Another Summer Day photo credit: @ifatma. via photopin cc

Since January Storybird’s have been all the rage in my classroom. I had not planned it to become an ongoing project in my classroom but once word got out about the beautiful Storybird graphics it has snowballed into a phenomenon in my classroom. I have also introduced it with two students in grade 6 that I tutor and they are also hooked! (You know you’re onto something good when students go home and write on their weekends!)

If you are not familiar with Storybird it’s a website where you can use beautiful artwork to create stories.

Reasons I love it:

– It’s easy to use. Kids just play around with it and get it!

– The artwork is amazing and provides endless writing inspiration.

– It’s a sneaky way to draw in my reluctant writers. They have all given it a try!

– The ease of use and beautiful final product ensures a feeling of success right from the start.

– I can create classes and monitor my students work.

– It’s easy to share and access.

– The stories remain private unless you choose to make them public.

– It’s free!

The reasons they love it:

– The artwork provides writing inspiration so it doesn’t feel forced.

– It’s easy to use. They don’t have to be very tech savvy to use it.

– They get their own account. (Always a big deal in grade 4!)

– The artwork is already done so for my students who don’t feel confident in their drawing abilities feel instant success.

– It’s done on the computer – instant motivator.

Student Examples:

Friends By Reann Grade 4 Student

Family By Julia Grade 4 Student

The Little Ghost in the House Together By Arianna Grade 6 Student

Filed under: #edcmooc, #etmooc Tagged: #etmooc, Beyond Paper, Classroom Ideas, Digital Literacy, Early Years, Empowerment, Grade 4, Growth, Inspiration, Sharing, Tech Tools, Writing