I had no idea that Bitmoji classrooms had become such a point of controversy for educators. There are teachers who are being criticized for apparently spending in excess of 3 hours learning how to create them and other teachers who have made them as a form of personal creativity and catharsis. Still other teachers are concerned about the lack of accessibility for students reading them. I can’t remember where I first learned about the Bitmoji classroom, except I think it was in the context of a Virtual Library Learning Commons. I immediately thought of all of the Google Slide skills embedded in its creation and how students might benefit.
When I was thinking about a culminating activity for my Kickstart Summer school class, I was teaching, I had the following learning goals in mind:
- something that would showcase the digital literacy skills I had taught them
- something that would help students get to know each other
- something that would showcase how they learn best which I could share with their future homeroom teachers
- something that would be open ended enough that students could use their creativity to make it really unique
I loved the idea of a “Bitmoji scene” with an audio explanation of the scene for accessibility sake.
Scene parameters
Students could create any scene that would showcase their interests and likes. While some students chose a bedroom, one student chose a racetrack, another a swimming pool, another a lake. I really wanted the scene itself to showcase their identity. Students were encouraged to link to their Identity song (which we had shared in class together) as well as a minimum of 3 other links which would showcase their personality and/or passions. Students also had to link to a reflection on how they learn best, as they had learned about the importance of self-advocacy and multiple intelligences.
Flexibility
If students have Snapchat, they likely have a Bitmoji, but I never want students to get an app for an assignment. Students had the flexibility to use Remove.bg to include a photo of themselves, or could use any other avatar they wanted to.
The students really knocked it out of the park. I LOVED listening to the students share and can’t wait to share these with their homeroom teachers. If I were to do this as a get to know you activity at the beginning of the school year (especially with a virtual start), I would have students share with one another.
Here are a couple of screenshots with the names removed:
Resources:
Bitmoji Lockers Are the New Bitmoji Classrooms—and a Great Icebreaker for Students!
Use an audio file and insert it in a Google Slide video tutorial
A slide presentation you may want to modify.
