Tech Tip Voki

We used one of my favorite web 2.0 tools today: Voki

Sign up for a free account at voki.com and you can save your work! 

Basically, voki allows you to create avatars (or virtual sock puppets like mine) and add voices via microphones or typing. 

There's a Voki classroom tool that's new and I'm excited to explore it over winter break!

The process to create a voki is quite simple.  First, you select the character you want from the dozen or so categories. 

 Second, you customize your character by adding bling, clothing, or in this case, deciding whether or not Abe Lincoln wants to rock some facial hair.

Next, you can play with the background or add additional avatars (players).

Last, you can give it a voice by calling in, typing, recording with a microphone or uploading an audio file.

Just a fun way to integrate technology!  

I think it'd be great to use the "politics" category and upload recorded speeches.  I can just see using the Abe Lincoln avatar I created for the Gettysburg address with my students!

Class Motivator Update

Well, Ursula is here:

When she's done, she'll look a little something like this:

I was hopeful she'd earn her tail today, but 4 students didn't return their weekly homework so she didn't.  (But 4/31 is a huge improvement, so I'm thrilled this positive motivator is working!)

Instead of me expressing my disappointment, I headed over to Voki to make a free online puppet.  I found an eel-like one that reminded me of Ursula's pet eels, so I used that.

I typed up a whole story about how the evil Ariel turned Ursula into a potato head and her eels missed her!  Hear her story here!

I plan to do this a few times as a motivator :)

I'm hoping they all do their work next week so we can add our first piece!