Summer 2023 UPDATE

Since you may have landed here looking for info about #BitmojiClassrooms and #VirtualLockers I’ve added some updated info.  BitmojiClassrooms and VirtualLockers are all the rage this summer as librarians, teachers and other educators prepare for more online teaching and learning than we’ve ever seen before.

What are they and how do I make one?

Simply put, Bitmoji Classrooms are engaging (hopefully?) graphic home pages or landing pages that can be placed on your web site, learning management system, blog site or wherever you like. Bitmoji Lockers are a fun way for students to introduce themselves to you.

• Incorporate links to lessons, readings, classroom resources.
• Create a whiteboard space for announcements, displaying student work and so much more.
• Add a background image and other graphics to “decorate” your space. (Please pay attention to legal use of images!  More information about creative commons licensed images.)
• Bitmojis just add a bit of fun. You could insert a photo of the real you also.
• Create them with Google Slides, PowerPoint, Canvas or any other graphics tool that you like to use.

School librarians created some of the earliest virtual spaces a long time ago! But it wasn’t simple back then. With the tools we have today, we can all have a fun virtual classroom space that is easy to update. And who doesn’t need a bit of fun right now! Wishing you all a safe return to your students. Be well, take care of yourselves and each other.

• Creating your virtual library (quickly) using Slides and Bitmojis as Hyperdocs
• Kilmer Library example
• How Teachers Are Still Using Bitmoji Classrooms in 2021-22
• Bitmoji classroom background ideas here and here and here and here
• How to Create a Virtual Bitmoji Classroom in Google Slides or PowerPoint
• Bitmoji Lockers Are the New Bitmoji Classrooms—and a Great Icebreaker for Students! – Lots of examples of virtual lockers. Link to a Google Slides template and video tutorial – both way down at the bottom of the page.
• How to Make a Bitmoji Locker (Virtual Locker Tutorial + Template) – Tutorial using Kapwing
• Check twitter for lots more examples and info: #bitmojiclassroom and #virtuallocker
• Check instagram for more examplesto #bitmojiclassroom and #virtuallocker

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(back to the original workshop post)

INTRODUCTION

Bitmojis are fun cartoon character emoticons that you can personalize to look like a whimsical version of you or maybe a wacky alter-ego! Choose hair color, skin tone, clothing, facial features, accessories and more. Bitmoji then takes your image and creates a wide range of sticker-like images with quirky, fun messages. Use these in your email, text messages, social media posts, even as feedback on student documents.  Here are some of the images that Bitmoji created for my image. Fun, right?

Remember the popular Bitstrips cartoon and avatar creation tool? These are a similar idea and brought to you by the same people. (The Bitstrips service stopped in 2016.) The company was bought by Snap and the Bitmojis are integrated into Snapchat.
Bitmoji is available as an iOS or Android app. And also as a Chrome extension for desktop use.

EDUCATIONAL USES

Bitmojis have rocketed in popularity with educators over the last year or so.
Educational Uses:
• Fun way to provide feedback to online student work.
• Enhance documents, forms, digital communications.
• Print them out on sticky address labels for use on student work.
• Use them in digital storytelling and presentations.
• Use them in your email signature.
• Create comics with them.
• NOTE: some bitmojis may not be appropriate for school use. 
• Many more ideas in the articles listed below.

EXPLORE

• Back To School with Bitmoji – Gwyneth Jones, The Daring Librarian, showcases some back to school bitmojis. And offers advice on how to edit them using PicMonkey.
• Beyond Snapchat: Bringing Bitmoji Into the Classroom – more ideas for using Bitmojis in the classroom
• Creating Comics with Google Slides – Sylvia Duckworth’s detailed instructions for using Bitmojis for comics.
• Why and how I Bitmoji in my classroom? – Includes tips for getting started and how to create printed Bitmoji stickers.
• Bitmojis: The “new” Sticker for Students’ Digital Work – Tips on how to add to Google Drive files.
• Custom Bitmoji Feedback – Put a bitmoji into Google Drawing and customize it!
• Back to School Bookmarks – Created with Bitmoji and Canva.
• #BookSnaps – Snapping for Learning – Take a picture of a page from a book, highlight the text that is important to you, use your bitmojis to add a reaaction. Includes how to videos with directions for Google Drawings, SeeSaw and other tools.
• Green hair, don’t care: create emoji that look exactly like you on Gboard – Google has a new emoji feature as part of their Gboard keyboard. It prompts you to take a selfie, then it creates some emoji images that theoretically look a bit more like you than other emoji services.
CREATE YOUR BITMOJI
NOTE: Some people have reported problems signing up for Bitmoji through the app. If you have trouble, try this Bitmoji sign up page.
You can create your Bitmoji with the iOS or Android app, or on a computer using the Chrome browser extension.  These posts have details on installing and using Bitmoji. Note that you’ll have more options for creating your Bitmoji in the iOS or Android app than you do in the Chrome Extension.  The options you choose in the app will be visible in the extension though.
• How to Bitmoji – Sylvia Duckworth has provided detailed instructions on how to create and use Bitmojis.
• Bitmoji Chrome Extension – Creative Communication – Details on installing the Chrome Extension.
• What Is Bitmoji and How Can You Make Your Own? – More step by step instructions.
SOME TIPS
• How to save a bitmoji image – in the Chrome Extension, find the image you want to save. Right click and use the “save image as” option. Once you’ve saved it to your desktop, you can use it like any other image. Save some and upload them to your blog post for this lesson.
• Bitmoji blocked by your school? – If your school has blocked bitmojis, save the images in a Google Drive folder or paste them into Google Keep (tips on doing that). That way they’ll be handy if you’re providing fun feedback to student work in Google Drive. The iOS and Android apps let you upload directly from the app to Google Photos, Google Drive and Google Keep. On your desktop, save the images to your desktop, then upload.
• Share directly from the mobile app – You can open the app on your iOS or Android device, select a Bitmoji and share it to Facebook, Twitter, and other services directly from the app.
• Share via the Bitmoji keyboard – The iOS and Android apps add a special keyboard that you can use to insert Bitmojis in certain apps like Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Follow the instructions in the app settings to set up the keyboard. The keyboard should show up where your emoticons and gif options appear. Note that the keyboards might be not work consistently in all apps.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

• Install the mobile app or the Chrome Extension (or both!)
• Create your personal Bitmoji.
• Have fun exploring the Bitmojis.
• Explore ways you can share it to various other platforms: (you don’t need to do all of these!)
  • Try sharing a bitmoji via email or messaging.
  • Or share to a social media platform like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram
  • Or try saving some to Google Keep or a Google Drive folder.
  • Already a bitmoji guru? Try your hand at creating some customized Bitmojis in Google Drawing or try Creating Comics with Google Slides

Your blog post

• Include a Bitmoji or two in your post. You can save them to your desktop and upload them to your blog post like any other image.
• Discuss how you might use Bitmojis in school? Or why you wouldn’t?
• Share any tips you have or comments about the process of working with Bitmojis.

*TURNING IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT

• Write & publish your blog post.
• Copy the URL (webpage address) for your post.
• Return to your Google Classroom, find the assignment page for the lesson you just completed and follow the directions for turning in and sharing your work.

*Only for students participating in the workshop for PD credit hours through the Google Classroom.

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