Storybird enables users varying from small children to adults to create their own stories by combining pictures and typing lines corresponding to them. It can be sent as a card to readers which is a very unique way of expressing one’s feeling. After creating your own story, you can watch it on screen, print it or share it with people all over the world. If you are talented, there might be your fan who will expect you to make stories one after another.
Teachers can let their pupils to make stories by using computers in classroom or they themselves can use storybird to make interesting lessons. Teachers can educate and amuse their pupils at the same time without putting so much effort.
How to use storybird!
Do not worry even though you are unfamiliar with computer. It’s easy and simple. First you pick up one image and type a few words for it. Then you add more words and pictures to make a story. It doesn’t necessarily have to be individual work. You can work in a pair or make a group. Each person can take one or two turns and share a Storybird as well.
What is good about storybird?
Storybird enhances pupil’s imagination, literacy, and self-confidence. According to storybird maker, kids who play with words and pictures early in life tend to score higher in cognitive and aptitude tests later on. It’s absolutely more effective than those traditional educations such as letting pupils read already-made stories out loud in classroom. It stimulates their brain, enables them to improve their comprehension skills by reading others stories and creativity when they make their original stories. Furthermore, they feel pleasure and confidence through coming up with own ideas.
How the resource can be used by pupils:
-Target pupils can be varied from 5 years old (first grade) to 12 years old (sixth grade)
-Pupils can make their own stories in English individually.
-Pupils can make comments in English by reading other pupils’ stories.
-Teachers can find out their frequently occurred errors through reading their stories
(wrong vocabs, wrong grammar and etc.)
How the resource can be used by teachers:
Don’t you happen to assume that grammar class can never be interesting for pupils? Then, you know nothing about how you can use storybird to entertain pupils. You can teach various things from verbs, numerals, adjectives and many more to them by including a lot of vocabularies in a story. You can for example create imaginary family by selecting pictures available on the website, introducing a father who is always ‘angry’ a mother who is always ‘kind’, a daughter who is always ‘hungry’, a son who is always ‘sleepy’. Then you can also let their pupils to introduce their family or friends by using storybird. They will succeed in acquiring adjectives easily! Not only for English lesson but also storybird can be used in mathematics, science and other subjects. Visualization will motivate pupil’s concentration and interests towards class for sure.
Yuriko Koga
Work cited
Storybird official website http://storybird.com/
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI chose to comment on your blog because it made me curious about what it was. I have never heard of it, or used it before but I think it is always fun to learn something new. At first when I looked at some of the guiding videos, I thought it seemed a little too difficult, but when I tried it out, it was quite simple actually. I like the idea of the pupils making their own stories and that they can add pictures and write sentences that goes with the pictures. It really encourages the pupils to use their imagination and it can be used in lower grades with just simple words that describe the pictures or in higher grades by creating and writing longer stories. The opportunity to invite other pupils to work together is a very good thing, and I think that it encourage the pupils to speak, write and make presentations in a fun way. Pupils that have more difficulties making up they own stories have a lot of help from the pictures and that will help them to be more confident in writing and telling stories if they have this kind of help. Some of the illustrators are a little too strange, and others are just lovely, but there is something for everyone to make their own kind of stories. I will definitely learn more about this website and use it in my classes. I love to make up stories, and this is absolutely a fun way of doing it.
Thank you for sharing this website with us!
Yours,
Tonje
Hi!
ReplyDeleteJust like Tonje I had never heard of this before but after reading your blog post I really want to try it!
It seems like a good way to use imagination and children love stories. I really like the thought of letting your pupils create their own story and using their own pictures. I can see how it benefits you as a teacher because it is more interesting to make your own story than using an already made one.
One thing that I thought about was that the users are between five years and adults. This is great! If you work with younger children you can easy adapt it to their level and just use simple sentences and if you work with older children you can write longer and maybe use it to practice grammar!
Thank you Yuriko for sharing this site, I will definitely try this during my next teacher training.
Wicktoria