The Bitmoji Wars

Over the lockdown one of the rages of edutwitter was the Bitmoji classroom. Even I gave it a go. 

Basically, a Bitmoji classroom is a virtual environment featuring avatar versions of the teacher using the Bitmoji app to create these avatars. Tools like Google slides are then used to build the classroom backdrop and hyperlinks created for the images. Learners can then move through the spaces virtually, clicking on a bookshelf image to get topic notes, for instance, or on a whiteboard to follow a link to watch a video of a scientific experiment. Social media was abuzz with teachers who were obsessed with creating Bitmoji classrooms. One can see why, as Bitmoji classrooms offer a way for teachers to create a sense of familiarity and connection with new students remotely.

However as time went on, dark clouds emerged. Not all was well in the Bitmoji classroom universe. Over the last few months, strains of doubt and even outright rejection started entering the zeitgeist. That too much time was spent focusing too much on Bitmoji classrooms and not enough on quality instruction. Some US schools were now requiring teachers to take Bitmoji training and build the classrooms. 

My own personal belief is that Bitmoji classrooms and quality curriculum are not mutually exclusive. Teachers can do both if they so wish. It is also clear that such social media battles are not supportive of the profession and we should focus on supporting each other. 

However, one of the big issues which the discussion around the use of Bitmoji classrooms has highlighted is that in the sudden shift to remote learning, computer-based lessons are particularly tough for many students with disabilities who depend on assistive technology or other supports to get full access to their lessons.

So one thing for those teachers who are designing Bitmoji classrooms should make sure of is that the platforms they upload them to mesh well with the full range of assistive technologies that students with disabilities use, such as screen readers that convert text or images to speech, an example being the immersive reader functionality shown below.

Improve Reading & Writing - Microsoft Education


So by uploading a Bitmoji classroom to a platform like Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams, teachers can navigate the room and the resources in it with learners in ways that are tailored to their needs. Bitmoji classrooms are a useful way to personalize your online lessons, but in the end, nothing beats face to face teaching.
Bitmoji Image

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