Pixton

Name: Pixton

Price: Free/Paid Options

Format: Website
-www.pixton.com

Difficulty: Moderate
I began using Pixton as an extension tool for students that finished early, and have started allowing small groups on the program. It is not something that I would give to the entire class to use all at once, unless all students were familiar with Pixton. 

Email Required: Yes for free version. No for school version (paid).

Description:Pixton is a comic creator. There are different types of comics the user can create, ranging from a simple three-line comic to a 14 row poster comic. To begin, the user selects the type of comic they wish to create and a template or layout for their choice. The user is then taken to their comic strip, and can begin editing.

The comic creation process can be a bit difficult at first. There are tons of options... enough to confuse most students. My general strategy when introducing new technology into the classroom is to give it to the students and tell them to figure it out. With Pixton, I find that most students need some guidance. I show them how to add a single character, a speech bubble, and a new comic panel. This has always been enough information to get them started. They have no problems figuring out how to alter the appearance of their characters (look, color, positioning, etc.), changing the backgrounds, or adding props.

Upon completion, the user can easily share the comic via a link. This makes it easy for me to view the comics my students have created, and it gives the students a way to show off their work to teachers or parents. Because Pixton requires an account of some type (even the paid education version sets up individual student accounts), students are able to log on and edit their comics from any computer with internet access. 

Student Examples:


Teacher examples:

Summary:
Pixton is a great tool. However, it can be complicated to many students. Start by giving assignments to small groups, and slowly work your way up to class-wide assignments. With the huge amount of customization available, Pixton really provides a great outlet for students to express their creativity.