Comics in the Classroom??

When it comes to the selection of reading material in a classroom, graphic novels, commonly known as comics, do not readily come to mind. Schools are now taking a step back and re-looking at the benefits of using graphic novels in the classroom and with this rise came a creative technological advancement called Comic Life by plasq.


First, take a look at this clip from the CBS Early Show in 2005.  A school in Maryland decided to give comic books a chance in the classroom and saw the benefits they provided for students reading and writing skills.
Comic Books in the Classroom


plasq decided to take this traditional idea of graphic novel and apply it to technology with their products, Comic Life and Comic Life Magiq.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/inju/


Comic Life now makes it simple for students to create their own comics with a few clicks of a mouse using digital pictures and editing tools. It doesn't just stop at comics either, the possibilities are endless. I can only imagine how students could express their creativity given the freedom to interpret a class project using Comic Life.


Here is a quick tutorial about the basic principles to Comic Life and how to use it.



plasq.com also gives some helpful suggestions for how teachers can incorporate Comic Life in the curriculum of students learning and also for teacher use.
Some of the ideas and topics include:

• Creating class newsletters
• Coming up with class rules and policies
• "A day in the life of..."
• Math flashcards and puzzles
• Life Cycle Maps
• Scientific Method
• Yearbooks

You can find more inspiration from plasq here.