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Bitmoji Classroom for Authentic E-Learning

Learning Module

Abstract

This Learning Module covers how to create, organize and use a "Bitmoji Classroom" as an authentic learning experience for elementary school students. This module contains tips that can make the platform as user friendly as possible for several involved parties including students, teachers and families. The Bitmoji Classroom became quite popular over the course of the pandemic and has grown in popularity.

Keywords

Google Slides, Authentic Education, E-Learning

Overview

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, teachers across the country went into a frenzy in order to compile a list of platforms that could be used to teach in the virtual setting. Some of the most popular platforms that came out of the pandemic included Google Classroom, Zoom, and Google Meet. However, one method of online learning that teachers used, notably in the elementary setting was called the "Bitmoji Classroom". 

Bitmojis have become quite popular over the last several years. They have been used in many ways such as text messages, emails, and more. They have also been used more and more in education as of recent. According to Emelina Minero, "The most popular use of Bitmojis in education is for creating virtual classrooms, or virtual learning hubs (typically hosted on Google Slides, which can be integrated into a learning management system (LMS) like Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology) where teachers post classroom materials and resources for students" (Minero, 2020). The Bitmoji Classroom, as Minero notes, can be found as a link on Google Classroom, which was by far the most popular LMS platform used by schools over the course of the pandemic, mainly due to its cost (free). Because Bitmoji Classrooms are created using Google Slides, it makes the integration with Classroom much more seamless. 

Bitmojis are characterized as a personal emoji which is essentially a virtual avatar of yourself. This became popular which such apps as Snapchat, which features the user's Bitmoji as the profile picture. 

According to Ronald Catlin, "Besides personalization, Bitmoji classrooms bring real-world connections and add an element of fun to learning. This can encourage communication with students and families and create a sense of “going to school” and getting into a learning mindset" (Catlin, 2020). Considering the circumstances teachers have been in since the start of the pandemic last year, the Bitmoji Classroom offers a way to engage students from afar, allowing them "choice" which they would otherwise have in their physical classroom, but in a virtual or digital environment. 

As a fourth-grade teacher during the pandemic, I relied on the Bitmoji Classroom to help give my students a sense of being in class without really being in class. By decorating my Bitmoji Classroom like my physical classroom with "myself" in it, it helped to provide a sense of normalcy, as much as possible even though we were away from each other. One of the coolest things, at least according to my students, was the fact that I was able to put a virtual futon in my class to match the real futon I had in my room! While the idea of the Bitmoji Classroom wasn't designed by me (although I would certainly love to take credit), I was able to design my own personal Bitmoji Classroom for student use which originally was simple Google Classroom links. The Bitmoji Classroom helped to transform student learning by bringing the physical environment to the remote classroom as opposed to merely posting assignments on Google Classroom. 

While it quickly became a didactic pedagogical experience for many teachers even though they were using technology more than usual during the pandemic, there were many opportunities to incorporate authentic/progressive pedagogy, which I believe was and is possible using the Bitmoji Classroom. One of the ways this can be accomplished is through project-based learning in the Bitmoji Classroom. Another way is through discussion groups & discussion boards that can help facilitate learning in a virtual environment. 

Intended Learning Outcomes

For the Learner

The Target Learner(s): Elementary/Intermediate Teachers (Preschool through Sixth Grade) 

Intended Learning Outcomes: The learner will be able to develop an understanding of the Bitmoji Classroom, its uses, and create one of his or her own for use in the digital classroom environment. 

Intended Learning Outcome Rationale: As we are still in a pandemic and so many schools remain remote (or may end up going remote again), teachers must be presented with creative ideas at their disposal to implement in their classroom, and the Bitmoji Classroom offers just that. 

Anticipated Duration to Complete Module: From start to finish, this module should take the learner about three to four hours, including the creation of their Bitmoji Classroom, depending on the intricacy of their project.

