As part of ILA’s We Love Graphic Novels Week (August 10–14), this month’s #ILAchat will give educators an arsenal of ideas on how to get graphic novels into the hands of their students to motivate them to read.

Nick Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) will be on hand to share his thoughts on the value of graphic novels and how to best incorporate them into the classroom. The chat will offer suggestions for how to convince skeptical parents and administrators and how to address the art in graphic novels.

Provenzano, an award-winning teacher and technology curriculum specialist at Grosse Pointe Public Schools, has gained a following of thousands of educators through his popular blog The Nerdy Teacher, an educational technology blog that focuses on integrating technology into the classroom. He is the organizer of TEDxGrossePointeSouthHS, one of the few high school–organized TEDx events in the United States, and he hosts his own iTunes podcast, #NerdyCast, where educators talk about teaching, learning, and pop culture.

In #NerdyCast installment “Graphic Novels (Comics) = Literature,” Provenzano talks about the importance of graphic novels in the classroom: “I’ve been an advocate for graphic novels in the classroom, comic books, whatever you want to call them, but there’s always been this pushback—a roll of the eyes from people that still think that comic, or graphic novels, are just those thinks kids read under the covers at night.”

Provenzano said he uses graphic novels to help his students better grasp lessons from more traditional texts. Images paired with concise text help to reiterate what the students have already learned and are especially helpful for visual learners.

“You need to find what’s best for your students based on what’s out there,” he said. “That’s true whether it’s a traditional novel, textbook, or even a graphic novel. Not everything is for everyone.”

Provenzano challenges teachers and librarians to look at incorporating graphic novels in the curriculum in the same way they would incorporate traditional texts.

Join @ILAToday on August 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Make sure to follow and use the hashtag #ILAchat to keep the conversation going!

Olivia Duke is ILA’s communications intern.