For this week's Rising Resources post, we have another intriguing educational tool to tell you about. This week, we're exploring Storybird, which is a mobile app that both students and teachers can benefit from. It's designed to help students boost their writing skills through unique strategies and approaches. Namely, it enables students to incorporate artistic experiences in their writing, which helps bring out their creativity and even leads to greater joy in the process. Drawing (no pun intended) on visual stories, Storybird helps students find their voice and build key communication skills.
Referred to as an art-inspired platform, Storybird is designed specifically to help students become better writers. One of the most important soft skills in today's world, we know that communication is key in any future career. Since so much of today's workforce requires a reliance on digital technologies, it's easy to see why educators place such an emphasis on writing skills. Storybird's value, however, lies in how it helps students become better writers and not that they simply learn new skills. In using Storybird, visuals are key and they truly help students become more comfortable with expressing themselves.
On the Storybird platform, students will find plenty of purposefully curated pieces of artwork for telling creative stories. The Storybird team discovers images from artists around the world and populates the platform with content that students will likely respond to. This purposeful approach helps inspire artistic creativity and often serve as a basis for students turning their thoughts into original stories. Then, in the storytelling portion of using Storybird, students can really dig into their creativity and tell stories in any way they'd like. Best of all, they can create their projects in as little as a few seconds.
The simplicity of Storybird has attracted many educators and inspired them to give it a try with their students. Of course, it's ideal in ELA classes, but students could also use it in writing or history courses as well. Even parents have expressed positive sentiment when it comes to seeing how children benefit from using Storybird. For these reasons (and plenty more), Storybird has grown into a huge storytelling community—and it's only getting started. As their community continues to grow, we expect that the lessons and writing examples will only become better!
Storybird actually serves as a complete writing curriculum. After educators create a Storybird account, they can access over 700 lesson ideas, but the content doesn't stop there. There are also quizzes and pre-designed writing prompts available within the platform. Each of these resources has been created by an experienced educator or author, helping those who use them find peace of mind in knowing that they're legitimate. As for accounts, educators and students can start using Storybird with the 7-day free trial option. Paid options are available, too, if you determine it's a good fit.
With a student account, users gain basic access to exploring the Storybird platform. They can find plenty of writing samples to read during class or on their own time. Ultimately, the goal is to find useful samples to refer to as they strive to bolster their writing skills. It also includes full access to published comics, poetry samples, picture books, and short stories. In providing students with access to these examples of successful writing, the Storybird platform can really help them learn to tailor their skills and find their voice. As for teachers, they get access to various guides and resources. They can also choose between individual class and school-wide plans.
Another important feature of Storybird is that, in using it, students are able to write in varying and unique styles. This allows them to gain valuable experience with different types of writing. Take the comic strip option, for example. Though comic strips may be somewhat outdated, the short, concise, and witty text in these illustrations is certainly not. In fact, it's one of the best ways for today's writers, including students, to quickly capture and keep the attention of their readers. We know that today's generations want to find and retain information as quickly and efficiently as possible. To that end, this tool is a great option for practicing this art in middle or high school.
Regardless of their preferred writing type (or what teachers want them to practice from assignment to assignment), there are different formats for students to explore within the Storybird platform. Some of those additional options include poetry and longform. While they may not wind up pursuing a career in which these types of writing skills are required, practice with these approaches can help boost their communication and writing skills anyway—regardless of their future plans. Essentially, we look at it from the lens of every student needing writing skills and taking writing classes in middle and high school. Since they're doing it anyway, they might as well try different things and see if they find something they love.
Since millions of writers have shared their samples on the Storybird platform, students should have no trouble finding something relevant. This truly helps them gain inspiration and, especially in cases of writers block, it can really transform outcomes and their thoughts on creative writing. Best of all, once students have a piece of writing they're proud of, they can share it on Storybird (if they want and if it's okay with their teachers). When they share a writing sample, they may even receive feedback from some experts. Among the professionals who use and review work on the Storybird platform are teachers, professional editors, and expert authors!
If you've been looking for some type of tool to help inspire writers in your classroom, Storybird could be it. We'd definitely recommend checking out their website to learn more about if it's right for you! As always, after you've done that, be sure to explore the rest of our site to find more hands-on, tangible tools for use in today's educational environments. If you have questions or want to share your thoughts, comment below or get in touch with our team. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more.