I often reflect on the many promises of the Internet left unfilled. There was a time when the Web was hailed as a coming revolution in education, communication, and accessibility to resources of all types. The form that revolution has taken is not exactly what a good number of us anticipated. Yet some of the promises are being kept.
One example is the proliferation of resources for families, particularly children. This week I came across a couple of sites I consider of value. The first is Storybird, an interactive site where families and friends can write and share stories. Yes, it does have its commercial side, offering artists and writers an opportunity to sell their work, but the obvious theme of the site sets the tone for clean, educational fun.
Another site is Storyline Online. The site is presented by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and features SAG actor-members reading children’s books “out loud” via video streaming, accompanied by activities and lesson ideas. I really enjoyed To Be a Drum, read by James Earl Jones (yes, I’m just a kid at heart).
What makes these two sites effective (and others, if you search for them) is their interactivity, collaborative nature, and appropriately themed presentations. Kids, and families, can both benefit from and enjoy wholesome content, and participate in the notion that “the best education is a fun education.”
