Sunday 25 November 2012

Storybird (Artfull Storytelling)

What is Storybird?

Storybird is another interesting tool shared by Russell recently. It is a tool that allows you to express your imagination through a very creative way. From your Storybirds, you can turn them into short story books, play cards or greeting cards. They can be printed and shared among your friends. It is a great tool to encourage storytelling among students because it is colourful and full of pictures! Furthermore, it is free!

How it works?

First of all you need to sign up to this website. Having an account of your own allows you to save and publish your master piece. Storybird reverse the process of story telling by starting with the image and "unlocking" the story inside. You can choose you artist or a theme, get inspired and start to write your imagination into the canvas! 




Here is a video of a complete tutorial on how to use Storybird:
   

And below is an example of a finished Storybird:


Storybird in ELT:Advantages:1) A fun and exciting way to encourage storytelling among your students because they can express their creativity and imagination like a professional story book author.2) Storybird also offers a different approach to get your students engage in creating their own story by choosing a theme or pictures to get them started. It promotes a reversed process of story telling by starting with the image and "unlocking" the story inside. 3) This tool also promotes the sense of ownership and motivation. As your students create their own story, publish and share them, they may feel like a real author and feel motivated.4) You can also get the students to narrate their stories after they finished and share with the whole classroom. through this, speaking and pronunciation skills can be practiced.Disadvantages:1) Students may get carried away and fails to finish their Storybird (if assigned by teacher)2) No internet connection.

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