Invitation: Come join me in this Bitstrip comic strip

I presented Bitstrips as part of the workshop series last summer, but thought I'd just post, step-by-step, how to make one.
Step 1: Join the Bitstrips site and browse it.
Step 2: Create a character and make it look a little like yourself.
Step 3: Create a comic strip with yourself and some of other characters featured in the "library".
Here's a screencast with Jing that shows you how to handle the controls.

And now ... roll the drums...
Step 4: Engage in social networking through Bitstrips: Add a friend's character to your strip. Or copy a friend's cartoon and add yourself to it, and then let them know!



Short URL: http://bitstrips.com/r/G30WL.

I've set the editing on this strip so that friends can edit it. So come and friend me, copy my strip and put yourself in the last frame :-) Please leave a link.

I've never done this before, so I have no idea whether it will work. Don't be shy :-)

Do any of you already have Bitstrips accounts/ characters? Just let me know.

PS: My favorite review of Bitstrips.

Make your own comix with Make Beliefs Comix

This is another ELTAS Tech Tools Day task.

Pre-task thinking:

• What kinds of exchange fit into a 3-4 frame comix format?
• Would you prefer to have students make comix alone, in pairs or as a group?

Make Beliefs Comix
Make Beliefs Comix is an easy tool providing cute characters for "children of all ages".
The interface is self-expanatory.
You can create 2-4 frames and add characters, expressions, change position, add speech and thought bubbles... and when you're done you can print out (or print as a pdf) and even send as an email. Careful: Never go back using the back arrow, as you lose all of your work. I did!



Task:

Make a comic with Make Beliefs Comix + email it to yourself and your friends.

Bitstrips

One of several websites that allow you to make comics with your class is www.bitstrips.com. What I like about this one is that you can personalize the character to look a little like yourself or some famous person. Then you can change the expression, posture and gestures in each frame. With low-level learners you could use these little avatars to practice describing people and their expressions. And then, of course, you can create little stories. It gets a lot more fun when everyone in your class has created a comic avatar and then invite each other as "friends" (this is social networking, after all) and can then use those "friends'" avatars in their Bitstrips. Bitstrips can be embedded in a blog or shared by email.