App Review: Cartoon Studio

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cartoon-studio-free/id362033057?mt=8

APP:  Cartoon Studio

Cost: Free

*Upgrade $0.99

Grade Level:  4th-7th

Overview:  Cartoon Studio 

Kids can make a cartoon / comic in a creative way.  Fairly easy to use - students can import characters for the cartoon with people provided, import photos of family/friends/themselves or an easy search on google (celebrities, sports figures, etc.)  You can choose what to write in each bubble & you can choose your own background (indoor/outdoor).  This would be a great way for students to take background pictures of anything they want using the camera option on the IPAD.  You would get to see what children are interested in.  I think even students who don’t particularly like cartoons or have little interest in making them will have fun with this one.

Ideas for classroom use:  This would be a great way for kids who love to draw or are interested in comics to become excited in creating a digital story project/activity.

-Kids could come up with jokes

-Creating character conflicts in books/stories/movies they are learning about

-Kids could create scenarios for bullying, conflict resolution, communicating with others, etc.

PROS:  

-Great option for those students who love comics & cartoons

-Students can create pictures of characters & backgrounds - imported from camera or google also

-Pro version is only $0.99

-Options to send cartoon through e-mail, blog, facebook, etc.

CONS:  

-Only 3 cells - unless you upgrade to the pro version

-Limits use of your own characters unless you upgrade

-Ads at the top --> cupid.com popped up as my ad with a picture of a teen looking for a boyfriend.  Probably not a great thing for the students to have to look at when they are creating comics/cartoons.

Upgrade:  $0.99 for Cartoon Studio Pro

-no ads

-create more than 3 cells

-loads more characters

-loads more backgrounds

-delete & insert cells

ART PACKS available with more backgrounds/characters