Pixton- Comic Making Website for Creative Students

So many students are incredibly creative; they doodle, draw, write, and even make their own art and stories. Tapping into this creativity can bring student engagement with learning material to a whole new level. Pixton is a website that allows students to channel their creativity and create educational comics.

Signing up for Pixton is free. When the teacher makes their account the website will show them the comic creator and then walk them through the steps to set up their class. The teacher can decide if they want students to log in with school Google accounts or they can make their own account through the Pixton website.

Next, the teacher will be prompted to create a teacher avatar. The website offers lots of options for body, hair, eyes, clothes, expression, etc. One of the most remarkable features is the fact that teachers and students can put their avatar in a wheelchair or have hearing aids. Once the teacher avatar is complete they will be taken to a class “photo” that will eventually show everyone's avatar.

The process to get students to join is simple. At the top of the page is a button named “Student Join Link”. Clicking on the button will create a web address. Simply display the address or hit the copy button and send it to students. The link will take students exactly where they need to go.

Once students are done creating their avatars they are free to make a comic. The comic maker has a lot of features. This is both a pro and a con. It’s good because students have a lot of freedom to make their comic exactly how they picture it but, it may take a few interactions with the comic maker to learn all of the features. Another pro is that the website has different “content packs” with backgrounds, outfits, and props focused on specific educational topics. A major negative is that there is nowhere to establish comic requirements within the website. If a teacher has certain content or information that they want to see in a student’s comic they will have to present that separately.

Pixton also offers printables, and what educator doesn't like that? Both teacher and student avatars can be used in a multitude of printables that can be displayed around the classroom. Create impactful messages with speech bubbles, make classroom expectation signs, voice level signs, classroom supply labels, character maps, and student printables.

Now, the free version of Pixton is good but lacks a lot of the features needed to bring the comic-making process to the next level. There is a limit on how many students can join a class and a limit on the number of backgrounds, outfits, and objects the avatars can interact with. There are different ways teachers can upgrade Pixton and the variety of options is perfect for finding what works for your specific class:

• The first plan is $9.99/month. With this plan, the teacher gets one new content pack a month. This is a cost-effective way to build the content your students can use in their comics. Another great thing about this version is that once you have the content pack you can keep it even if you go back to the free version.

• The second plan is $24.99/month. The teacher gets access to all features for this price. Students can mix and match content from different packs and make the perfect comic. This plan could be a great option if the teacher decides to give their students a comic project with a time limit.

• The third plan is $99/year. Teachers have access to all features for an entire year. If you and your students love to use Pixton this is a great option that will save money in the long run.

• There is a fourth plan which gives access to a school or school district but the price of this depends on the specifics of your school. If Pixton is something your school would enjoy have your administrator request a quote.

Pixton has proven to be an innovative way to engage students. The freedom to create combined with specific educational packs makes for a unique education experience for both educator and student. Despite the initial learning curve students might face when using the comic-maker, the possibilities for creation are well worth the possible struggle.

Overall Score

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

Fun Factor

🥳🥳🥳🥳 4/5

Affordability

💸💸 2/5

(To get unlimited content you need to spend $25/month)

Best for

❌Pre-k

❌Kindergarten

❌Lower elementary (1-3)

✔️Upper elementary (4-6)

✔️Secondary Science

✔️ Secondary Math

✔️ Secondary English

✔️ Secondary History

✔️ Electives