 來取得資訊。

But unlike other visual narratives,

但不像其他視覺型的敘事方式，

like film or television or animation or video,

比如電影、電視、動畫，或影片，

comics are what I call permanent.

漫畫是我所謂「永久的」。

In a comic, past, present and future all sit side by side on the same page.

在漫畫中，過去、現在，和未來 都能肩併肩出現在同一張頁面上。

This means that the rate of information flow

那就表示資訊流的速度

is firmly in the hands of the reader.

是讀者自己能完全掌控的。

When my students didn't understand something in my comics lecture,

如果我的漫畫教學中 有某些東西我的學生不了解，

they could just reread that passage as quickly or as slowly as they needed.

他們可以重讀那一段， 要快要慢就看他們的需求。

It was like I was giving them a remote control over the information.

就像是我給了他們 一個搖控器可以控制那些資訊。

The same was not true of my video lectures,

我的影片教學就不是如此了，

and it wasn't even true of my in-person lectures.

連我親自去做的教學也不是如此。

When I speak, I deliver the information as quickly or slowly as I want.

當我說話時，我依照我想要的 快慢速度將資訊傳遞出去。

So for certain students and certain kinds of information,

所以，對某些學生 及某些種類的資訊而言，

these two aspects of the comics medium, its visual nature and its permanence,

漫畫媒材的這兩個面向， 視覺性的本質以及永久性，

make it an incredibly powerful educational tool.

讓它成為非常強大的教育工具。

When I was teaching this Algebra 2 class,

當我在教「代數 2」的課時，

I was also working on my master's in education at Cal State East Bay.

我同時也在加州州立大學 東灣分校攻讀教育碩士學位。

And I was so intrigued by this experience that I had with these comics lectures

因為漫畫教學帶給我的 這項經驗讓我大感好奇，

that I decided to focus my final master's project on comics.

我決定我碩士學位的最後一個 專案計畫就要用這個題材。

I wanted to figure out why American educators

我希望能探究為什麼美國的教育家

have historically been so reluctant to use comic books in their classrooms.

在歷史上一直不願意 把漫畫書用在教室中。

Here's what I discovered.

我的發現如下。

Comic books first became a mass medium in the 1940s,

漫畫書最早是在 40 年代 變成大眾媒體，

with millions of copies selling every month,

每個月可以銷售出數百萬本，

and educators back then took notice.

那時的教育家有注意到此事。

A lot of innovative teachers began bringing comics into their classrooms

許多創新的老師開始 把漫畫帶到他們的教室中，

to experiment.

來做實驗。

In 1944, the "Journal of Educational Sociology"

1944 年，《教育社會學雜誌》

even devoted an entire issue to this topic.

甚至有一期全部都在談這個主題。

Things seemed to be progressing.

一切似乎都在進展中。

Teachers were starting to figure things out.

老師開始想出很多點子。

But then along comes this guy.

但隨著漫畫，也出現了一個人。

This is child psychologist Dr. Fredric Wertham,

弗雷德里克魏特漢 （Fredric Wertham）醫生，

他是位兒童心理學家，

and in 1954, he wrote a book called "Seduction of the Innocent,"

1954 年，他寫了一本書， 書名叫《誘惑無辜》，

where he argues that comic books cause juvenile delinquency.

書中，他指出漫畫書 會造成青少年犯罪。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

He was wrong.

他錯了。

Now, Dr. Wertham was actually a pretty decent guy.

魏特漢醫生其實是個很好的人。

He spent most of his career working with juvenile delinquents,

他職涯的大部分時間 都在處理青少年犯罪問題，

and in his work he noticed that most of his clients read comic books.

在他的研究中，他發現 他大部分的客戶都會看漫畫書。

What Dr. Wertham failed to realize was in the 1940s and '50s,

魏特漢醫生沒有了解一件事， 在 40 及 50 年代，

almost every kid in America read comic books.

幾乎美國的每個小孩都會看漫畫書。

Dr. Wertham does a pretty dubious job of proving his case,

魏特漢醫生未清楚地證明他的論點，

but his book does inspire the Senate of the United States

但他的書確實造成美國的參議院

to hold a series of hearings

進行了一連串的聽證會，

to see if in fact comic books caused juvenile delinquency.

來探討漫畫書是否 真的會造成青少年犯罪。

These hearings lasted for almost two months.

