Cartoons and Comics

Just recently, comic books have become a popular go-to when students walk into the library. Let’s be    honest, they all know where they’re located in their school library. But what’s so spectacular about this format of reading? Why do students choose comics over chapter books? Well, yes, they are colorful, visual, most include action, there aren’t a lot of words on a single page, and in some ways, they may seem entertaining like a cartoon on tv, or a video game.  Below are a few websites I visited to get the scoop on how your students can be authors and create their own comics.

Fotojet

This was my first attempt at creating a comic. I have to say, it was a lot of fun and very easy to use. The company offers you a 7-day free trial when you sign up. It provides hundreds of templates and resources such as clip art, editing tools, images, and frames. The speech bubbles are fun to maneuver and you don't even have to worry about irritating ads and it saves your work in the cloud. You can make your comic as simple or involved as you want. Fotojet wants your work to stand out from the crowd!

Here is one I created for fun!

Pixton

This site allows users to create a comic with double the amount of features. You are given so many options to create a comic, it's just a matter of taking the time to play and explore all the features. I played around on this site for a while and I didn't come close to using all the features it provides.  This site has monthly plans specifically for businesses and school districts.  However, if you sign up as a student, you have to wait for a code from your teacher before you gain access. The dashboard gives you opportunities to use an avatar maker all the way from facial expressions to character poses. There are lesson plans teachers can utilize and rubrics to use for assessments. The site encourages educators and students to interact while learning and creating. 

Here is my comic below.   

MakeBeliefsComix

I found this site to be overwhelming as there is a great deal to look at. I think it would best be used for younger students. Unfortunately there are ads that appear across the screen and I don't find it as user friendly and the amount of time it takes to navigate through the site can lose the interest of students.    The site is full of bright colors but I had a hard time finding where I could create a comic. There are a lot of buttons to click that say "Start Here" or "Start Now" or "Scroll to Start" or "Start Creating". That being said, once I figured out how to start creating, I found my way. The site offers dialogue prompts and lots of clip art for characters. Although, I felt limited to the amount of clipart available. I almost had to make up my story based on what it offered. The site offers different languages other than English and gives a tutorial for first time users. 

This site is reviewed by ALA as a great website for kids!  

Students can digitally put their creative ideas in a comic strip and the teacher or librarian can display for students to read. Students will feel accomplished when they realize they are an author and used the latest technology to create it. As a librarian, I would like to introduce these resources to teachers in one of their weekly meetings. This can be used as an ice breaker or simply as a resource they can incorporate in the classroom. Teachers can have students create them as a continuation of a story they’ve read. They can also create them to demonstrate their knowledge of school rules at the beginning of school.  Another idea allows students to demonstrate new vocabulary words in context.  I know I’ll be taking advantage of it!