One of my classroom themes this year involves having students create digital content. Sticking with that theme, I’ve been exploring different avenues in which students can create digital content that can be shared with authentic audiences. Throughout the year my students have created different presentations with a variety of apps and have shared them with their parents and the world. I find that students become much more engaged and empowered when given a chance to create.
Our latest project involves math comics. I continue to find benefits of using comics in the math classroom. After using them to introduce a variety of concepts this year, I came across the Strip Design app. I thought that this app might be helpful to introduce and expand student understanding of content area specific vocabulary. Students would also have an opportunity to create digital content by completing this project. Specifically, I thought that students could create a math comic strip starring themselves. At the beginning of the math unit in late February, students were given a list of key math vocabulary words. Students were given an opportunity to choose a specific vocabulary word from the unit. Students were asked to create a comic strip starring themselves and a classmate showcasing an understanding of the vocabulary word. As a class, we created a rubric which allowed students opportunities to showcase their understanding and share it with others.
Students took pictures of themselves and created a script and scenario. Students checked in on their progress after each session. I had a brief conference with each student during the project and they filled out the rubric above to make sure that they met the guidelines. After completion, the student comic strips were uploaded to Showbie and eventually placed in their portfolio pages. Next week the class will be sharing our math comics with other grade levels in the school.
Educational Aspirations 