Web 2.0 - www.toondoo.com

Lesson Plan: Toon Doo
Audience: English Classes/Reading Classes - at any level. This is the group for which I wrote this lp, however, I could also see this being used in history classes to cement an idea about a specific event, etc…almost political cartoon style.
Objectives: Before students begin this project, they should have read a novel of their choosing. Instead of presenting a book report format, students will be able to use creative means to present what they have learned.
Technology Tool (s) Category: ToonDoo (www.toondoo.com)
Overview: ToonDoo is a site that allows users to create their own comic strips. Students will create a comic strip that involves the book that they read.
Resources: Students will need access to a computer, the ability to create a log-in on the toondoo site, access to a printer, and access to the internet
Preparation: Before sitting down in front of the computer to begin, students should have read a book of their choosing. They will then need to gather some ideas of how they want to present a synopsis/evaluation of the book within three frames or less. Since this requires some logic and some organization, students may need some brainstorming time. Once a student has a solid idea of how to go forward, student should visit www.toondoo.com and get started.
Instruction and Activities:

Depending on the age group with which you are using this site, the teacher may want to offer a classroom preview by modeling the steps beforehand…

Depending on applications for this comic, teacher may want to create a list of usernames and share them with the students so that they can view each others work.

#1: go to www.toondoo.com and spend some time looking at the work other people have created/familiarizing yourself with the layout of the webpage.

#2: create a log in that will only be used by you. At the top right side of the page you will see the word “register”. You will create your own user name and password at this point. You might want to write this down so that you remember it in case you need to come back and edit your work. Sign in and get started.

#3: Once you are signed in, on the right hand side you will see a blue box that says “ToonDoo Maker”. Once you click on this, it will load up the basic template you will be using for your book review. Select the layout that best fits your presentation.

#4: You will now be moved to the slide layout you selected. There are eight choices at the top for getting started with your comic. They include: backgrounds, characters, props, texts, brushmen, special, open text art, and my galleries. Take some time to look through each selection so that you get a good idea of what to do next.

#5: Select the backgrounds you want to use. Once you find a suitable background, click/drag/drop the background on to your blank white layout. If done correctly, the layout will stick on the white background. You can then move on to adding characters. Once you have completed your characters, which work the same way (drag and drop), you can work with props/other effects to fill out your comic strip.

#6: If you decide you don’t like a feature that you have added, you can delete the feature by clicking and deleting. If it is a background, you can drag/drop another background on top to change the feature.

#7: Text – to add the text option, select the speech bubble that you would like to use from your given options, drag and drop it to the appropriate place on your comic. Once your bubble is in place, you can start writing inside. If the text goes off the page, press enter to move down to the next line. Remember that your speech bubble offers limited space, so you should be succinct in what you want to say.

#8: When you have completed your work, on the left hand side, go back to the ToonDoo icon. Drag your mouse over the top until your options pop up. Select “Save As”. Type in the title of your work, type a description of your work, where it says tags you should type in one word descriptions of the themes involved in the book. Please unclick the option to let others change your work as this will be a graded assignment based on what you are presenting. Select “Share with friends” and type in (teacher’s name) so that teacher can view work. You can also print screen from this point and turn in a hard copy to the teacher.

#9: Once you have published your work, you will be directed back to the main screen. You can select the aqua colored box that says “Toons” and then “My Toons” to see the work you have created.
Web Resources: Students will each need a computer and access to www.toondoo.com
Student Assessment/Reflections: Once students have created their usernames, they would be able to share their comics with other students. If teacher divided students into groups who read the same book, it would be interesting to see how each student’s presentation differed.

Also, if student did the print screen option, a later activity would be for students to critique the work of their classmates – is this a book you would want to read? Did this comic strip make you interested in the novel? What would have made this comic strip more enticing? What do you think the author of this comic strip was trying to say? In this way, the student would get direct peer feedback on their work.
Possible Technology Constraints: Problems could occur if this site is blocked/filtered by the district. If the internet is moving slowly that day, students would not be able to easily navigate the site, causing frustration. If this was a time when testing was prevalent, students would not have access to computers. Also, since it is a web based application, there is always the security of the student issue.

Instruction Sheet Template
Definition/Overview: see above
Basics about the site: this site allows students to express ideas in comic strip form. For people who can’t draw, etc…this gives the option of artistic expression sans artistic talent. It is a user friendly site that can be as basic or as complicated as the student would like. Savvy students are going to be able to navigate the more advanced features while basic users should be comfortable using the basic provided templates and formats.
Best Classroom Practices: This site has functionality for most or all of the major disciplines. I can see science using this to have students showcase their ideas on a principle. I can see English using this tool to layout/storyboard student ideas on plots and themes. History could use this application to create political-esque cartoons either for events in the past or even present day events.
Instructions: see above
Resources: students will need an independent reading book, access to computers, and access to www.toondoo.com