Cartoons and Comics

What words come to mind when you think of “cartoons” and “comics”? 

This is what I think of.

How about the word “educational”?  Cartoons and comics can also be used as an educational tool.  In this blog post I will share comic builder tools and ideas for using them in the classroom to support student learning.  

But first I am going to take a short detour, that just happens to work well with this blog post.  I just finished Tara Westover’s memoir Educated.  I know it’s only April, but I think this will be my favorite book of 2019.   It is a real page turner!  This book has made me reflect on education, family, gender roles, relationships, and values to name a few.  Educated is a great read!

Westover’s book Educated was the inspiration for the three comics I created for this blog post.  I’d like to share the synopsis provided by the publisher, Random House, and then I’ll get right into creating comics.

Educated: A Memoir

by Tara Westover

Synopsis:

“Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.”

ToonDoo

I created this book trailer for Educated using the ToonDoo comic builder.  You can access ToonDoo online.  Click here to view website.  

What I liked about ToonDoo.

ToonDoo was simple to get started with.  It took me very little time to create a username and password, login, and get started.  First, I explored the website a bit.  Then, I dove right into building a comic.  The variety of backgrounds, characters, word bubbles, props, etc. seemed sufficient to me.  That being said, this is my first comic builder software I’ve used.  My opinion may evolve as I test the other options.  My comic was easy to save, share, and download.   I was pleased with the ease of the saving process.  I think with minimal instruction, demonstration, and guidance students could easily use and enjoy ToonDoo.

What I didn’t like about ToonDoo.

I found ToonDoo to be a bit glitchy.  On several occasions I selected a background image for a scene that came up completely different than the image I selected.  On another occasion my keyboard strokes froze.  I was unable to type anything at all.  I tested my keyboard on a Word document and was able to type like normal.  I decided to close out ToonDoo, reload the page, and voila; it worked again.  It was a minor inconvenience, but if it happened often, I'd likely stop using ToonDoo.

Pixton

I tested Pixton next.  Click here to view the website.   Using Pixton, I created a storyboard of a memory from my childhood.  This memory was brought to mind while reading Educated. The story board reflects the moment I realized my parents valued my education.  I recalled sitting in on a conference between my mother and my 2^nd grade teacher listening to them discuss their concerns about me.  This was the moment I realized that my parents valued my education.  Knowing this, motivated me to work harder.  Scan the QR code to view the story board.  Or click here to view.  

What I liked about Pixton:

Pixton is a versatile comic builder and is available on Chromebooks, PCs, Macs, iPads, and Androids tablets.  This versatility is useful when students work from home or bring their own devices to use at school.  I like that Pixton offered three choices for layouts; comic strip, story board, or graphic novel. Pixton offered nice customization features. The characters facial expression and body position could be changed to match the meaning of what they are saying and/or experiencing.  The objects in the background could be repositioned to fit the needs of the scene and characters.  This allowed for a more cohesive storyline. 

What I didn’t like about Pixton:

My first problem with Pixton was that Firefox is not a supported web browser.  To use Pixton you must use Google Chrome or Safari.  This is a simple fix, but nevertheless it was a small roadblock.  I didn’t like that you had to sign in with Google, Facebook, or Microsoft.  I imagine this will not bother most people, but I prefer to keep my accounts separate. 

 The last drawback I found is that downloading is an upgraded feature.  This will cost $8 monthly or $72 for the year.  You will get many other features that might make it worth the subscription price.  You are still able to embed a link to your comic on your website or share via email.

Overall, Pixton was easy to use and customizable.  Students will easily learn to make their own creations on Pixton.  It's a great choice.

Make Beliefs Comix

Make Beliefs Comix (MBC) is the last comic builder I tested.  Click here to view the website.   I created this parody inspired by Educated using MBC.

What I like about Make Beliefs Comix:

MBC is more than just a comic builder.  They offer printables, greeting cards, eBooks, writing prompts, classroom ideas, writing tools, lesson plans, and more. These features are useful for educators.  MBC is a fun and easy to use tool that students will enjoy.  They offer several options for saving online, saving to computer, or emailing.  It’s easy and simple.  

What I don’t like about Make Beliefs Comix:

The variety of characters was limited, as well as how you could position them.  This limits what you can do in your comic.  If you had a storyline in mind to create, MBC might not have the characters and/or background you need to create the story.  If you are just having fun or being creative MBC would be a good choice.

Of the three I tried, Pixton is my favorite.  You can use it on almost all devices, it offers the best variety, very customizable, and offers wonderful educator features. It’s a great choice.

So, we've found some comic builder tools.  How can you use them in your classroom?

• Book trailers – like the one I made with ToonDoo
• Reading reflection – like the one I made with Pixton
• Book parody – like the one I made with Make Beliefs Comix

This is just the tip of the iceberg of educational uses for cartoons and comics. MBC suggests 26 ways to use comics in the classroom.  Click here to view.  

I hope this blog post helped you find a fun new educational tool with some inspirational ideas.

-Borrow Read Repeat

References:

Penguin Random House. (n.d.) Educated: A memoir [synopsis]. Retrieved from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550168/educated-by-tara-westover/9780399590504/

Westover, T. (2018). Educated: A memoir. New York, NY: Random House

Zimmerman, B (n.d.). 26 ways to use MakeBeliefsComix in your classroom. Retrieved from https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/26-ways-to-use-mbc-in-the-classroom/