What is ToonDoo?
ToonDoo is an Internet based resource for making Cartoon strips. You just choose a strip layout, then add contents for each frame and complete with bubbles and text. There are a lot built in backgrounds, characters, props and other cliparts for you to use, and the characters can be modified according to size, direction, posture and emotion. However, you could even create your own human characters. This makes you also able to choose shapes and colors for clothes, hair, eyes, mouth, nose, ears and so on to get the exact look and expression you like, all without having to draw anything yourself. The story and words, though, are completely up to you. There are no features for checking grammar and spelling.
The free ToonDoo site is open for anyone, and you can watch, comment (and sometimes even edit) cartoons made by others. However, you can always choose whether you like to share your own work with others, or to keep it private.
The website does not include any information about special requirements to make this free resource work, but of course you need a computer connected to the Internet, and when signing up you are also prompted for an E-mail address.
For educational purposes, there is also a possibility to get a safe and private ToonDoo space. The minimum amount of user license for this is 30 and you have to sign up for a period of at least 1 month, which cost $8 (i.e. $0.26 per user and month). A cost per pupil that decreases the more users and/or the longer period you choose.
How can ToonDoo be used by teachers and pupils?
Cartoon strips are often built up by dialogues, and letting the pupils use ToonDoo to make cartoons in English could be a fun and creative way to develop communicative skills. Of course dialogues could be practiced by speaking, but many pupils get nervous about speaking in a foreign language without any preparation on what to say. Making cartoon strips could be a way to do this preparation. Such cartoons could, though, be drawn by hand as well, but some children might not feel very good at drawing. In ToonDoo, they should not be blocked by this feeling, which makes them more able to focus on language and meaning.
The program is in English. Some features are only presented by images, while others are both written in words and illustrated by an image. This way the children will not only learn language by writing the dialogue, but also by being exposed to a lot of words for managing the resource and choosing/modifying cliparts in the illustration process.
When the teacher introduces the ToonDoo resource to the children, even more words can be exposed and learned. The teacher might use words for colors, furniture, body parts, props, clothes, emotions and so on, and the words could be presented either by strips made in ToonDoo or by moving around in the resource itself. To make all children see the screen, the computer would preferably be connected to a projector.
The tasks could be set up in many different ways. The teacher could make some special strips with empty bubbles, for the children to fill in. S/he could hand out a dialogue for the children to interpret and illustrate, or the story could be completely made by the children. The subject for the stories could be taken off from news papers, child literature, other subjects across the curriculum, personal experiences and so on. One interesting subject could be emotions, because of the possibility to modify the characters emotional expression in ToonDoo. The children could for example get a task to create short dialogues based on specific emotions, and they would have to make their characters visually express that emotion. When the cartoon is finished, the dialogue could be used to practice speaking in small groups, and the task could be to find out how stress and intonation is used to express the same emotion.
The cartoon making could also be followed up with a report on what they have done, how they have done it, and why. This way the children would have to use the words learnt during the process.
Other considerations when using ToonDoo
When choosing to use this resource there are a few things to consider. The most important part is whether to use the free features only, or if money is to be spent on security and sharing by printing.
Sharing: In the free version, the cartoon strips can be easily shared with anyone by E-mail or directly on the website, but the strips are only free to print in low resolution. High-resolution files for good quality printouts cost $1 each.
Security: Even if watching cartoons made by others could be stimulating and developmental, when it comes to open resources there is always a risk that some content is inappropriate. To avoid this, a private ToonDoo space is needed. This gives you full control of what is published and available for the pupils.
Finally you might also consider the time it takes to make this kind of illustrations. Actually, there is a risk that the language learning would be put in the background. However, learning language through creative processes makes the pupils active, which increases their ability to really understand and remember what is learnt.
Check it out!
http://www.toondoo.com
Jenny Persson
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