ToonDoo: This one was fairly easy to use. First, it directs you to pick your layout -- horizontal or vertical -- and the number of frames you want. Then you can choose from many different characters, props, backgrounds, text bubbles, etc. You can position your figures by flipping, rotating, and sending them to the front or to the back. You can also shrink or enlarge your figures if you wish. You can choose your speech bubble styles and add your text. You can save, edit, and open your comics. I have to say that saving it was somewhat confusing for me, though. I just wasn't sure whether or not it had actually saved. When I would go back and check it, it just said "processing." I'm pretty sure students would like this tool.
Pixton: I enjoyed using Pixton. Out of the three tools, I think this one offers the most variety. I was given a choice to create as a beginner or an advanced user. As I created my first strip, it asked me to pick a setting. There was a large variety to choose from. I liked how I was able to move body parts and position them exactly how I wanted them. I was also able to add or change facial expressions on my characters. There are a wide variety of different emotions to choose from and all you have to do is choose one and click it. Adding the text and additional frames was easy. Saving and editing the strip was easy as well. I liked this one the best and it was the most fun to use. I think students would really get a kick out of using this tool.
MakeBeliefsComix: This one is a little bit different. The comic strips are in black and white, but you can add background colors. You can choose from one to four frames. Also, it doesn't offer as many characters or backgrounds as the other two to choose from. You are able to move, flip, bring to scale, delete, and bring to front, though. I emailed it to myself but noticed that the text in the second frame was blank. I'm not clear if it was saved or not. Overall, it was simple and easy to use. I think students would like it as well. I would most likely introduce this one to students first because of its simplicity.
Playing around with these comic creation tools was quite fun! I enjoyed doing it. I just wish that I was more creative, though. I can see how these would be great tools to use in the classroom or library. We could use comic strips in a variety of ways and across the curriculum. For example, kids can practice their story elements and create a comic strip that focuses on the beginning, middle, and end of a story. For math, they could illustrate the different steps to solve a problem. For library skills, we could show the correct way to take care of books. Maybe kids could even create their own graphic novel! Something I think students would like would be to have a comic strip contest at my school. I'm sure that they would love to see what everyone came up with and vote for their favorite one. I can see posting these on a newsletter or on the library website. I think incorporating these comic creation tools would definitely be a hit! If I had to choose one, I would most likely pick Pixton because it offers more variety.
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Tellagami: I don't have an iPad so I wasn't able to create a Tellagami. I'm going to see if I can borrow one from someone or wait until I go back to work to play around with this tool. It looks so fun! Anyway, here's a link to a Tellagami that I found. It's a teacher who used Tellagami for a homework assignment. Check it out below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12c4B-dsKdg
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