Bubbl...R

What is Bubblr? 

Bubblr is a tool use to create comic strips using photos from flickr.com. It is a program produced by a company called pimpampun. We can use Bubblr to produce a presentation of loads of photos or to create a story. 

To create digital comic strips, we need to type in the key words to search the images we need. Drag them to a dynamic timeline structure. Bubbles for speech, ideas, thoughts and text can then be included to the images. What we get is a linear style scrolling comic book after publishing. The strips can be saved to online archive, printed, or shared to others through email or blog. 

Let me present to you the things I love about korea through Bubblr. Here you go.

How to use Bubblr in a language classroom?

1. To tell story
   Teacher can ask students to use bubblr to tell stories, like holidays, hobbies, childhood,  favourite food, festivals etc using a sequence of photos and text bubbles. 
2. To illustrate a historical timeline
   Students can use bubblr to present a series of past events. They can summerise a complicated and wordy historical text into a comic strip so as to visualise the historical events. This helps in the memorisation of the history. 
3. To do class presentation
   Bubblr is an alternative for doing presentation using Powerpoint presentation.

It is also an activity that teacher can assign the students as a homework. It is very easy to acquire and apply. Teacher may introduce to the students step-by step on the ways of uploading photos from flickr to bubblr in class. Once the students get a hang on the tool, they can perform their task back in the comfort zone of their home.

Why would you use Bubblr?

1. The program is free and easy to use. 
2. It gives rise to variety in classroom presentation. This facilitates the learning of students of different learning preferences.
3. It is interesting and engaging. Students have a wide selection of photos and they can create their own stories. 
4. It gives the sense of ownership. As students are given a lot of freedom when creating the comic strips, each comic strip is very different from one another. Comic strips become special when students personalise their work.
5. Images included into the timeline helps to visualise what students learn. This helps to attend to students who learn best through visual arts. 

What are the limitations?

1. Flickr.com may not provide enough photos for students to present their ideas and thoughts. 
2. Only photos can be added to the presentation. Videos and recordings are not applicable. 
3. The text bubbles included into the photos cannot be re-sized. It is can sometimes block the photos.
4. Students cannot put comments to the comic strips created by peers. 
5. When comic strip is embedded into blog, it become too small for visibility.