Cartoons & Comics

As comics first came on the scene, there was a lot of controversy. While popular with readers, these comics, resembling cinematic storytelling, were though to be a disgrace to traditional literature. It was feared that they would be more harm than good, possibly leading to aggression and anxiety. However, studies found that readers were able to relate to the characters and events in the comics, as well as sometimes find comfort in a format different from a traditional story.

Comics are still popular today amongst readers of all ages. Many have been made into movies, adding another element of enjoyment as the comics are brought to life. Comics can seamlessly be integrated into education because many students are already familiar with the format and seek it out in the form of graphic novels. Some ideas include pairing comic books with classic literature. Students can take a traditional book and rewrite it in a comic format. They also include phenomenal examples of onomatopoeias! Just like with any tech tool, the creator is only limited by their own imaginations. 

                                                                         

ToonDoo

Check out my first comic, made with ToonDoo:

ToonDoo was exceptionally easy to use. I was pleasantly surprised at how many options were available with the free account. There are a wide variety of characters, backgrounds, and additional props to make the comics unique and exciting. Another feature I thought would be beneficial is the ability to go back and edit your comic. This would be a very supportive tool for students' writing. We encourage reflection and revision, so being able to continue making adjustments is invaluable. I also liked that there are different sharing options such as directly uploading to social media sites, email, downloading as a png, and embedding the code. 

One thing I didn't like was that some of the options are hidden until you click the play button on the main screen. In addition, after creating my comic, I struggled to find my way back to the main screen after saving my work. Although I think this site is student friendly, this might be something that would be worth guiding the students on initially, or it could be solved by creating a how-to screencast prior to the activity.

Pixton

Here is my comic created on Pixton:

When first starting with this comic tool, a tutorial pops up, helping the user figure out how to create their comic. This was a huge help because this site offers a lot of creative options for your comic. I loved the extra options like choosing the expressions on your characters' faces and changing their poses. It offers key word searches in each step which makes the feature easy to use. I think older students could use this site independently. It does offer some pre-made templates, but many of those features don't work without upgrading.

I was a bit bummed that I could not download my comic without upgrading my account. However, your creations can be uploaded to social media, embedded, and emailed without issue. 

Make Belief Comics

Here is my comic created with Make Belief Comics:

This app was one of my least favorite to use. While it was nice not having to sign up for an account, the choices in backgrounds and characters left a lot to be desired. There were not many options that were related to each other, so trying to create scenes was a bit more difficult than I anticipated. I didn't find the selections very interesting, and I don't think students would enjoy this comic creator as much as the others named in this blog.

In addition, it wasn't not the most user friendly, as I kept having to delete parts of my creating because you can't move stuff from one panel to the other. I spent a lot of time having to click through just to figure out how to use it. I did like that I could save, print, or email the comic I created, but it did not have any social media options or codes to embed.

Tellagami

Here is the booktalk I made for This Is Not My Hat 

by: Jon Klassen

This app for the iPad is a fun way for students to create books talks, books reviews, and any product that only requires listening. Some ideas includes basic how-to videos, newscasts, and character reflections. It was so easy t use because there are not too many choices in the free version, but what it allows is enough content to make your video great. You are able to create and customize your character's appearance, as well as their expression. There are clothing options and backgrounds included in the free version too! While upgrading will offer a lot more possibilities, students of all ages can still make great use of this tool.

After creating your character, you can include either text or record your own voice. The sharing options were exceptional, allowing: email, social media upload, text message, and the embedding code. One thing that was disappointing is that the app is currently waiting to be updated by the developers, so the app only works with an outdated version, less than 11.1. Hopefully they will update it soon!

Sharing with Teachers/Colleagues

There are many ways to share ideas with your educators! Uploading content comics to my newsletters and emails is a great way to promote comic use and important information. Sometimes, seeing an example sparks inspiration. It would be fun to upload a comic regularly to my library website, in order to just share a laugh together. 

I would also create QR codes for the comics and place them around the campus for everyone to access and encourage use of other tech tools. These comics are also a great way to encourage collaboration by creating comics together with my fellow educators. I would offer support to help my fellow educators learn how to access and create using these tech tools.

References:

Lepore, J. (2015). The secret history of wonder woman. Scribe.