Material Requirements: The learner must have access to a computer, the Internet, as well as a Google account so they are able to access both Google Slides (to create the Bitmoji Classroom) as well as a search engine to add various elements to their classroom. They must also have a Bitmoji account in order to create their personal Bitmojis. 

For the Instructor

Assumptions about Prior Learning: At this stage, the assumption can be made that teachers who are going through this module have some type of experience with online learning as the vast majority of schools the past year offered some type of online instruction. In many of these cases, teachers should be familiar with Google Classroom and various Google products in education (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, etc.). 

The Rationale for Learning Outcomes: It is imperative whether teachers are participating in distance learning or if they are back in the classroom, that they should be able to explore options to engage learners online, including using the Bitmoji Classroom. Adding to the teacher's ed-tech repertoire is important, not only to spark creativity for students but to keep teaching "fresh" in order to try the latest and greatest, research-based practices. 

Creating Your Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

Before we get started in creating a Bitmoji Classroom, please take a moment to complete this Pre-Course Survey. 

It is vital to understand the importance of a comprehensive setup. We must always be cognizant of younger learners and their ability to navigate online tools, especially if they do not have as much experience.

(Project) Step 1: The first step to creating a Bitmoji Classroom is creating a Bitmoji. Once you have done that, you must have a Google account in order to access Google Slides, which is where we will be creating our Bitmoji Classroom. Take some time to review the video below which shows the basic steps for commencing the creation process of the Bitmoji Classroom:

Media embedded September 26, 2021

Video 1

Once you have reviewed the video and opened up Google Slides on your computer, you can start building your classroom. It may be a good idea to keep the video open on one side of the screen and on the other side of the screen (better yet, if you have a second monitor) can be your Bitmoji Classroom. Please consult the following rubric to conduct a self-review of your Bitmoji Classroom. Once we share our Bitmoji Classrooms later on in this module, three of your peers will use the rubric below in order to evaluate your project. 

Bitmoji Classroom Self & Peer Review Rubric

Update: Set up your Bitmoji Classroom. Take a screenshot of your Bitmoji Classroom homepage and then explain why you chose the elements you did. What did you include? What did you choose to leave out?

Comment: Use the @ to tag a person you are responding to. Provide feedback to your peers on their Bitmoji Classroom. What do you like about it? What suggestions do you have for change and/or improvem? 

For the Instructor

As with anything new, it starts with the building piece. In order for an educational tool to be successful, the more groundwork that is laid out and the more time that is taken to set up the tool, the greater likelihood for success. 

Thus, it is imperative as the instructor to carefully guide students through this process, taking the time to clear up any misconceptions and offer suggestions for success. As with anything in education, there is always changing so be sure to check and research "new and improved" Bitmoji resources. 

Update: Because Bitmoji Classrooms are unique to each teacher and because there are so many resources available online to building these classrooms however a teacher wants, encourage teachers to share ideas and resources in order to build the most engaging classroom possible. 

 

Organizing Your Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

(Project) Step 2: The next step after the initial creation of your Bitmoji Classroom is deciding how to best organize it. It is important, once again, to be mindful of your audience. For instance, if you have a preschool class, you will want to keep your classroom as basic as possible, with fewer links and more obvious locations for those links. If you have a fifth-grade class, you will have much more liberty to add more links and make the classroom itself more intricate and detailed. 

There are many ways that a Bitmoji Classroom can be organized. Amie Bentley offers "11 Helpful Tips" for organizing a Bitmoji Classroom. It may be helpful to review this article to use some of these ideas in your own Bitmoji Classroom.

One of the most common ways teachers organize their Bitmoji Classrooms is through a virtual bulletin board. This concept may be one of the easiest for students to follow because there are not as many visual stimuli in the background, which makes the various linked icons stand out more.

Image 1

Update: Take a screenshot of one of the slides on your Bitmoji Classroom (for example, if you created a bulletin board). Explain why you organized our classroom the way you did and why you believe it is appropriate for your student audience.

Comment: Use the @ to tag a person you are responding to. Provide them feedback based on if/how they provided ideas that you incorporated into your Bitmoji Classroom. 

