One of the most fun and entertaining ways to create a personal connection with my students has been by plugging into their interest levels and trends. I can
do this by animating myself using THEIR technology! Kids love tech and typically anything that has to do with a phone so I’ve found by animating myself using a phone app called Bitmoji I’ve connected with my students in a fun and innovative way.
When it comes to using Bitmoji on Snapchat I’m sure anyone besides me has more experience and knowledge with it. I remember using rotary phones… yes the kind that plugs into the wall and makes you sit to use it. (I actually still have one!) What I can share with you is how I use Bitmoji images to spice up my classroom- both online and in house. You can Google and search Pinterest for hundreds of ideas too but these are what I use.
Greetings-
I love to greet my students at the door and “measure up” their attitude for the day. I’ll be adding something with a mask to it I’m sure and a way to greet with respect to social distancing too.
Interruptions-
I HATE being interrupted and my class pet peeve is blurting. It will never completely stop, but having this fun poster hang is a reinforcement of my expectations for getting my attention.
Job Poster-
Students love to be a part of the classroom and I’ve created a bitmoji to represent each job in my class. I try hard to have separate jobs for each student, but some are team jobs. I hang the poster and clip their name to it. I also print the job task cards off and put them on the students desks each Monday as a reminder of their personal role in the classroom.
Landing Page image-
For my Virtual Learning landing page I use a bitmoji so my students still see me in the classroom, even though it’s online.
Daily Slide/Agenda-
I use the same slides for my daily agenda and Online Learning Videos so when my students see it in both places the imagery is consistent and more welcoming to follow.
Stickers-
This is a fun new one I just saw on an IG page by The Collaborative Class on creating your own Bitmoji stickers for your classroom. Brilliant idea for awards, book labels or address labels. This is on the top of my to do list during this downtime.
Google Classroom Header/Banner-
The latest and greatest craze is the Google Classroom Header/Banner that is often interactive and animated. This tutorial blog by Hello Teacher Lady is the best description I have found to create one once you make the time to create your Google Classroom. (another blog topic).
Working in the field of marketing for many years there’s an important connection between memory and visual stimulation. Bitmoji images not only connect you to your students in a fun and trendy way students dig, but the imagery helps to commit the concept or idea to their memory. There’s so many more things that can be done but here are just a few of the fun ways I use it and am successful in my classroom. Have fun with it and then please share your ideas with me so I can learn some new bitmoji tips too!
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