Cartoons & Comics

Graphic Novels have helped us revolutionize the way we look at comics in the classroom. They are now becoming the best way to scaffold learning as well as attracting even the most reluctant readers.
With the following web apps, students can create their own and apply their knowledge in creative ways that allow them to express and convey their understanding.

Toon Doon

This site is a great user-friendly way to introduce kids to creating comics. It allows students to be creative while simultaneously letting them focus on content and keeping students from stressing out about their artwork. It can range from being as simple as adding graphics to a canvas to creating your own avatar and graphics! Plus, it lets users search for their images and store the ones they've created. New users would need to become acquainted with the process of saving and publishing or downloading on their own however. It may take a bit of time to explain, but well worth the experience.

Pixton

Pixton provides different perspectives for different users. Users can log in as students and educators. It initially provides you with a tutorial to learn to navigate through the site. Students can choose to create a comic strip, a graphic novel or a story board. This app lets users create a simple or advanced comic as well, but it will go straight to the point with a limited amount of graphics if you decide to make a simple comic. There is the availability to search for specific images, but there are limited resources on what to add to the different backgrounds. Once I added the avatar, it allows users to move it or change its expression but it takes tact and patience to carefully click on each part of its body. When students choose to download, they are prompted to upgrade or request a link from their teacher and only provides a link to share their work. 

Makebeliefscomix.com

While I did not care for the ads on this page, this last site trades modern designs for the cutest images that resemble the old comics we grew up with. This vintage look, however, extremely limits the amount of graphics available. The images cannot be altered to fit your scene so students must see what's available first and then create their comic based on what they see. The also will not be able to save their work gradually unless they sign up, so they run the risk of losing their work in the process. The comic strip does provide students with cues that guide them though the writing process by giving them suggestions of what should be on their slides. Students may find the toggling between the buttons to and selecting their image to move, resize and flip a bit frustrating but the app is a great way to focus on the structure of the comics and their content. 

These are all great tools to help students be creative about applying their own knowledge.  Fellow teachers  can expect a comic in their mailboxes that convey reminders and upcoming events. This will model to them how simple they are to use and will interest them in upcoming  professional development where I can share them and we can discuss their application in the classroom.