Using Digital Avatars in the Classroom

Presented by Jessica Fobert

What is an Avatar?      A computer representation of oneself through in the form of a character.     There are many different programs available through Web 2.0 that allow you to create a free avatar.      Tonight we will explore three of these sites...

Gravatar Gravatar is a site that allows you to upload your

Avatar, and create settings to that your avatar will follow you from place to place. If you plan to use avatars in your classroom make sure that your students register with this site. SAFETY FIRST - Any parent would agree, it is better to have a digital representation of the student on the sites they follow, than actual pictures of themselves

Be Funky

BeFunky allows the user to cartoonize any picture.       

Students can create an avatar from their own picture Images can be manipulated in many different ways (the original source could be unrecognizable)

Be Funky contd... Also a great tool for digital storytelling: • students can create their own stories•  students can take digital pictures on field 

       trips and then write  reflectively about what       they learned   

Be Funky contd...

After editing their photos students can visit the site Stupefix.com to create a slide show with a voice-over or... They can create animated posters at Glogster.com

Voki

What does Voki mean?

Voki contd...  What is Voki? •  a Web 2.0 tool• allows users to create a talking character• enables users to express themselves on the

web• can be customized to look like you or many

other identities (celebrity, animal, monster, etc.)

• can use your own voice or a digital representation

     

Voki contd...  When to use Voki: • to introduce a new course or topic• great for audio/visual learners• great for getting shy students involved• great for practicing a language foreign to the

student• to build students' speech, listening skills and

pronunciation    

Voki contd...  Why we should use Voki in the classroom: • necessitates computer-pupil interaction ( a

great motivating factor )• enables the pupil to create something truly

unique• facilitates the transition from teacher-centered,

class-based learning, to the pupil being the one responsible for individual responsibility

Voki contd...  Why contd.... • quieter pupils can make their presence be felt

and heard• allows pupils to role play and hide behind the

mask of their avatar ( appeals to more reluctant speakers ) --- children can gain self assurance!

• students learning a second language can create a Voki with a script and then listen back to their grammar and pronunciation and make corrections where needed

 

Voki contd... How to use Voki with your students: • Students can create an avatar to resemble a

character from a story, add a setting, and give speech. Their script could be based on the story, or from a creative point of view from a character in the story.

 • Students can exchange Voki's with epals in

their setting or globally. They can discuss current event, trends, or lessons.

Voki contd... How to use Voki with your students contd: • Have the student write an 80-100 word

description of them self (describing their town, family, friends, etc.) and create a Voki representing them self.  The writing must include a variety of vocabulary, sentence structures, and conjunctions. When the Voki's are completed and graded add them to a class blog for classmates and parents to view - students can also perform peer reviews with 3 + and a wish! (would also work for ESL, or teaching a foreign

       language).

Voki contd... Where to start? • start by teaching your students how to

navigate the website in the classroom - then assign the actual creation of the Voki to be done at home (providing the student has internet access there).

• students will come out of their shell at home, they won't hold back due to shyness or fear of peer feedback - they will create!

Let's go!     The use of all of the discussed Web 2.0 tools will motivate your students! They want to learn in a current (digital!) way.     By using these tools you will engage your students and appeal to their interest in the high-tech.     Make your classroom a 21st Century learning environment!

References