Alexandra Wang, who writes the madamactivist blog supporting the needs of people with disabilities, has just published an article about the work of MakeBeliefsComix and its efforts to help people. […]
If you work with a child on the autism spectrum, please take a look at this new article, ‘’How to Help Your Child with Autism Communicate Using Comics,’’ written by […]
Respond to News by Making Your Own Comics! If “Welcome to the New World” or the all-comics edition of The Magazine have inspired your students, maybe they’re ready to start creating their […]
MakeBeliefsComix.com is an online resource that allows learners of English, or any other language, to work on the ability to convey ideas in an enjoyable comic strip format. The familiarity […]
Looking to create comics online for fun or for providing kids with an educational and entertaining activity? Head over to MakeBeliefsComix.com, a website that allows you to create comic strips […]
Common Sense Education review
Subjects: Arts
Skills: Communication & Collaboration, Creativity, Character & SEL
Grades: 3-8
Great for: Media Literacy, Creating Media, Assessment, Presentation
Price: Free
Platform: Website
Source: SpecialEdConnection®, July 11, 2017 Issue date
Key Points:
* Encourage students to use comic strip generators to express feelings
* Promote conversation about comics among students
* Allow students to review their strips when needed in the moment
When a student with autism struggles with responding to a bully or raising his hand in class, encouraging him to create a comic strip representing the situation may help him clarify why he is upset and figure out how to overcome the challenge.
NEW YORK—Every day, the teenagers Jeremiah Aponte, Jasherah Nalls, and Paula Rodriguez squeeze into a small four-story building housing three schools and close to 1,700 students in the South Bronx neighborhood.
Mostly serving generations of families living in one of numerous high-rise public-housing projects or homeless shelters dotting the area, The Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters, a New York City public high school, sits in the country’s poorest congressional district. Recently, The New York Times cited the city’s 40th precinct as having the highest murder rate in the city, but where there are the fewest detectives per violent crime. To get to their school, these three teens must also walk through a neighborhood that includes two methadone clinics.
In an increasingly social media–driven world, school library media specialist Cindy Symonds sees herself as the personal tech guide to the teachers and 560 students at Round Top Elementary School in Blythewood, SC. One media tool she’s recently introduced is interactive comic strips. Her students have been creating stories using the comic generator MakeBeliefsComix.com.
With perpetually limited funds, librarians and teachers are turning to the growing number of free make-your-own-comic websites and apps. These allow students to create their own characters, settings, dialogue, and stories. In particular, they seem to be stimulating literacy, communication, and linguistic skills among students with special needs. Often, they improve such students’ attention span and increase their class participation.
Arts-based projects are a great option to support and encourage English-language learners (ELLs). Arts tools offer a variety of media for creative expression — from comic strips to radio production to virtual art collections — that can help ELLs feel more comfortable practicing their English and communication skills while embracing their own cultural backgrounds.