ToonDoo - Create custom comic books, online, with your own characters, images, and more!

ToonDoo is a site that allows students to create their own Comic Books, online, in their web browsers.  If you use technology in your class, you have probably heard of ToonDoo, but are you using it? 

Last school year, I blogged about using ComicMaster to create Internet Safety Comics.  You can read that post RIGHT HERE.  This year, we moved to ToonDoo to provide a more customizeable experience that really doesn't limit my students creativity. 

ToonDoo gives students a great resource to practice writing stories with a setting, characters, introduction, rising action, climax, resolution, and conclusion.  Students could start with a rough draft, or story board, then use their storyboard to create their final comic.

Mr. Dean "TraitR" in ToonDoo!

You can even use your own images to import into ToonDoo.  I took more than 30 images around my school of the cafeteria, gymnasium, hallways, classrooms, labs, etc.  Then, students could create their own "TraitR" or comic version of themselves to populate their images.  You can see the TraitR of myself in the image to the right.  

Since one of my passions is Internet Safety, I have my students creating Comic Books about 1 of 3 Internet Safety Topics; Online Identity Theft, Sexting, or Cyberbullying.  We start with a storyboard or rough draft.  When students have completed their storyboard, and I have checked it, they may begin working on their final comic.  A storyboard really helps give the students a direction so they do not waste time staring at ToonDoo and trying to come up with a story on the fly.  Each of my students' Comics must define the Internet Safety Topic, list 3 ways to prevent it, and list 3 ways to stop it if it has already happened. 

Here is an example of one of my student's finished comic books about Online Identity Theft:
http://www.toondoo.com/ViewBook.toon?bookid=331651

All of the characters were created by my 6th Grader, and the backgrounds on each frame are an assortment of images from our school, standard backgrounds from ToonDoo, and images from a Google Image search (since some scenes take place at home).  Students start by creating each frame of the comic, one by one.  They can then add these frames into the BookMaker and piece their frames together into their own Comic Book. 

Here is another student example of a ToonDoo Comic

ToonDoo can be addictive.  I will warn you, students can spend a whole class period just trying to get their TraitR to look exactly like themselves. 

I love ToonDoo.  It is a free site for basic services, which is more than what we need in class.  You can also, of course, pay for an upgraded membership if your school can afford it.  When students are finished, they can share their Comics via email, Facebook, Twitter, or they can simply share the URL of the Comic.  This makes it very easy to share the comics with classmates, the school, the local community, and beyond. 

If you are interested in my StoryBoard Worksheets for this project, or my overall lesson plan, you can email me at mrddean@gmail.com.

Check out ToonDoo at :  http://www.toondoo.com/

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Sense-Lang - Free & Customizable Touch Typing Lessons and Classroom Environment

Sense-Lang is a site I just started using this year.  Sense-Lang has great resources to allow students to learn Touch Typing Basics and strengthen both their speed and accuracy.  I used Typingweb.com last year, and liked the way it worked but I had to enter each of my students one by one (with the free version) cause it had no import feature.  Last year we were not on a block schedule so I was able to do that.  This year with a block schedule and 300 plus students, I really didn't have the time to enter everyone one by one.  Sense-Lang allows you to create classes, then students can login to your class with a class specific code, create their own account, and start typing right away.

Sense-Lang will let you create your own Custom Lessons

One of the features that is really nice in Sense-Lang is the option to customize your own lessons.  I created all 15 typing lessons for my students, each introducing 2 new letters or characters.  Typingweb.com would not let me do that.  I can also create custom typing games, lessons,  and tests using any words, letters, or phrases that I want.  I can even export my class progress and results to my email and open it in Excel.  Now you can easily create a graph in excel to show student progress.
Sense-Lang may have some ads on the home page, but once the students open the typing window for practice or quizzes, there are absolutely NO ADS!  I have found Sense-Lang to be one of the most full featured, FREE, online browser based typing websites you will find.  I am enjoying it and I love that my students can work on lessons in class with me, then practice at home in their spare time.

Check out Sense-Lang at:  http://www.sense-lang.org/

They even have a very easy to follow tutorial for the Sense-Lang Teaching Module to help you set up your class and get started.  Check it out:  http://www.sense-lang.org/teachers/instruction.pdf

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Reflections: Masters Course Technology Integration Class

This week I am completing my Technology Integration class as part of my Masters of Education Program.  During this class, I learned more about the importance of creating and participating in an effective PLN and resources to help strengthen my PLN.  I was also able to create an Internet Safety & Awareness WebQuest. It was excited to create another WebQuest for the first time in years.  I felt like I was learning it all over again "for the very first time."


I feel that my teaching strategies will change more in the area of applying myself as a leader of change in technology integration.  I will continue to strengthen my PLN and share it with my teaching colleagues.  I will continue to share my resources and strategies with my colleagues via this blog and social bookmarking sites.  I will be a leader of technology integration in my school by leading by example instead of forcing my strategies and resources on my colleagues.

