Smilebox
21st Century Digital Storytelling

Address: http://smilebox.com

Smilebox is a free software download that lets you upload photographs, music and video clips to create multimedia projects. Design types include scrapbooks, slideshows, Ecards, photo albums, postcards, recipes and invitations. Finished projects can be emailed, sent to a blog, burned to a DVD or printed.

A premium subscription is also available and grants access to additional designs and music selections, along with other benefits.

The application is designed primarily for personal use, but has many possibilities for school projects, especially in the form of digital storytelling.

Full-time teachers can apply for a free annual subscription to the premium Club Smilebox servie (a $39.99 value). Members of the Teacher’s Toolbox program have access to hundreds of additional designs and music options, along with a newsletter with ideas on how to can use Smilebox in the classroom. Click here to apply.

21st Century Skills

Students become creative and innovative as they work to combine text, images, movement, and music into something that did not previously exist.

As students brainstorm design and layout choices, critical thinking enables them to make the best choices for their projects.

Effective communication is necessary as students write rough drafts of scripts and then edit and revise drafts to refine their writing.

Information literacy skills come in play throughout the process as they focus on the task, select resources, access and record information, and organize facts, graphics and music options to create a final product.

In the Classroom

Smilebox is a good application for students to use for digital storytelling.

The photo album design templates are a good way to share pictures and information about class projects and field trips with parents.

One of the designs looks like a newspaper and can be used for a weekly classroom paper.

Instead of writing a paragraph about a state/city/country, students can use one of the postcard design templates to include text and graphics about a location they researched.

Visit the Web 2.0 Teaching Tools Wiki to see examples of class projects.

Tutorial

Here is a basic video to get you started using Smilebox - "Smilebox Tour"

Safety Concerns

Remind students to not identify themselves with their full first and last names when posting their work online.

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