For the Instructor

In order to properly achieve learning outcomes, the organization of the Bitmoji Classroom is a key factor. As an instructor, encourage the learner to take their time putting together their classroom, making sure that they are keeping in mind who their audience is. 

According to the Department of Education (2018), "Developmentally appropriate use of technology can help young children grow and learn, especially when families and early educators play an active role." There should be an emphasis on "developmentally appropriate" so that the tools that are being promoted by the teacher are at the correct level for the students, age, and development-wise. 

Update: Many great ideas come from working with others. Implore the learner to collaborate with their peers, sharing various ideas and methods that can make the Bitmoji Classroom organization the best it can be for the learning group. 

Sharing your Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

(Project) Step 3: Once you have successfully built your Bitmoji Classroom and you have organized it in a way that is appropriate for your student audience, then you can officially share it with students and their families! It is imperative that the Bitmoji Classroom is tested first to make sure all links are active/work or else there will be many questions from students and parents. You can share your Bitmoji Classroom via email, Google Classroom, or any other Learning Management System (LMS) that your school district uses. 

Below is a video from Mrs. Watson Education (2020) which discusses sharing your Bitmoji Classroom:

Media embedded September 26, 2021

Video 2

Update: Share your Bitmoji Classroom on a platform of your choosing. Once you have shared it, be sure to take a screenshot and share. After you have shared, use the following rubric to evaluate at least three of your peers and their Bitmoji Classrooms. This is the same rubric that was shared earlier in this module.

Bitmoji Classroom Self & Peer Review Rubric

Comment: Use the @ to tag a person you are responding to. Explain why you chose the platform that you did to share your Bitmoji Classroom. What are its advantages? What are its disadvantages?

For the Instructor

While putting a lot of leg work into properly creating a Bitmoji Classroom is of the essence, it is also equally important for the teacher to plan out just how they are going to share it with their audience. Ensure that the teacher chooses a method that is most appropriate for their students so that it is easily accessible and simple to navigate. Nothing can lead to more frustration than something that is difficult to find and difficult to explore. 

Update: Create a Shared Google Drive which teachers can use to upload their Bitmoji Classrooms and where they can also share with their peers the method they chose for sharing it with their students. One idea is to create a shared Google Doc where they can include their own ideas used in their Bitmoji ClassroomsThis can allow for an area for collaboration. 

Helping Students Navigate Your Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

(Project) Step 4: Now that you have created your Bitmoji Classroom, organized your classroom, and shared your classroom, it is time to help students navigate it. 

One of the ways that teachers help their students navigate their Bitmoji Classroom is through a quick tutorial video. One of the great things about a tutorial video is that students can review it as many times as they see fit. Below is an example from Angel Hicks (2020), who created her tutorial as a Tik Tok video. You can use any number of platforms, such as Screencastify, Loom, or other methods in order to achieve a similar outcome. 

Media embedded September 26, 2021

Video 3

Update: After deciding on how you plan on showing your students how to navigate your Bitmoji Classroom, describe why you chose the medium/method you did and why you believe it is appropriate for your student audience. What are the pros to using the medium you chose? What are the cons?

Comment: Use the @ to tag a person you are responding to. Discuss your navigation method with a peer and ask them for their input. 

 

For the Instructor

Something else that can lead to frustration with something new someone is using, especially with technology, is when they are given something with little to no training in how to use it. It is imperative that the teacher come up with some way of showing students the ins and outs of their Bitmoji Classroom. This can be done in several ways and may include a Zoom or Google Meet. Encourage teachers to create their own videos to share with their students, and emphasize the importance of ensuring parents are also trained in how to navigate the Bitmoji Classroom, especially for younger elementary students who will rely on their parents when they are at home. A parent night might also be a good idea to help parents become not only more familiar but more comfortable with their student's Bitmoji Classroom.

Update: Encourage teachers to record their presentations and upload them to YouTube in order to share with the learning community, which could allow for new ideas that peers can use when developing their own navigation tools. 

