Storybird is a web tool that allows students to write stories and add illustrations, helping bring their writing to life. It benefits students by engaging those who struggle with writing and allowing all students to demonstrate creativity by ensuring words and pictures tell the same story. Research shows creating stories with digital platforms engages students and improves reading and writing as it prepares them for a digital world. The tool aligns with technology standards by empowering student learning and creative communication through digital media.

1. Storybird
Elizabeth Williams

2. What is Storybird?
 This is a great Web 2.0 tool for classrooms in every subject
 Storybird allows you to create a story that you have written and add
illustrations to the story.
 You can create short stories that will allow the students to show the plot
structure
 You can also have students write longer passages and create a small book with
pictures.
 Other subjects will be able to write about different topics in their class for
example in social studies they can create a story on an inventor.

3. How can it benefit our students?
 Students are able to help make their writing come to life.
 Students that struggle will be able to write a shorter story, but still meet all
the requirements that the teacher has asked just on a more simplistic scale
 Teacher will allow the students to show their creativity and use more of a
depth of knowledge because now the words and the pictures need to tell the
same story.
 Students will be engaged in their creation and forget they are writing!

4. National Educational Technology
Standards
 Empowered Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and
demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning
sciences.
 1cStudents use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their
practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
 Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety
of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate
to their goals.
 6cStudents communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or
using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

5. What others are saying?
 “Users can choose artwork from a specific artist and then add text to create a storybook... I’m
adding the site to The Best Places Where Students Can Write Online.”
 Larry FerlazzoTeacher, author, blogger.
 www.storybird.com
 “I think I love Storybird just as much as my students enjoy using it. There are no ads on the
site, it’s super user-friendly, and Storybird is very engaging for teachers and students.”
 Erin KleinBlogger: Kleinspiration.com.
 www.storybird.com
 “I can’t think of a better way to encourage literary exploration, artsy fun and new media skills
to inspire a whole new flock of creative storytellers”
 Amy JusselFounder, Executive Director of Shaping Youth.
 www.storybird.com

6. What does the research show?
 Creating stories using different platforms allows students to be more engaged
and allows more of a student choice.(Lipschultz, 2012)
 Using digital resources not only gets students prepared for the digital world
they live in. A neuroscientific study showed that students perform better in
this type of environment. They are more engaged and show improvement in
reading and writing. (Morgan, 2014)

7. Please click on the link to view a very simple
example you can create using storybird.com
 https://storybird.com/books/yr5zj7yum2/?token=hqanenbbt6

8. References
 Quotes from storybird.com website
 Lipschultz, J.H (2012). Storycraft: The complete Guide to writing Narrative
Nonfiction/Producing Online News: Digital Skills, Stronger Stories. Journalism
and Mass Communication Educator, 67(1).doi:10.1177/1077695811430813
 Morgan, H (2014). Using Digital Story Projects to help Students improve in
Reading and Writing. Reading Improvement, 51(1). www.questia.com