BOOM! BAM! POW! Comics & Cartoons in Education
The creation of comics and cartoons provides an excellent opportunity to empower students to be creators and create their very own stories through pictures and words. Comics can be used in a variety of ways to allow for learning and self expression. There are several apps that are available to aid in the creation of comics and cartoons, below are a few of my creations and reviews of the following apps: Fotojet, Pixton, and MakeBeliefComix.
Fotojet is a free online photo comic maker that allows you to use your own photos to create comics. This site was very user friendly and creating a comic was so easy and fun! The site allows you the ability to create and use a free plan option or you may purchase one of the following plan options: $6.99/month or $39.99 billed annually. The free plan option does provide access to several template options, access to stock photos or you can upload your own, add text, graphics, and backgrounds. Although, purchasing a plan does provide you with more options, the free version does provide a good amount to create some great basic comics. I absolutely loved the ease of creating this personalized comic. I think this is a great option for students to use.
Pixton is an online app that allows you to give students the power to create their very own comics. One thing that I really like is the ability to create your own characters that can be personalized in so many different ways allowing students the opportunity to create characters that truly mirror themselves. There is a large variety of options for creating just the right characters. Not only are there several options for creating characters, there are several background options, you can add text, change the focus, change facial expressions, body poses, and add props. This site also provides several resources: lesson ideas, story starters, assessments, interactive rubrics, and printables. There is a seven-day free trial option that allows you access to all this content, however you are unable to download or share your comic unless you upgrade to one of the following plans: No Students Monthly $9.99/month, Classroom Monthly $24.99/month, Classroom Yearly $99/year, or you can contact them for a quote for School/District Yearly. This is a great option for educators and students if funds are available.
How to Use Comics in the Classroom
As librarians we must educate teachers about the importance of comics in the classroom. Comic books are loved by all readers. They provide our emergent readers the opportunity to read the pictures as they are still learning to read the text and our advanced readers can build their vocabulary and comprehension. Allowing students the opportunity to create their very own comics empowers them to practice writing, reading, storytelling, and self expression. Students can create comics not only in reading and writing but in math, science and social studies. They can create comics about shapes, steps to solving a math problem, space, a biography of historical people, the possibilities for comic creation are endless!
*Unfortunately I was unable to create a Tellagami because I was unable to find an iPad with a supported iOS for the application. However, I will continue to try.
Hi Virginia,
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! I LOVED all three of your comic strips, especially the one with your beautiful family. However, I felt that the comic I could relate to the most was about being a teacher during the day, a student at night, and a mom ALL THE TIME. I agree that Make Believe Comix has a very limited selection of characters and backgrounds. I did appreciate Fotojet because it allowed users to add their own images, which is a terrific way for students to identify themselves. Pixton was also my favorite of the three. It was cool that users have the option to add various characters and alter their behavior to fit the words. This one, in my opinion, has a strong connection to the graphic novels that the kids are now reading. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Karina! Yes, Fotojet was fun with being able to create comics with our own photos. Creating my comic for MakeBeliefsComix came to me easier than I thought, because I think I felt that one the most. I also agree that Pixton seems like the best option allowing for so many editable options.
DeleteI love the first comic with your sweet family all dressed up! I really love the layout of your whole blog, with a picture on top then only being able to see the beginning part of your post so it is not overwhelming. I noticed you created your blog with Blogger, just like me, so maybe I need to format mine differently!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I honestly chose this particular blog style because I liked the organized structure of it. I still have a lot of things to learn when it comes to blogging, hoping to continue to improve.
DeleteVirginia, your comics turned out so well! I struggled with Fotojet because I don't have a lot of usable photos, but yours turned out so cute! I too found MakeBeliefs comix frustrating to use because of the lack of characters. I struggled to find one that matched what I needed. I feel like students would have an issue with that too. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Devan,
DeleteFirst of all, thank you! And yes, the comic that I created with MakeBeliefs Comix honestly took me the longest because I was just so unsure of how to make a comic that would make sense with the limited character choices. I really did enjoy the other two options though.
Best comic strips I've seen! So fun! You really have a knack for those! And I love that you have a family of Spiderman Superheroes!
ReplyDeleteYour comments are making my day! Thank you so much! And yes my superhero family is just the best!
DeleteHey Virginia! Epic comic strips! Really enjoyed seeing them :). I love that you mentioned that having students create their own comics encourages them to practice writing, reading, storytelling, and self expression. This is so true! What a perfect way to get them excited about reading and writing. Great posts!
ReplyDeleteVirginia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing your comic strips! You gave such good ideas on how to incorporate it in the classroom. As a teacher, I am also aware that many students find technology easy to use, so allowing students to create their own would be a great and creative way to present a topic.
Thanks for sharing!