Two Resources: A Digital Writing Tool and 21st Century Storytelling Website

As we settle in to the school year and begin to think more about how to invite students into digital writing, we want to continue our own exploration of tools and resources. In the past few weeks, I’ve received emails from two people sharing info about a digital writing tool and a storytelling website. The tool, RealeWriter, is a program that students can use to create digital books, and it can be used in an almost fully functional form for free. The website, Lit Drift: Storytelling in the 21st Century, is a team of writers sharing thoughts about writing and story telling through “a blog, resource, and community dedicated to the art & craft of storytelling in the 21st century.” Here are some notes from the contacts at these sites:

RealeWriter – Mark Condon

RealeWriter The free RealeWriter prints small picture books, that feature children’s digital photos or artwork. The creations, called RealeBooks are onscreen readable and projectable as “big” books. There’s an email utility that allows children to email their books to family and friends, and a library system where children can publish their books for free. That should be a nice addition to your digital workshop curriculum, especially for pre-school and elementary teachers. In addition sound files may be added to any page, which makes these “local publications” particularly valuable for those involved in language and literacy development, those who work with visually impaired children, or those children who wish to add sound effects, animal noises, etc. to their creations.

I did download and try out RealeWriter for a brief spin, and found it compelling — the interface is easy to use and I could see how children would find the process of creating a story very engaging. The idea that students can share their texts through RealeReader’s online library system makes sharing and collaboration possible, too. So, give the free version a try and see what it can do for your students as they create their own books.

Lit Drift – JK Evanczuk

I’m writing because I would like to let you know Lit Drift, a new blog, resource, and community dedicated to the art & craft of fiction in the 21st century. We aim to uncover innovative and extraordinary examples of storytelling across all media, present them in such a way that’s fun and accessible to both teens and adults, and most importantly, to inspire them to become storytellers themselves.

I hope that Lit Drift might serve as a useful tool for Digital Writing, Digital Teaching’s readers. Besides our editorial content, we offer daily creative prompts, daily short stories, and a weekly free book giveaway
called Free Book Friday. This week, we’re giving away a copy of Crust by Lawrence Shainberg, sponsored by Two Dollar Radio.

The site is free to use, no sign-up required, no strings attached. We just genuinely want to get more people reading and telling stories-and to have a blast doing it.

So, there are two new resources to check out. Give them a try and let us know what you think. And, of course, if you have other resources to share, please let me know that, too. Enjoy digitally writing with your students!

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One thought on “Two Resources: A Digital Writing Tool and 21st Century Storytelling Website”

  1. RealeBooks.com would be a valuable tool when teaching English Language Learners. This website provides instant access to books in a variety of languages.

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