Cartoons and Comics!

Cartoons and Comics

Cartoons and comics are a more popular hit with our students, and teens! This comeback is not shocking as we have seen a heightened interest in graphic novels. If our students are engaged with comics and graphic novels, we as educators, should use that to our advantage. They are not only visually appealing, but promote reading and learning as "fun!" Below I have listed three different FREE comic websites that both teachers and students can use to facilitate learning. 

FOTOJET

https://www.fotojet.com/features/misc/photo-comic.html

Fotojet is the first comic website that I tried. Overall my experience wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. The overall aesthetics of the menu, toolbar, and options were sleek and clean. However, once I started to create my comic strip, I was disappointed by the limited options. I used photos that were stocked from the website and searched "classrooms" and had few options to choose from. There is an option to upload and use your personal photos from your computer, but as educators, we typically don't upload personal photos onto school computers. There were some great add ons such as emoji faces, thought bubbles, text bubbles, and other fun elements that students would enjoy using. There were a lot of great template choices that I liked and it was easy to drag and add the image into each comic box. I did not like how the editing tool bar is constantly following my cursor as I add or edited any image. There were a few options that were unusable unless you upgrade to a paid subscription, but for the most part, there are enough options to use under the free subscription. Downloading my final comic was simple and easy, and you even have the option to share your creation on Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Below is my own comic that I made using Fotojet!

PIXTON

 https://edu.pixton.com/educators

The free subscription with Pixton is very limiting, but it is also by far the most user friendly. There are many elements of Pixton that can be created based on the users specifications when it comes to individuality. The cartoon characters can be adjusted based on your preferences such as hair color, facial expression, and the actions that the user wants them to do. The user can even adjust the focus of each frame and choose the time of day. Adding speech bubbles is just as simple, and each bubble is automatically placed on the frame for each character as you wish. The templates, backgrounds, and overall presentation is very clean and professional looking. Saving and downloading the cartoon strip is as simple as clicking the "download" button. Users can also share their work through email, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. I think both students and teachers can use this comic tool, and create lasting content that they will feel proud of once completed. Below is my comic that I created with Pixton!

MAKE BELIEFS COMICS

 http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/

Make Beliefs Comics is the most creative comic website out of the three. Teachers and students can create a comic in both English and Spanish. When creating a comic using this website, there are many background options to choose from, including simple plain colored backdrops. Make Beliefs Comics offers comic strips that are already started for users who need a head start. This can come in handy when in a time crunch, or for younger students who need extra help. The characters are a bit limited in the different actions that they appear to do, but are all comedic looking to help create a humorous tone. Every image that is inserted can be moved, rearranged, zoomed in or out, and appear in front of, or behind the text boxes. There are endless options for users to create an individual piece of work. When it comes time to saving the comic, you must be signed into your account for the comic to save to the website, or save directly to your computer downloads. The only option to share your comic directly from the website, is through email. Overall, this was my favorite website to use, to create a comic strip. I found that the options were plentiful and the program was user friendly. I think students will enjoy using this website the most out of the three discussed in this blog, because there are so many options, funny characters, and less hassle to start creating their ideas. Below is my example of what I created using Make Beliefs Comics!

WAYS TO USE COMICS

Comics can be used in so many ways in the classroom, both teachers and students will find joy during the creation process and sharing their work with their peers. Comics can be a great outlet for students to express themselves and integrate learned skills. Below are a list of ways that teachers can incorporate comics into their lessons!

• Students can practice using new vocabulary terms from novels, or any content area such as math, science, language arts, and social studies.
• Allow ELL student to practice writing in English, and presenting their comic strip to practice speaking in English
• Comic scrips can be used to teach students about character traits when they create their own comic characters
• Students can use comic strips to visually re-tell events from a story to practice plot skills.
• Teachers can use comics to introduce new content in a visually appealing way
• Teachers can create comic posters that provide a rich print environment for students.