BP9 StoryBird

In my quest for a web 2.0 tool to discuss this week, I found a site called Storybird.  Storybird is a site where you can read stories by other subscribers, create a story of your own, use the artwork that the site provides or collaborate with others to create a story.  I love the story behind Storybird.  A father and son wrote and illustrated a story for the mother based on a creature she had created.  The father loved the experience of collaborating with his son; he wanted to share that feeling with others.

Teachers who use this site can setup a class page (classes can have multiple pages) and add students to them.  Teacher can create assignments for students to complete.  The assignments are similar to story topics or ideas.  A new feature that Storybird is working on is allowing classes to collaborate with other classes around the world.

With Storybird you can create stories with friends and family members.  A grandparent and a grandchild can write a story together about anything they want.  Both the grandparent and the grandchild will cherish that precious time and book. 

The service is free but they will be introducing printing and premium services which will have fees associated with them.  When creating a story with Storybird, you can illustrate with art from the site.  Artwork is from artist around the world.  If you are an artist and have some images you would like to share with others, Storybird is an excellent venue for exposure.  In addition to the exposure, another benefit is that artists can develop a fan bases and followers.

I enjoyed creating my own story so much that I had shared this site with fellow teachers and I’m using it with my own students.