What’s the “Bitmoji Craze for Educators” All About?

What’s the “Bitmoji Craze for Educators” All About?

By Dr. Lynne Herr

Dr. Allatesha Cain loved the fun and creativity that her Bitmoji avatar brought to instructional resources she created for her third grade students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  So she started a Facebook group to connect with other teachers who enjoyed creating virtual versions of their classrooms. She woke up the next morning to find 100 educators had joined the group.  Over the next few days, educators by the thousands requested to join the group, and it’s grown to well over 100,000 members in only 6 weeks.  Why?  What are Bitmoji Classrooms, and what about them has struck a chord with educators all over the world?

Bitmoji Classrooms typically use an instructional tech tool such as Google Slides, Powerpoint or Genially as a digital canvas to create virtual learning resources.  PreK-1 educators from all over the world have formed a subgroup to work cooperatively to build collections of rooms and resources to support all letters of the alphabet, numbers, sight words and more.  The slides include images of book covers that link to read alouds of books by their authors or their teachers.  They take students on a virtual field trip to rain forests or virtual summer camps.  They invite new middle school students to click on a locker to practice the dreaded combination lock that sparks anxiety in 6th graders world wide.  They invite weary teachers and students into virtual calming rooms to relax and listen to mindfulness exercises.  They feature whole reading rooms filled with virtual books and clickable wall art to help students understand the what and why of systemic racism.

As an educator who watches with awe and wonder that the incredible resources shared daily in the Bitmoji Craze for Educators Facebook group, I believe the “craze” appeals to teachers who yearn for the personal connections they build with students when in their physical classrooms.  While the cartoon Dr. Cain isn’t the same as the human version, it personalized the resources she shared with her third graders in Alabama.  She can create a room that closely resembles her physical classroom in appearance to help her students remember that space they shared just a few months ago.  She makes learning fun and inviting.

The Great Pains Summit team is proud to feature Dr. Cain and two of her group administrators at the virtual Summit July 14-16.  Join the Bitmoji Craze for Educators team to hear more about the group, then take a hands-on beginner or advanced workshop from them in an afternoon.  Want to get started now?  Check out my Bitmoji Classroom Starter Kit, which includes everything beginners need to build their first room, along with a tutorial playlist on Youtube to guide you through the resources in the free kit.  Enjoy and bring some creativity to your summer!