Talk with Canadian teacher Kent Allin
Embassy of Canada 5 April 2019 (time tbc)
Kent Allin is a Canadian high school teacher (grades 9-12) at Bayside Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario. A decade ago he created a grade 12 focus course on comic books and graphic literature, which he has since been teaching. Over the past 5 years Allin has been combining his passion for graphic literature with indigenous literature and has been teaching several indigenous literature focus courses.
At the talk, Allin will discuss how comic books and graphic literature about indigenous peoples can be used to explore and promote cultural awareness. Using books created (authored and illustrated) by indigenous peoples and telling indigenous stories allows the reader to learn more about indigenous culture through both a historical and traditional lens, as well as a modern view point. Central aspects of culture awareness such as symbols, heroes, rituals, values and stories are all represented by the graphic literature, and comic books and graphic literature can be used as an effective tool to stimulate people to become more culturally aware. Using comic books as teaching material can also be a means to reach children who don’t read a lot or children with reading difficulties.