New Tech III: Storybird

Many of the technologies presented in class allow for online interactions between students and teachers. Another platform that offers this is Storybird. 

http://wltechconsultants.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/storybird-needs-language-moderators/

Storybird is a collaborative story-telling tool. This free website allows teachers to create virtual classrooms and invite their students to join. Students do not even need an email to sign on which is nice for younger students who are not old enough to have one.  The teacher would create a username for the students, a password is created by the site and the student has private access to the site. 


Teachers can then create assignments which the students will see when they log on. Students can create stories to go along with provided images. The images give a professional feel to the piece and if desired the student or parent could pay to have the product printed.


I would use this site for creative writing in Spanish. In my high school Spanish class my teacher would give us a new prompt every Monday and we would spend time writing on that topic. This was an opportunity to use creativity in our thinking and not to be so bogged down by all the rules that go into learning a foreign language. I think Storybird would be a wonderful site to do something similar. The different prompts also allow for students to tell about their own lives or respond to current events. 


I would love to see Spanish IV or AP Spanish students (grade 12) do an end of the year project and create a book. If funds were available at the school I would love to then have their books published and given as a gift for their hard work in completing so many years of foreign language study.


I love the fact that the teacher is the moderator in everything on the site and that I would have the power to take down or delete anything the students posted that I did not agree with. A down side is the fact that the images are limited but hopefully this will be something that is added to as time goes on.


In addition I am weary to have students complete writing assignments solely on the computer. The temptation to use online translators and to cheat would be so strong. I need to research how other foreign language teachers integrate technology successfully. I want to know what my students think and that they know how to say not, what a computer can regurgitate for them. 


If anyone knows of any suggestions for this concern of mine I would love to hear from you. 


Gracias.