這些聽證會前後持續了幾乎兩個月。

They ended inconclusively, but not before doing tremendous damage

最後結果並不確定， 但已經重重地傷害了

to the reputation of comic books in the eyes of the American public.

漫畫書在美國大眾眼中的名聲。

After this, respectable American educators all backed away,

這件事之後，受尊敬的 美國教育家通通都退縮了，

and they stayed away for decades.

數十年來，他們一直保持距離。

It wasn't until the 1970s

一直到 70 年代，

that a few brave souls started making their way back in.

有少數幾個勇敢的人 開始重新回到這條路上。

And it really wasn't until pretty recently,

但一直要到近期，

maybe the last decade or so,

也許是大約前十年，

that comics have seen more widespread acceptance

漫畫才比較被美國教育家

among American educators.

廣為接受。

Comic books and graphic novels are now finally making their way

漫畫書和圖像小說終於重新回到

back into American classrooms

美國的教室中，

and this is even happening at Bishop O'Dowd, where I used to teach.

甚至發生在我以前教書的 主教奥多德高中。

Mr. Smith, one of my former colleagues,

我的一位前同事，史密斯老師，

uses Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics"

把斯科特麥克勞德的 《漫畫原來要這樣看》

in his literature and film class, because that book gives his students

用在他的文學與電影課， 因為那本書能提供他的學生

the language with which to discuss the relationship between words and images.

一種可以用來討論 文字和影像之間關係的語言。

Mr. Burns assigns a comics essay to his students every year.

柏恩斯老師每年都會指派 漫畫短文作業給他的學生，

By asking his students to process a prose novel using images,

要求學生用影像來處理散文小說，

Mr. Burns asks them to think deeply

要他們深思，

not just about the story

不只深思故事本身，

but also about how that story is told.

還有說故事的方式。

And Ms. Murrock uses my own "American Born Chinese"

莫拉克老師用我自己 寫的《美生中國人》

with her English 1 students.

來教她「英語 1」的學生。

For her, graphic novels

對她來說，圖像小說

are a great way of fulfilling a Common Core Standard.

是一種很棒的方式， 可以履行「共同核心標準」。

The Standard states that students ought to be able to analyze

該標準所說的是， 學生應該要能分析

how visual elements contribute to the meaning, tone and beauty of a text.

視覺性元素對於一段文字的意義、 調性，以及美有什麼貢獻。

Over in the library, Ms. Counts has built a pretty impressive

康茲老師為主教奥多德高中建立了

graphic novel collection for Bishop O'Dowd.

很了不起的圖像小說圖書館館藏。

Now, Ms. Counts and all of her librarian colleagues

康茲老師和她所有的圖書館同事

have really been at the forefront of comics advocacy,

都真的一直在最前線擁護漫畫，

really since the early '80s, when a school library journal article

80 年代初期，有一篇學校 圖書館期刊的文章指出

stated that the mere presence of graphic novels in the library

光是在圖書館中出現 圖像小說這件事，

increased usage by about 80 percent

就讓使用率提升了約 80%，

and increased the circulation of noncomics material

也讓非漫畫素材的流通率

by about 30 percent.

增加 30%。

Inspired by this renewed interest from American educators,

因為美國教育家 再次對漫畫產生興趣，

American cartoonists are now producing more explicitly educational content

美國漫畫家受到鼓舞， 現在製作出了比以前更多專門為

for the K-12 market than ever before.

幼稚園、小學、 中學教育設計的內容。

A lot of this is directed at language arts,

當中許多內容是針對語言藝術題材，

but more and more comics and graphic novels

但也有越來越多漫畫和圖像小說

are starting to tackle math and science topics.

開始處理數學和科學的主題。

STEM comics graphics novels really are like this uncharted territory,

科學、科技、工程，和數學的 圖像小說就像是未知的領域，

ready to be explored.

已經準備好被探索。

America is finally waking up to the fact

美國終於意識到

that comic books do not cause juvenile delinquency.

漫畫書並不會造成青少年犯罪。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That they really do belong in every educator's toolkit.

它們確實屬於每位教育者的工具包。

There's no good reason to keep comic books and graphic novels

沒有任何好理由要阻擋 漫畫書和圖像小說進入

out of K-12 education.

幼稚園、小學、中學教育。

They teach visually,

它們能以視覺方式教學，

they give our students that remote control.

它們給予學生那種遙控器。

The educational potential is there

教育潛力就在那裡，

just waiting to be tapped

只等待著被像各位這樣的

by creative people like you.

創意人士給釋放出來。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）