MakeBeliefs Comix
This is an online generator that requires no registration. It allows you to print and/or email your comic to any email address. It allows for simple 2, 3, or 4 panel strips. By clicking on preloaded images, you simply create the comic of your choice. It is easy to use and fun to play with. Some drawbacks are the lack of customizable characters and the inability to change many features. For a quick use, easy intro to the world of making comics with students, this is a hit. If you want to be more detailed and have specific needs, it might not be the creator for you. I made a simple strip highlighting the day of a teacher.
I was able to turn it into an image file by using Skitch because it was not able to be saved online in anyway.
ToonDoo
This is a highly interactive site to create comics. There is a large library of images and backgrounds to use. The images are able to be changed as well. Facial expressions, postures, and activities are all switchable in various characters. There is also the ability to draw and create your own images. There are places to doodle and ways to share what you make in a gallery or by emailing it to any address of your choice. It is complicated when trying to figure out how add items to the gallery and manipulate the images. It is doable once you figure it out though. I made a 3 panel comic about the first day of school and had a lot of fun playing with the different character choices. I tried to save the comic in a gallery, but haven't quite figured it out yet. I used Skitch to capture the picture and left the interface in so that you could see how easy it is to navigate.
This site is rather complicated for young learners, but would be a huge hit with older elementary and middle school students. It requires registration and log in. An educator introducing students to ToonDoo will need to take some time explaining how to get to certain areas and how to share their work.
Pixton
This site is set up for classroom use. The initial screen wants teachers to set up their class access. You can give assignments and create an entire environment for students to interact with.
When creating comics, there are five categories to choose from Quickie (simple, preloaded background, 3 panel strip) to Freestyle (any size, shape, layout, number of panels). They are in progressing levels of complication and always have the option to create your own format. There are how to videos to help get you started.
When your comic is created, it is sent to your email address. In this image, I included the heading to show how it is laid out. It is in editing mode because I couldn't find the presentation mode.
This tool would be great for secondary level students. It is highly user friendly and has many options. It is rather complicated to manipulate as a newbie to the site, but I think it would get much easier with use because it seems very intuitive. This is the most integrated and complex site I reviewed. It provides amazing opportunities for students to share their learning, create new content, and interact with an exciting medium.
As a third grade ELAR teacher, I can immediately see how comics can be used to enrich students' understanding of story elements. I also can see me using the comic format to give students options for products in many areas like vocabulary, nonfiction summarizing, and social stories. While motivating and fun to create, students are challenged to use higher order thinking skills to create quality artifacts. I've encouraged reading graphic novels and comic books for years and can't wait to see how they like making their own.
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