With distance learning came an exciting new trend to engage learners - interactive virtual rooms featuring Bitmoji teachers!
One challenge teachers face, both in the classroom and during remote learning, is how to engage our learners. Well, online groups emerged for supporting teachers in creating clever, virtual rooms. These interactive rooms provide a unique way to link students to websites, online activities, educational videos, even assignments in Google Classroom.
Teachers are adding their Bitmoji to these rooms, helping students to feel connected during these uncertain times. Adding personal touches, such as pets, family pictures, posters and decor from their real classroom are just a few of the ways that teachers are customizing these virtual rooms for their students.
Above is the first virtual room that I created for my students. I created a living room since we were teaching/learning from home. It has links to websites that we use in technology class as well as sites that were assigned during distance learning. When students click on items in the room, it opens a tab and takes them to the site that I linked to the object.
Students were thrilled to use this interactive room! I was receiving emails from them requesting that I make more. So this summer, I have been busy planning for next year and my lessons have had a Bitmoji virtual classroom makeover! I have Google Slide decks for each of my projects and lesson plans, and now they will include my Bitmoji teacher and interactive components for students. The way that I will share my content, lessons, and online resources with students will be tied to a virtual classroom. These virtual rooms will work well for in-person as well as remote learning. Currently, some things that I have developed include: welcome to school/class rules and expectations, virtual field trips, read-aloud libraries, math manipulatives resource rooms, seasonal and themed rooms, virtual calming rooms, subject specific activities, and more. All of these items can easily be shared with students through an organized virtual space that has resources updated (daily, weekly, by topic or unit) to fit classroom needs. Below is an example of a way to organize materials in one place that are easy for students to access.
Have you created a virtual room? Want to get started but not sure how? Look for my upcoming posts with tips on how to create your own virtual classroom! Subscribe to my blog so you don't miss it, follow my social media, share this post, and leave me a like or a comment below. I would love to hear how you have used interactive rooms with your students!
