Webinar:
Teacher Use of Pixton
Intro
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Best Practice #1 — Integrate New Knowledge
Prepare a comic using familiar images like helium balloons and scuba divers to review atoms. Create a second comic showing how atoms form compounds while introducing key terms. Engage students by having them compare the familiar scenarios and explore differences in contexts, linking these ideas to compound formation. See the handout for instructions, activity variations, and differentiation strategies.
Best Practice #2 — Reduce Cognitive Load
Select an article at an appropriate reading level and provide it with a News Article graphic organizer and a comic summarizing its main points. Have students analyze themes and visual cues to aid their comprehension. See the handout for instructions, activity variations, and differentiation strategies.
Best Practice #3 — Offer Choice and Collaboration
Prepare a sample comic that models an open-ended task with clear instructions and multiple design options, such as prompting students to create a word problem with specific vocabulary and a set answer. Use the activity maker to assign the activity and allow the comic to be remixed by students. See the handout for instructions, activity variations, and differentiation strategies.
Recap
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Associated Research
Apostolou, D., & Linardatos, G. (2023). Cognitive load approach to digital comics creation: A student-centered learning case. Applied Sciences, 13(13), Article 7896.
Surr, W., Zeiser, K. L., Briggs, O., & Kendziora, K. (2018). Learning with others: A study exploring the relationship between collaboration, personalization, and equity. American Institutes for Research.
Zhou, Y., Yi, F., Dong, B., Zhang, G., Zhang, Y., Xu, T. (2024). Mental imagery scaffolding: The effects of detail richness and text load on geography learning. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 16929–16956.
