Storybird ~ Digital Writing Tool

WHY use a digital writing tool?

- Motivation, engagement, creativity

- Easily share with wider audience

- Easily add image to inspire and enhance writing

- Student ownership as they create in their "own space"

This week I'm highlighting Storybird. I used this slide deck at a recent training. Click on the setting wheel on the slide deck to access speaker notes for more information. 

Storybird Features

~ teacher can create private class

~ students join using code or Gmail

~ use with tablet or computer

~ students can collaborate

~ can share via link

~ extensive art collection to use with stories

~ write picture books, chapter books, or poems

Let them Choose and Create!

Let them choose! Give students an opportunity to choose ways to demonstrate content mastery. They’ll take ownership of the material and retain the information longer if they can add their personal touches to it.  And then... let them share their creations. Here’s a great article about student choice.  Research indicates a “positive relationship between student interest and academic success. The more engaged a student is in their schoolwork, the more motivated they are to learn and the more academically successful they become.”  Here are a few digital creation tools to explore.

Padlet Has Some Great New Features!

I've loved Padlet since I first heard about it way back when it was called Wallwisher! While checking out my learning network on Twitter, a post about Padlet from a fellow educator caught my eye. I went to the Padlet blog to find out more and learned about some new (or at least new to me) features.   

My primary use of Padlet has been as a reflection tool.  Sometimes when many participants were commenting at the same time the screen would go a little crazy as new posts were added and the board was updated. Posts were constantly moving and it was difficult to find a particular post to add or edit text.  Padlet has a fix for that! It's called focus mode. Read about it here.

Padlet offers several view options: free form, grid, or stream. My favorite is grid because it is organized and more posts are visible. In grid mode posts can now be moved around on the board. Like terms can be grouped together and you can also choose where new posts will be added- at the top or at the bottom. Read more about this feature here.

My favorite new feature is the ability to connect posts. This is what got my attention on Twitter.  The possibilities are endless! 

• Retell stories
• Mind maps
• Flow charts
• Sequencing 
• Cause/effect 
• Timelines
• Scientific method
• Steps in a process

Read more about connecting posts here. 

Of course, don't forget you can add links, pics, videos, and files to the posts.  Backgrounds can be personalized and although there is a premium plan available, the free version is more than adequate. This is a great tool for students to use to creatively demonstrate content mastery or as a quick check for understanding.