I will introduce a web site which is presented by my two classmates: Makebeliefscomix where children and adults can create their own comic strips. They can select from 15 fun characters with different moods - happy, sad, angry, worried - and write words for blank talk and thought balloons to make their characters talk and think. There also are story ideas and prompts to help users create graphic stories.
To create your comic, firstly you click on ‘Enter Here’ from the homepage.
This is the main page in which you create your comic.
- Type a title for your comic strip and type your name next to “Author’s Name.”
- Choose whether you want 2, 3 or 4 panels.
- Click on the red dialogue Prompt at the bottom of Panel which is selected by default when you begin.
A text box like this will drop down with directions and information to help you get started and guide you. Very useful tool.
- Choose a character by clicking on their face.
- Notice how the character now shows up in the menu window.
- Use the red arrows below your character to choose an emotion such as happy, sad, angry or worried.The picture will change to match the mood
- Once you have chosen the emotion, click on the character.
- It will automatically move your character into the Comic Panel as shown to the left.
- Click on a bubble to select it. It will move it to the menu window. Use the arrows to choose the type and size.
- Now click on the bubble you want and it will place it up in panel.
- Click in the speech bubble to type text.
Using the Tools
- To use the editing tools, first click on a specific tool.
- Notice how the tool turns red (to show it’s selected.)
- Now click on the object in a panel that you want to edit.
- Example: If I click on the first tool which is move, it turns red. Now if I click on a character or speech bubble it will let me move it around.
- The secret is to select the tool first.
- You can also add a Panel prompt. Click on the prompt, and it will add it to the menu window.
- Click on the one you decide to use and it will show up in the selected panel as shown.
- Click on the Print/Email button in the tools menu
- It will take you to this screen.
- Click on the Print button to print.
- Make sure to do this first if you want a hard copy.
- Now click on the Go back and Edit link at the bottom
- It will take you back to the editing window. Click on Print/Email link again.
- To send your comic to someone, fill in the email information.
- Click on the email Comix link
- They give you one last chance to go back and edit.
- You can also take a screen shot of your picture since you can’t save it.
Educational benefits:
- Children of all ages can use Makebeliefscomix to improve their literacy skills in the following ways:
- Reinforce sequencing skills as they “retelling a story” using characters and dialogue.
- Provides application for summarization skills by using only the most important details.
- Understand and apply characters feelings and emotions as an important role in any story.
- Understand and apply how the “mood” sets the background.
- Identify the main idea of the story.
- Provides students with an innovative and creative way to “show” what they know.
- Students can use to create stories they make up on their own.
- Provides an authentic audience and purpose for writing as they share their comic strips with others.
- Offers an avenue for collaboration with teachers and peers as a tool to enhance their writing. They become online authors. They have a real, live purpose for writing.
- Helps ESL students learn English.
These examples can be enhanced as long as you are determined to teach your students English in a way that they will enjoy and learn effectively, benefitting from technology. MakeBeliefsComix will definitely arouse interest among your students with its fun characters,objects and scenes.
Hope that this is useful, thank you :)
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