Farr-Out Links to Learning » Books

Storytelling with Storybird — a Flight into Fantasy

Jen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:11:42 +0000

I just came across a new (to me) startup called Storybird. Storybird is a service that uses collaborative storytelling to connect two (or more) people. You can use the collaborative nature of this online storytelling application to create a Storybird in a round robin fashion by writing your own text and inserting pictures generously provided by a number of gifted illustrators/artists. You have the option to share a Storybird privately or publicly on the network. As the daughter of parents who were involved in publishing, I am intrigued by Storybird.

Some of the things I especially like about Storybird include….

the ability to collaborate…great for bridging parents and their children.
the ability to keep books private.
the fact that collaboration does not equate to added chat features or public profiles (thank you Storybird).
the fact that all Storybird books that are shared publicly are reviewed before appearing in the library.
the marvelous talent shared by many of the artists/illustrators….Wow! (I’ll share links to some of my favorite illustrated books later in this post)
the fact that library media specialists and elementary teachers can display public books in full screen mode as they read the books to students (the books are great for interactive whiteboards).
the fact that you can easily add public books to your reading list or email friends with a link to the book (I know that elementary teachers will be anxious to share some of their great “finds” once they start to explore the books posted on this site.
the fact that writers and artists can use this simple publishing platform to experiment, publish their stories, and connect with fans.

With so much to like, I really struggled to come up with suggestions that might make this already great product even better. The only ideas I could could come up with include…

the ability to print a finished book (that feature is coming).
the ability to embed a book on a teacher website or blog.

This site holds great promise (and opportunities for collaboration and public exposure) for young artists and writers alike. You simply must check out this marvelous application and take time to peruse the books that are available on the site. Then, put on your thinking cap, look through the art work and write a story of your own. Better yet…encourage a parent/child collaboration party. Ask parents to write a story with their child that can be shared during a show and tell story time. High school art teachers could encourage their students to create art work for this site as well. Once the art work is available, collaborations between high school students and elementary students could easily be facilitated using Storybird as a vehicle.

Here are a few of the books that enchanted me as I reviewed the books on the site (click on an image to go to the book)….

Read and Write Children’s Books

Jen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:01:24 +0000

Students who read…write and students who write…read. Build literacy skills as you offer students technology-related opportunities to read and create books online or use the materials I created for my PowerPoint Picture Book Workshop to create and print books for your classroom or as a child take home project.

Big Universe is an online place where students can read, create & share books. Currently, the site features almost 1,000 Children’s books that are appropriate for students age 2 and up. Search through the books by targeted age, category, or search tool. The books are full version and could be read by students individually or projected on a plain or interactive white board for classroom integration. There are many opportunities for differentiation since there are often several books available in each category. Please be aware that the number of books available with the free account is limited…you will find more books and options available with premium accounts that range in pricing and option.

Another great feature of the site is the ability to create and publish (online) books. Teachers, students, and parents could use this feature to write books relating to units of study and the best part…there are 1,000′s of books that have already been created using this feature. “Illustrator/publishers” can select from 7,000 clip art options or upload scanned images or photographs. “Author/publishers” can also change font size, style, and color. Creating a book is intuitive and relatively easy. Books appear online once they are saved and published. There are several tutorials that will walk you through the simple process of creating a book.

There is no question that this Web 2.0 site will hold appeal for teachers and students. The only downside that I see to the site is the fact that the free membership will leave teachers and students yearning for full memberships so they can take greater advantage of the features offered on the site. You can learn more about this exciting and engaging reading and publishing site at you watch the video below:

What is BigUniverse.com?

Tikatok is another online site/community where children can write, illustrate, and publish a book. Simply write a story and upload your scanned illustrations, clip art or photos. Tikatok features a free teacher management tool that includes options for setting up student accounts and parent invitations. The tool is great as an online authoring program, but please be aware that the site does make money by printing student books, so parents will be encouraged to order their children’s books. Purchase is not required to use the tools found on this site and the online interface of the books is really very engaging. Please view the video below to learn more about this publishing/authoring site.

Tikatok Tutorial

I realize there are some students who do not have permission to use online resources, so I am sharing another technology option that you can offer students…using PowerPoint to create Picture Books. I have taught this workshop several times over the years. It’s been very popular with teachers and their students. Click on the image below to access the templates and materials I developed and posted for this workshop.

Additional Resources I interviewed in past posts (that could also be used for children’s books) include the following:

My EBook
WOW! WoBook

Web 2.0 Wonderful World of Reading – Part II

Jen — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:44:33 +0000

Yesterday I reviewed two sites that can be used to keep track of the books you (and your students) have read, hope to read, or are currently reading. The sites also provided reviews and provided recommendations for new books based on the books you input and rated as enjoyable. Today I am going to continue my Web 2.0 Reading research with some additional tools and recommendations that will help reinforce, organize, and instill the joys of reading. Between yesterday and today I hope you find tools that will encourage you and your students to get off the computer for a while and curl up with a good book. Enjoy!

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My initial reaction when I linked to Book Army was dismay. I found the homepage visually overwhelming. However, I’m glad I took a deep breath and gave my eyes an opportunity to adjust. The site has a number of features I really like. Registering for an account requires an email address, but does not require authorization, so once you can login you can immediately start to create your book list or write reviews. Adding books was very simple and quick and I enjoyed the format of my booklist (bookshelf). Some of the additional features that set this application apart (in my opinion) include…

an author section
a video section that included interviews with authors, book trailers, and video clips inspired by a novel title.
competitions, quizzes and rewards for writing reviews, posting books, etc. (I had mixed feelings about these options, but can see where they could motivate students).
the option to add groups, forums, or book events (nice options for teachers, however, students could also use these options to create private areas to converse on the web).

Another security option that concerned me (when it comes to students), was the automatic creation of an email…I worry that students might abuse the accounts, since they are not school sanctioned. I really do wish there was a tool like this available online for students. On one hand, I think students benefit from the expertise and interest a community brings to the book reading process. On the other hand, the security issues are disconcerting. The creators of this application are working on a widget option, but that option was not available when I posted this review.

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I’m going to switch gears a bit and focus on a few Web 2.0 resources that can be used with younger students.

Bookdwink caught my attention as soon as I linked to the site. An engaging video describes (and entices) the user to learn about the book of the month. Bookdwink definitely lives up to it’s mission to inspire students to read through podcasting and web videos. The books reviewed and featured on the site are geared toward students in Grades 3 through 8. Readers can look for books by subject, grade level, author or title and book lists are updated on a regular basis

Scholastic also features a number of resources that can be used to help students read. The first scholastic Web 2.0 tool I would like ot share is the The Book Report Sandwich Station. Students can use this book report generator to write a detailed book report that includes prompts for Bread (the title and author), Lettuce (the plot summary) and additional sandwich fillings that incorporate plot, setting, personal opinion and more. Try this generator out with your students and let me know what you think.

The Scholastic Share What You’re Reading site is a great resource that younger students can use to write book reviews. Students can also search by genre or grade to read reviews submitted (and approved) by peers. The site includes reviews for students grade K-12.

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Some additional links you might want to check out include:

22books a site dedicated to the creating, sharing, and viewing of book lists.
Booklamp – this beta site is striving to become the Pandora (see my post about Online Radios) for books, but I think it still needs time to mature…see what you think.
BookMooch – an online exchange community for used books (I’m not sure how well this will fly with the cost of postage, but it’s an interesting premise)