The last Tickling Tech session at my middle school was taught standing by the circulation desk with every head staring down at their phone.  This session was fun, fast and funny as I introduced teachers to Bitmoji.com (by Bitstrips).

So what’s the teaching value of Bitmoji for the students?  Almost none.  This isn’t a software I’m dying to teach the middle schoolers.  Instead, the purpose is to create community.  When you finally have success with a difficult student, wouldn’t it be fun to share with your 8^th grade team?

No other words are needed; your team members will know what you mean.

Having a bad day?  Trust me, they’ll know and this actually lightens the mood.

Can your team decide to only communicate in Bitmoji one day?  Of course – and what fun!  Yes, you’ll spend too much time looking for the perfect response but in the end, you will feel more like a team and less like a group of overwhelmed teachers.

Not all #edtech has to go straight into the classroom.  Sometimes, it can just be for fun. I give you permission to have fun while teaching.

Steps to successful Bitmoji fun:

• Download the app to your phone or tablet.
• Create an account.
• Create your avatar.
  • Re-create your avatar because it wasn’t quite right. (I give you permission to mess up, redo, revert, change, update, play with it…)
• Dress your avatar. (Outfits change regularly!)
• Find your Bitmoji and message it. Or email it. Or save the image. Or …?

p.s.  One teacher already using Bitmoji said she used the images on her syllabus or tests sometimes. Interesting thought…