A Global Storytelling Network For Kids, By Kids

 

Creativity, collaboration, and cultural understanding are becoming increasingly important in our workplace and society. As educators, we are therefore challenged to create new opportunities for children to express their ideas and share their work in collaboratively playful settings, both locally and online the world over. At Stanford's School of Education, we are developing an online storytelling and animation tool that empowers young children without any technical skills to create their own cartoons and share their stories with other kids around the world. Our goal is to build an online Global Storytelling Network that will inspire creative collaboration and spread cultural understanding through the power of story.

With ToonTastic, kids use multi-touch and multi-pen displays to draw and animate via simple and intuitive gestures. The hardware and software are currently under development as an exhibit for ZEUM, a children's arts and technology museum in San Francisco. We have also launched a mouse-based demonstration online in the hopes of empowering kids the world over to express themselves and share their cartoons on their very own forum - for Kids, by Kids.