Discussion Boards in Your Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

(Project) Step 5: Now that you have created, organized, shared, and instructed students on navigating your Bitmoji Classroom, it is now time to use it. One method that can be popular for class discussions and thus authentic learning and engagement is the use of a discussion board. The method of the discussion board is up to you, as you could use platforms such as Google Classroom or Canvas. Below, is a video that describes how to use the LMS Canvas for discussion boards in a Bitmoji Classroom:

Media embedded September 26, 2021

Video 4

Update: Create your own discussion board question using whichever platform you choose. Take a screenshot of your discussion board question and share it. Why did you choose the question you did? What do you expect the results of your question to be?

Comment: Use the @ to tag a person you are responding to. Explain why you used the method you chose for discussion boards in your Bitmoji Classroom. 

For the Instructor

Discussion boards, no matter where they are used, can be a great way to encourage the spirit of collaboration in the classroom. As noted by Sarah Pazur, "The merits of the Bitmoji classroom do not lie in how well they approximate f2f classrooms, but in how they help students feel connected to their school community or access the potentials of the global classroom" (Pazur, 2020). Encourage teachers to ensure that their discussion boards are easily visible and accessible for their students. 

Update: Encourage the learners to actively participate in the discussion boards, not necessarily taking charge of the conversation, but acting as more of a facilitator.

Creating an Authentic Project-Based Assessment in Bitmoji Classroom

For the Learner

(Project) Step 6: Finally, after you have created, organized, shared, showed students how to navigate, and introduced them to discussion boards on your Bitmoji Classroom, it is time for them to create an authentic project. There are many ways this can be done. For my example, I chose to use the website Wonderopolis, where students in fourth grade could choose any topic that they we curious about on the website, in order to investigate further, create a short presentation on it (such as through Google Slides), and then share their findings with their peers in a short video. 

Image 2
Image 3 (Wonderopolis.org)

 

For the Instructor

A properly devised and well-thought-out project can make or break its success. Ensure that the learner chooses a project that does not have too many steps and that is easy to understand and access. Be sure that the project offers a chance for authentic assessment, as opposed to a standard didactic approach that does not offer much in the realm of creativity. 

Update: Encourage the learner to think outside of the box to create their projects. If they need help, encourage them to visit a website like Teacher Pay Teacher, where they may find a plethor of authentic, project-based learning ideas that can be integrated into the Bitmoji Classroom. 

References

Because We're Teachers with Wes and Darlene. (2020, October 2). How to Use Your Bitmoji Classroom for Discussion Boards in Canvas. YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxaviarQgg.

Catlin, R. (2021, April 13). Jumping on the Bitmoji Classroom Train. PBS. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/jumping-on-the-bitmoji-classroom-train.

Department of Education. (2018, May 8). Guiding principles for use of technology with early learners. Office of Educational Technology. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://tech.ed.gov/earlylearning/principles/.

Hicks, A. (2020, July 29). Bitmoji Classroom Navigation. YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeRxY_EIczI.

Minero, E. (2020, August 14). Educators turn TO Bitmoji to build community and engagement. Edutopia. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/educators-turn-bitmoji-build-community-and-engagement.

Mrs. Watson Education. (2020, June 27). How to use and share your Bitmoji Classroom with others. YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLlzpTR02vg.

Panczner, K. (2020, April 23). Bitmoji Classroom Tutorial. YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-P_WdQWPc8&t=11s.

Pazur, S. (2020, September 24). The menagerie, myths, and merits of the bitmoji classroom. Hybrid Pedagogy. Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://hybridpedagogy.org/bitmoji-classroom/.

Sigurdson, C. (2020, August 30). 11 helpful Bitmoji virtual Classroom organizational tips. Glitter Meets Glue. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://glittermeetsglue.com/bitmoji-virtual-classroom-organizational-tips/.

Wonderopolis. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2021, from https://wonderopolis.org/.