Storybird+in+the+Classroom

=Storybird in the Classroom=

By Jen Roeder
Storybird is a new online literacy tool that allows users to create "short, art-inspired stories" that can be printed, read, shared and commented on by others. It is a fun, collaborative, story-telling website that allows users to create a story by selecting artwork or a theme, and generating ideas or writing from there.

Many teachers are already aware that pictures have the power to inspire students to write, rather than just a topic that contains text. With this online tool, users can choose from a library of artwork hosted on the site and create a story around those images which can be shared with family, friends, teachers or peers at any time in the process. Storybird encourages creativity and supports working collaboratively. Users can enthusiastically create stories on their own or "invite" others with accounts to participate in the creation of the story. Working together on stories enable students and teachers to combine imaginative artwork and text, building upon the ideas of others. Upon completion of the final product, Storybirds can be printed, viewed on screen, or published privately or publicly in an online library. It is also a free service that's offered if you're using basic features.

In my own fourth grade classroom, I have used Storybird only a few times, but the kids who have used it really seem to love it. Every time my reading groups finish a book, they have to document their understanding of the story elements and reflect on the story by choosing from a list of provided ideas. Many ideas involve technology, but others do not. Examples include: Create a puppet show that focuses on a major event from the story; Create a movie trailer for your book using iMovie or Windows Moviemaker; Create an online comic strip retelling the events from a particular chapter; Create an online story using Storybird that retells the entire story or a major event from the story; and so on! Any of the ideas that are suggested are ones that I have already introduced to the group. This year I had a few students that chose to create a Storybird as their final product. They worked independently on them and did a beautiful job trying to find artwork that supplemented their writing. This is sometimes is challenging--having the writing ideas first and trying to locate images that relate to their ideas--but it forces users to really tap into their creativity and imagination! Next year, I would like to try using it as a whole class and work collaboratively to create ONE story based on the ideas of each student. What an engaging project that would be, and how fun it would be for the class to view and read the final product together!

Resources Used:
http://storybird.com/books/ (Storybird Website)

http://storybird.com/tour/ (Tour on Storybird Website)

http://storybird.com/books/storybird-in-the-classroom/ (A Storybird on why Storybird should be used in the classroom!)

http://ilearntechnology.com/?tag=storybird (Online article)