This is a very cool tool that could be used for students to creatively apply writing strategies or show understanding of literary elements. The finished products look awesome and would definitely encourage student engagement and effort. There is also the option to share or email stories. The site could be used for varying purposes, subjects, and grade levels.
This website uses a twist to storytelling and sums it up best in their own description: "Storybird reverses the process of visual storytelling by starting with the image and "unlocking" the story inside. Choose an artist or a theme, get inspired, and start writing." It might be just the spark some writers need. I noticed a link to Mother's Day stories. It might be fun to have students write Mother's Day stories and send them via e-mail.
Kids' Vid is a great site for students and teachers to find tips about creating videos. It takes students through the steps of planning (scripting), making the video, editing the video and then the final product. The great thing about the site is that it gives reasons why each step is important, which helps to back me up in the classroom.