Story Telling Tools

 When it comes to the world of online tools for story telling, I was not expecting to find what I did when I went "searching" for sources.  From my personal perspective, a 4th grade teacher, there are many tools that I have used for my own school such as Prezi that are wonderful.  The thought of having my learners use these tools however was not as exciting of an idea.  I know that I was able to use these tools in order to prepare a presentation, but I was looking for more child friendly resources for the classroom.  

The thought would be that my students can retell their own creative stories in a more interesting and engaging way using online resources.  This is what has been driving my curiosity.  I have had students use StudentPublishing.com where they are creating a book online and it is printed for each student, but the following resources are ones that I have more recently found.  These sources allow students to create their own stories that will stay online to view.  They incorporate the use of music, animation, graphics, or drawing tools. 

Storyjumper

goanimate4schools

littlebirdtales

myebook

bitstripsforschools

animoto

simplebooklet

zooburst
storybird

A picture example of the Storybird site is shown below.  So far it is the site that I have the most interest in and will be using with my students.  The artwork that is created on the site and the different templates that can be used are very unique. 

 

Using online story telling tools with elementary students is a great concept because it can be incorporated into my literacy units with ease.  It gives students the true freedom to be as creative as they want.  It is also an easy way to embrace alternate forms of assessment within the classroom.  So often the formal assessments of pencil and paper can take over the classroom experience.  Summarizing is a very important comprehension strategy and the assessment of summarizing through one of these tools can be an excellent addition to any classroom.  



Resources:
www.storybird.com