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A Thin Line - MTV's Site for Internet Safety & Digital Rights Online

A Thin Line is a very nice site created by MTV to promote digital rights and share Internet Safety Resources, tools, videos,  and strategies.  This site is more appropriate for 8th Grade through High School Students since some of the topics may be inappropriate for younger students. 

A Thin Line covers various Internet Safety Topics including:

• Sexting
• Constant Messaging
• Spying
• Digital Disrespect
• Online Cruelty

You will find many different videos and even places for students to post and share their experiences with these topics online and even "SOUND OFF" or "DRAW THE LINE"  against those who are bothering them online. 

The site even includes an Interactive online map for students around the country to "DRAW A LINE" and share what they are doing to stamp out Sexting, Digital Disrespect in their home towns!

Check out A Thin Line at:  http://www.athinline.org/

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Technology Integration - How we can serve as "teacher leaders" in our professional setting?

Any teacher who is effectively trying to integrate technology in their classroom knows how importance technology can be in the learning process of 21st Century Learners.  But what about some of our colleagues who have no interest in technology integration?  How can we serve as teacher leaders in technology integration in our schools?  There are two areas that I fell are paramount to serving as teacher leaders in integration.  These areas are sharing and leading by examples.  Nobody wants to be forced to do something they dont feel comfortable doing.  Technology integration can work as the same ways.  We need to invite our colleagues to join us or browse our Personal Learning Networks or PLNs.  We can show them what is working in our classroom through social bookmarking sites we invite them to join, through out blogs we ask them to browse, in our examples and lesson plans we share on our school websites.  When I find a resource that would be a great tool to integrate in the classroom, I try to email it to teaches I find would benefit from the resource. 

I also attempt to reach out and share the awesome projects we complete in class.  It is always nice to show off the finished projects your students are completing, but also the steps, strategies, and resources used to get there.  Allowing your students to share their impressions on a classroom forum is a great tool to show colleagues the level of engagement your students are experiencing in an effectively integrated lesson plan. 

I will never force technology integration on my fellow teachers, but I will always be open to share ideas and strategies with any teachers that want to use me as a resource.  This is the most productive first step I feel I can take to standing as a teacher leader in technology integration. 

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Hector's World - Interactive Internet Safety Videos & Activities for Elementary Aged Students

Hector's World is a site out of New Zealand with 7 animated video episodes to teach students (Target Ages 2-9 Years Old) about Internet Safety.  It is obviously never too young to discuss basic concepts of Internet Safety and Digital Etiquette so Hector's World is a fantastic resource for Elementary Aged Students.  

Hector's World has 7 animated episodes students can watch, as well as, worksheets/guides students can fill in or read along the way.  The episodes star Hector, a talking dolphin, and his undersea friends as they share basic concepts and strategies for staying safe online.  These episodes are short but full of information and a great discussion starter or extension to your Internet Safety Discussions.   These animated episodes cover topics such as Protecting Personal Information, Cyberbullying, and Computer Security.

One of the areas I really like on Hector's World is the MP3 Download Section where you can download music and Lyrics to several Internet Safety Based songs and have students perform them in class or record them using a free resource such as Audacity. 

You can even download instrumentals and song lyrics.

The website has lesson plans for each animated episode broken down into different age groups so the information is age appropriate. 


The site can be difficult to navigate since you have to use bubble shaped arrows to move forward and backward within the site instead of browser window controls.  If you press back on your browser, it will start you all over at the beginning of the site.  So there is a learning curve to navigating the website, however, there is a website "tour" you can follow that shows you all of the features.  These tours are broken up for students, parents and teachers as seen in the image. 

Lesson Plans Are Broken Down by Grade Level!

Hector's World does have a site map to help you navigate between the different parts of the site.  This is helpful for both students and teachers, looking for a specific lesson or activity. 


Check out what all you can do with your students at Hector's World at:

http://www.hectorsworld.com/island/index.html

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Internet Technologies & Concerns

As we strive to incorporate as many Internet Technologies and Resources into our daily curriculum to reach 21st Century learners, there are some concerns that can arise.

• Are we choosing the best resources that help our students have authentic and effective learning experiences or are we simply trying to incorporate the latest technology trends just to say we did or because others are doing it to?  

•  Are we relying too much on technology in our daily curriculum so when technology lets us down, we do not give ourselves an opportunity for a back up plan or on the fly replacement activity that is just as effective?  

We can alleviate these concerns by continuing to network with other instructors via blogs and other social networking sites to see what is working in their classrooms.  We can discuss if the latest and greatest resources are truly assisting in effective lesson planning or providing a distraction from the learning process for our students.   Sometimes I know that I get excited when some of my colleagues or online friends get excited about a new resource.  I feel like I just have to find a way to integrate that technology or resource into my curriculum.

As long as we all stay connected, share our experiences, and truly try to integrate technology to provide a better learning experience for our students, then when we fail, that doesn't mean we didn't necessarily succeed in some ways.  It is the experience and the journey to get there that will mostly make us all better teachers and provide teaching & learning experiences that stick with our students.

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