“Words are all we have” Samuel Beckett, Irish author
1. THE ROLE OF STORY WRITING ON AN E-PLATFORM
Storybirds are short, artistically inspired stories, which can either be created, read, commented or worked on solo or in groups.
Storybird is a platform that allows the user to turn given images and words into stories, poems or complete books, which are afterwards published on their server, can be saved on the creator‘s computer or printed out.
2. HOW TO USE STORYBIRD
At the beginning of working with Storybird one always has to pick a collection of drawings and images which will later be connected and turned into a story. It is helpful to pick those images by using the search bar and deciding on a headword. After one has found the right images to illustrate their work, it is time to decide on the amount of pages, the genre, the layout of the cover, etc.
While working with Storybird in class it has been proven to be helpful that the teacher gives a few conditions and a small instruction of the program. As the website is very simple to work on, the students will quickly be able to get some inspiration and to create entertaining or sensitive stories which are at the same time professionally illustrated. The first step working with Storybird should usually be to read out the existing stories and discuss them afterwards. The published stories are sorted by the age of their producers and topics. An example story should be discussed in a way that matches the students’ age beforehand. The students then start creating their own stories in relation to a given topic. It is recommended to let the students create Storybirds in groups of two or three. The students should also learn to appreciate other students’ works and comment on them in a constructive way. This way they can make corrections together.
Students can only work collaboratively if they take turns (when one partner is done working on the story, the other one can take over). That means that collaboration in real time needs support and organization on the part of the teacher.
3. OVERALL BENEFIT
Working with the images on the platform also means to take a close look at the main characters. A certain development of empathy for a role is a skill necessary for the fight against bullying and should not be underestimated.
The program doesn’t really restrict the creator’s freedom but helps to connect the given pictures and characters with the student’s own imagination.
Creative writing is a very complex process, which is also encouraged here by inspiring images and the numerous stories of other users. This way, writing and reading are encouraged. It does not matter whether the expression is stimulated in the mother tongue or in a foreign language. Through the great pictures one can pick, every linguistically yet so simple "storybook" looks very professionally made.
