Educator Panels | Comic-Con Conference for Educators & Librarians

Comic-Con International and San Diego Public Library have teamed up for the Comic Conference for Educators and Librarians (CCEL). This FREE five-day conference will take place at the San Diego Central Library during Comic-Con® from July 24-28, and will explore the role comics play in promoting education and literacy for all ages. Those in the library and education fields are invited to learn creative and exciting ways to incorporate comics and other popular arts into their work. Through presentations and panel discussions, the Conference hopes to engage the community and promote comics as a medium for learning. Seating is not guaranteed and is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is for interest only and does not guarantee a seat.

Please join us for the following Educator Day panels at CCEL on Saturday, July 27th:

10:00–11:00 Comics Transforming Education

MarQuitta Sutton-Adams, Warren Smith, and Devora Orfloff (teachers at Alain Leroy Locke College Preparatory Academy in South Los Angeles) present lesson plans and student work that demonstrate how to engage and encourage students while analyzing Shakespeare's The Tempest with Marvel's Black Panther or deconstructing heroic tropes while critically examining Marvel’s Hawkeye. Moderated by Leondria Brown (Green Dot Public Schools). 

11:00–12:00 Getting Through the First Issue

Austin Bruns (Ánimo Leadership High School) recounts his first year of teaching by showcasing instructional units and lessons that integrated comic books, graphic novels, and pop culture in his 11th-grade English curriculum to promote student engagement, cultivate a supportive and rigorous classroom community, and develop student production of digital comics, cover art, and websites. Moderated by Peter Carlson (Green Dot Public Schools). 

12:00–1:00 Kapow, Woosh, Zap! Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom

Hear from a panel of super teachers including Mick Rabin (resource counselor, Youth Advocacy Dept., San Diego Unified), Ella "Dizzy" Rogosin (teacher, Sweetwater UHSD), Mike Cruz (elementary teacher, Temecula Valley USD), Susan Bourrillion (para educator, San Diego USD), and Scott Nielsen (mild/moderate special education teacher, Grossmont UHSD), moderated by Jewyl Alderson (San Diego County Office of Education). Hear how incorporating comics into the curriculum increases engagement and access for all students while developing a love for learning (and secretly powering up literacy skills), and how the Comic-Con Educator Book Club brings together teachers from across the region in pursuit of great reads, community, and strategies for the classroom. You, too, can become a super teacher! 

1:00–2:00 Hands On: Developing the Skills and Finding the Right Jobs in Pop Culture

After the recent wave of technology and entertainment company layoffs, finding a job in pop culture or entertainment can be daunting for recent college graduates. Dr. Chris Wildrick (Syracuse University), Dr. Christina Knopf (SUNY Cortland), Rob Salkowitz (University of Washington), Dr. Billy Obenauer (University of Maine), Darlynne Overbaugh (Stova), and Bailey Day (Ithaca College) discuss how they help students develop the skills needed and the persistence to find job opportunities in today’s entertainment economy—be it comics, movies, TV, or gaming. Moderated by Ed Catto (Ithaca College). 

2:00–3:00 Science in Middle-Grade Sci-Fi

Panelists explore the importance of scientific accuracy in stories and discuss whether it enhances the reading experience or gets in the way of the storytelling process. They will also talk about how accurately portrayed science can serve as a source of inspiration, potentially motivating young readers to become life-long readers of science fiction and even pursue future careers in STEM fields. Authors Greg van Eekhout (Voyage of the Dogs) and Delilah Dawson (Star Wars Adventures) and scientists Lisa Will (resident astronomer, Fleet Science Center) and Ronald Coleman (Ph.D. in regenerative medicine). Moderated by Andrea Decker (scientist engagement manager, Fleet Science Center). 

3:00–4:00 Esports and Emotional Intelligence: How Gaming Can Boost Your Social and Emotional Learning Skills

Minhtuyen Mai, Ph.D. (CREATE at University of California San Diego), Angelique Gianas (Helix Charter High School esports/gaming coordinator and English teacher), and Roel Mislan (Feaster Charter School esports coordinator and technology manager) discuss the connection between esports, video games, and social/emotional intelligence, particularly in K-12 schools. They'll discuss how gaming goes beyond fun, actually helping students develop important social and emotional skills. You'll learn how gaming experiences can teach empathy, resilience, and better communication, giving both teachers and students a valuable way to grow both in and out of the classroom via gaming. Dr. Mai, Angelique, and Roel will partake in a Q&A session moderated by Chris Garcia (EdTech coordinator for the San Diego Office of Education and esports facilitator). 

4:00–5:00 How Using 21st-Century Online Learning Enables Students from Around the World to Remotely Teach Girls in Afghanistan

Since 2021, the students from Flowers for the Future, an international student-run organization, have been teaching Afghan girls using 21st-century technology that enables these girls to complete their high school education. An Applied Art and Poetry Course has enlisted the help of students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education to program an Afghan-inspired VR art and poetry gallery that allows girls in Afghanistan to safely present their art to a global audience in real time. This VR gallery exemplifies how the global youth of today are impacting a generation of women and girls in the gender apartheid that has become Afghanistan. 

Comic-Con badge-holders with valid single same-day or four-day badges are welcome to attend and are not required to register. 

In addition to CCEL, San Diego Public Library hosts themed San Diego Comic-Con programming leading up to and through the days of the conference. Please visit our website for more information.