Bookr and Flickr

Using tools like Bookr or Bubblr in conjunction with Flickr gives students some concrete ways to apply  their written language skills to one form of digital storytelling. Students can use their own Flickr photos or any that are available through creative commons licensing to write a short story. The one I wrote here illustrating how to make a pizza is incredibly simple, and students could easily do something similar, finding photos that illustrate what they did over the weekend, or touching on a cultural construct, for example, how birthdays are celebrated in the United States or elsewhere around the world. Writing a short essay, a few sentences, or even a poem can take on another level of meaning if students are able to add images to their writing. These tools help students meet broader learning ACTFL standards like Communication, Communication, and Culture by using images to help compare and contrast words or ideas and illustrate concepts or act as catalysts for conversation about culture. When working on specific objectives with language learners, such as using the comparative or learning the genetive case in German, having a visual reference can reinforce students' understanding, and working on a project like making a Bookr book in a group, gives students the opportunity to strategize how they can best illustrate the concept they are they just learned.

Although I think there are better, more intuitive publishing tools available to students, having something like Bookr that works in conjunction with Flickr is nice, because it does automatically limit their search to creative commons content. Students who might not normally get excited about writing a traditional essay or short story might find a tool like this more accessible, which could, in turn make writing less of a chore or challenge for them.