The Bitmoji Craze
Just before COVID hit the US and everything was shut down in March 2020 I had begun to see Bitmojis everywhere in the education world. Not gonna lie—I ignored it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bitmoji. I like to think my character looks pretty similar to me and more than my Apple Memoji or my Bitstrips does. I’ve used Bitmoji in presentations before for something fun added, as well as my library orientation last year for all my 6th, 7th and 8th graders. But when the Bitmoji Craze took over Facebook, IG and Twitter I was skeptical. As someone in the secondary world I worried that it was too elementary, too young, too cutesie. I’m definitely not about that. However, the more I looked at these rooms, particularly those geared towards reading, library and literature, the more I was intrigued.
The students in our district are 1-2-1 iPads. I have had students bookmark my website, Destiny Discover card catalog, our research and resources website and much more only to have them ignore it, delete it later or forget altogether that they have access to these. During COVID distance learning it was hard to share information with them when I needed to send them to so many different websites, apps, databases, etc. I needed something where everything was in one place. Enter Bitmoji.
My plan for the fall is to have students bookmark my interactive Bitmoji library on their iPads. In this room every object the students click on will take them to a website or app that I want them to use for the library or that they need for classwork. Luckily I didn’t have to build it from the ground up. Thank you to Facebook’s Bitmoji Craze for Educators where users share their classrooms, libraries, items, etc. I simply made a copy of the room I liked, added images and linked each image to a website or app. The process didn’t take long since I’m proficient in Google Slides. If you’re not, it might take a bit longer, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly once you link your first couple of items. I definitely found it addicting because it takes the decorating part of my job (which I don’t like) and makes it digital (which I do like). When I shared my room on IG, I had so many teachers, educators and librarians reach out to me for the starter slides. I love helping others so if you’re someone who doesn’t know where or how to start on your Bitmoji journey, please reach out to me. I’d love to help you get started. And if Bitmoji isn’t for you—no shame or judgement! It wasn’t for me for a long time until I realized what it could do for me with my students, but everyone is different. Don’t let the latest craze make you feel bad for not hopping on the train. Everyone’s lessons, resources, etc. are different. That’s what makes the educational community so great.
