Community reviews for Storybird

In the SAMR model, I'd put this website on the redefinition stage. Students are able to design their own story independently, or with a small group, which allows for collaboration. Additionally, students can share their stories with people from all over the world in the community section. This section also allows students to read stories written by others students their own age, which can at times be difficult to find. In the TPACK model, StoryBird helps teachers reach the TCK section. Creating a story isn't new in language arts classes, but this tool enhances the content and allows students to interact and analyze original stories from all over the world. Overall, I found that StoryBird helps students develop critical thinking skills, while working together, and gets them excited to be more creative. The only downside that I found was that students cannot add their own photos to StoryBird. Because they have to pick something on the website, they can get a little frustrated; however, the images are nice and there are a wide array of options.

Can it be used in a higher level of the SAMR or T3 framework? Storybird can be used in a higher level of the SAMR because it helps the teacher modify as well as redefine and substitute assignments, readings, and grade students. As for T3 framework, there is an iphone app that can be useful for both the teacher and student.

I really enjoyed this took and would absolutely use it in a classroom. I would love to see how kids respond to it and try creating a story for students in a classroom to read.

At lot of studenst find writing tedious, but this app helps to make it much more fun and interactive. Students can pic illustrations to go along with their stories, and post them within the app’s community. It’s both student and teacher friendly, and very easy to get started with. This helps students share and read other stories from kids their age. This can defiantly enhance writing assignments in the classroom!

It truly is a surprising and engaging writing tool to unlock creativity in all writers. Students can view, comment and give feedback on each other's work and get inspired by writer's on a global scale. You will quickly see students working on their projects at home as well!

This product increased student engagement especially for students who were not good artists as they could pick and choose their own artist in Storybird. Parents were able to view student products giving students more motivation to keep up with their work. It would be nice if students had the option to upload their own pictures to make the stories a bit more personal. Keeping the class in Storybird will keep their work private and out of the public eye.

I love Storybird! My students are hooked and we can't get enough of the great art. We use all the features, poems, short stories, and chapter books. I think one day they will allow students to upload their own art and that will really round out the tool. One way that I could also see it evolving is to give peer editing access in teacher classrooms. As the teacher, I would like to be able to assign stories to students for peer review.

I think Storybird is a solid tool. I like that students can have their own account, but I can see what each student is working on. I would really like it if there was an option for students to upload their own artwork.

This is a great tool for ELL students as it walks students through the process and at the end, they have crafted a professional-looking story!

Storybird is a great way to motivate students to write for an authentic purpose and audience. The polished look of the stories they create make them feel like "real" authors. The students can also comment on each others stories within the class and send emoticons to each other as a review of their story. This feature is also a great, safe way to teach students how to be digital citizens and comment on their classmates' work. There are some drawbacks to using this program too. Students only have the option of using the illustrations on the site; they cannot upload their own. Also, once they choose an artist, they can only choose illustrations from that author. That can limit the direction of their story if students cannot find a picture that tells the story they are writing. And if students have a story in mind, sometimes they cannot find a picture that matches. Another drawback is that if students decide to buy a hard copy of their book, it can be pretty expensive. The number of pages determines the price of the book. We had one student whose book was $40! Even though there are some limitations to this site, it is well worth using. I introduce the drawbacks to the students as an opportunity to decide what program will best fit their needs for the story they are working on. Sometimes Storybird is a great fit, and sometimes it isn't. This helps students begin to evaluate tools on their own. The bottom line is, this program is definitely worth using in an elementary classroom!