Bitmoji – Infinitely Teaching

Bitmoji Refresh

September 2, 2019 Mandi

It’s been awhile since I posted about Bitmojis and a few things have changed since the last post. Below is an update on how to create and use Bitmojis in your classroom.

CREATE A BITMOJI

You used to be able to create a Bitmoji on your computer. You can’t do that anymore. You must create it on the Bitmoji app or through the Snapchat app. Look inside your app store for either or both apps. This is the fun part! You have three different options for Bitmoji: Bitstrips, Bitmoji classic, or Bitmoji Deluxe. My Bitmoji is the deluxe version.

If you use Snapchat, you will have additional options like using the Bitmoji keyboard (on iOS) and sending “friendmojis”. You can also use it in Snapchat which is pretty fun! **Hint** Remember your username and password for the next step.

INSTALL THE CHROME EXTENSION

Install the Chrome extension for Bitmoji. You will have to use the same login information from Bitmoji or Snapchat, whatever you used to set up your account. Once installed and signed in, you can click on the Bitmoji extension in the top right of the Chrome Browser. It will show the current outfit you have selected from the app. If you want an outfit change, you will have to change it in the app. **NOTE** This only works in the Chrome browser, just another reason to use chrome 🙂

USE BITMOJI FROM EXTENSION

This part is soooo cool. You can search the Bitmoji you want or search through the multiple tabs to find the perfect Bitmoji. Once selected, just drag it onto the Doc, Slide, Drawing, Sheet, Keep (OK, any Google App) or email. You can also drag it from Chrome to a Word Doc or PowerPoint. If you want to use it elsewhere, right click and download the image.

USE BITMOJIS

Now the REAL fun begins. What do you do with it? As a teacher, I put Bitmojis on EVERYTHING.

Build A Robot Project — I put it on instruction sheets for projects

Gold Star — Is use them for feedback on student assignments.

You can also create CUSTOM feedback and store them in Google Keep. Here is a blog post about that process.

Bitmoji Feedback — Custom Feedback created in Google Drawing

Google Classroom Header (16) — Custom Google Classroom Header

You can find the instructions for Custom Headers HERE.

You can also put Bitmojis in Google Drawing and create custom Bitmojis like the numbers in the post. You can make a school shirt, a group Bitmoji, or make one say something new. (Custom Bitmoji tutorial) My favorite is using them for Stop Motion Video. The tutorials are linked.

STUDENT BITMOJI USE

First, Bitmoji is a 13+ app, so it would only be available for high school students. Second, there are some questionable Bitmojis and many school block it. I am lucky enough that they will open it for me while my students are using it. I do have a discussion about appropriate use, much like I do with YouTube. Only use school appropriate Bitmojis or we won’t be able to use it anymore. I’ve been using them in my classroom for 4 years now and only had ONE questionable use, and the student used an alcoholic beverage Bitmoji. He changed it before it was published so no harm done.

Here is a workaround for schools blocking Bitmoji. Students can email Bitmojis to their school account directly from the Bitmoji app.

If you have littles, you can create a folder of Bitmojis for them to use. Create a folder for each kiddo with a Bitmoji that looks like them. Here is a crowd sourced folder of some generic ones. Here is a short podcast talking about creating Bitmojis for students.

Now, WHY do you want to go through the trouble? Because students can create some amazing projects with Bitmoji.

Booksnaps or Mathsnaps

Comic Books that you can read in iBooks or Kindle. Or other comic type projects.

Here are more ideas from the interverse using Bitmojis in the classroom.

https://www.weareteachers.com/bitmoji-classroom/

https://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2018/09/back-to-school-with-bitmoji.html

https://mrswelchknows.blogspot.com/2017/12/tech-tip-thursday-bitmojis.html

Bitmoji, custom headers, Google Classroom, Google Drawing

Custom Google Classroom Headers

December 4, 2018 Mandi

I love to customize my Google Classroom banners. I mean, the ones provided by Google are super cute, but if you can add a Bitmoji then it’s better I say. I also sometimes include some icons for the content area. I create my own to avoid copyright issues, but noun project is another great resource to use.

Header example

Google Classroom Header.png

You will create these in Google Drawing. Google Drawing is located in your Drive under more Screen Shot 2018-12-04 at 9.55.37 PM or in your Google waffle. Screen Shot 2018-12-04 at 9.54.00 PM

Now we want to go to page set-up under file, select custom, change inches to pixels and create an 800 x 200 pixel canvas. 2018-12-04_21-58-27

Now the fun can begin. If you right click (or control click) on the canvas it will allow you to change the background of the canvas. I like to use the gradient feature so the middle is a little lighter.

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I’ve you know ANYTHING about me, you know I like to use the Bitmoji extension. You can learn about how to use the extension in this blog post. Now remember, you don’t want to put words in the middle of you banner because Google Classroom will put the class label in the middle. You also want to leave a little room on the outside edges so it fits your browser configuration.

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I added the words Happy Holidays too. Word Art is another fun tool to use if you want to play around with it.

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Now you are ready to download your creation. I like .png, but you can also use .jpg

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Now that you have your image in your downloads folder or whatever location you send your downloads. Now let’s put this into Google Classroom. Click on the upload photo link in the bottom right corner. Select or drag your image in. TAH DAH, you have a new custom header.

2018-12-04_22-28-47 You can see my previous custom header and the new holiday header I just created. Notice the color does get a little darker when you upload. You might also play around with the location of your images. I move mine more towards the top than centered so it looks centered once inside of Classroom.

Now, let’s take this a step further. How about you let students create custom headers and each week you display a new one? Evan Mosier is having one of his classes do this and he has shared a site will the headers created by his students. They are free for anyone to use.

If you make one of your own, let me know @MandiTolenEDU on Twitter. If you use a banner from one of Evan’s students, give them a shout-out on Twitter.

#mathsnaps, Bitmoji, Google Drawing

BookSnaps & MathSnap in Google Drawing

February 23, 2017 Mandi

When my students create #mathsnaps in my classroom, they want them to look close to something you would create in SnapChat. I’ve created a little animated gif tutorial below to help with that.

You can screen capture your image or take a picture and upload it to drive. Below explains how to insert your image from drive and resize the page.

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The next piece that makes it look like Snapchat is the partially transparent gray bar with text on it.

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Using the scribble tool you can annotate on your images just like you do in Snapchat.

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Then comes my MOST FAVORITE PART, inserting the Bitmojis. My students have the Bitmoji Chrome Extension installed on their computer so they can drag their Bitmoji to their image.

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The other thing I really like about Snapchat are the “other” sticker options. We can do the same thing if we do an image search within Google Drawing.

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Last but not least, download your image so you can share on Twitter, Instagram or other social media. You wouldn’t need to download if you are submitting to Google Classroom. But… these are more fun when you share!!!

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