Category: School Subjects

Season’s Greetings: Lesson Plans to Spread Cheer

Season’s Greetings: Lesson Plans to Spread Cheer

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

You can feel it in the air and see it in every shop window. The holidays are here and there is a lot to celebrate! Students are already itching for Winter break. Now is the perfect time to indulge in those happy thoughts and wishes, and learn a little along the way!

We have created three Voki lesson plans that can be used for any grade level. These lessons will give students a chance to discover the perfect winter wonderland in lands unknown, find out how different cultures celebrate Christmas, and learn about Chanukah customs and traditions.

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan is not a requisite – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities.

Christmas Around the World (Any Grade, Geography and Social Studies) – Students will research Christmas traditions in different countries. They will prepare a presentation for the class that will consist of an oral presentation, a PowerPoint and a Voki. This activity will give students a chance to learn more about different cultures from around the world and how they celebrate one of the most important days in the Christian religion.

The Story of Chanukah (Middle School, Social Studies) – Students will learn more about the customs and traditions associated with the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. Students will gather into groups and be assigned a Chanukah research topic. Once the groups have completed their research, students will make a group presentation using Voki.

The Best Winter Vacation Ever (Any Grade, Geography) – Students will write a paragraph that describes a book or movie character in detail.  After the paragraphs have been written, students will be able to design their Voki according to the description and present their Voki character description. Classmates will try to guess who the character is based on the description.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

Public Speaking? No Sweat!

Public Speaking? No Sweat!

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 2 Comments

Public Speaking, like any other subject, takes practice — lots of practice.  Just think about the most common nightmare experienced by children and adults worldwide: You’re palms are sweaty. You’re feeling nervous. You finally take the stage to make your speech, then from the audience bursts laughter from corner to corner. You wonder what is wrong and you look down…

Luckily, that scenario rarely happens in real life, but the fear is real. Avoiding anxiety can actually be easy if you practice public speaking regularly. Students may not know it now, but the truth is, feeling confident speaking in front of a group will help them tremendously later in life.

From a professional atmosphere to an informal gathering, the skills acquired in a Public Speaking class can be a great personal asset. Below are a few lessons we have created to help make the subject more approachable by students. By using Voki and recording their voices (instead of using the text-to-speech feature), students will be able to deal with public speaking with greater confidence. As time goes on, students’ will develop their own style and techniques.

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan is not set in stone – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities.

Personal Introductions (6th, Public Speaking) – Students will break the ice in their public speaking class using Voki. In an informal introduction, students will talk about who they are, what their goals are for the class, and who they admire. After presentations are done, classmates will know more about each other’s personal lives and in turn feel more connected and less shy.

Impromptu with Voki (7th, Public Speaking) – Speaking on the spot can cause anxiety and sweat but by practicing impromptu speeches with Voki, students will ease into a difficult task and remain calm. By using this lesson as practice once a week, students will become more adept at thinking on their feet and develop a personal style. Who knows, maybe your next student will run for president…

The Leader of the School (8th, Public Speaking and Writing) – In this exercise of imagination, students will have 60 seconds (90 seconds with Voki Classroom) to convince their classmates to elect them as leader of the classroom after being stranded on an island. The idea is to form a compelling written speech and then use Voki in order to present a concise redaction of the speech that emphasizes the main points of the student’s reasoning. Students will have fun using their imaginations and learn about persuasive speech techniques.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Happy learning, and have fun!

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

English Rules Are Cool for School with Voki

English Rules Are Cool for School with Voki

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 5 Comments

It’s time to give English grammar and writing the appreciation they deserve! Often considered to be a difficult language with more exceptions than rules, English has the ability to mystify students and teachers alike. In order to cultivate young minds that can distinguish the subtleties of the English language, teachers and students must be open to connecting many rules, in order to understand how they work together to form one language. With this in mind, we have dedicated this week to English grammar and all of its glory. From homonyms to helping verbs, we’ve got you covered on the basics.

Our new English Grammar lesson plans are now live in the Voki Lesson Plan Database. As always, Voki lesson plans are provided to teachers free of charge!

Remember: The grade assigned to each lesson plan is not set in stone – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style or your students’ abilities.

  • Helping Verbs (4th Grade) – In this lesson, students will learn the 23 different helping verbs and use Voki to make lessons for their peers. In order to gain an understanding of what separates a helping verb from an action verb, students will be asked to act out verbs that the teacher says. After the actions (or inactions) are done, students will have had first hand experience dealing with the two forms. The idea of verbs with no singular meaning may confuse some ESL students, so it helps to be fully prepared for this lesson in advance. By the end of this lesson, students will understand the grammatical importance of helping verbs.
  • Capitalize that! (3rd Grade) – In this lesson students will be in charge of exploring a capitalization rule out of the many in the English language. Students create a Voki that informs classmates of a capitalization rule, and then give an example. The Vokis can be combined on a webpage to serve as a reference for students before a test.
  • Homonyms (5th Grade) – Students will discover the subtleties of the English language by familiarizing themselves with the 5 categories of homonyms. Utilizing various homonym jokes, Voki avatars, and formal instruction, students will become more attuned to the details of English and hopefully never write ‘to’ in place of ‘too’!

When it comes to teaching English grammar rules, the power of repetition and an interactive atmosphere is not to be underestimated. If one student understands the rules, ask him or her to explain it to the students that need help.

Each of these Voki lessons contain tasks that ask students repeat what they learn, through various activities, before creating a Voki. Doing so will help students remember the rules and link what they have learned to other grammar rules they encounter in the future.

As always, we are interested in hearing about how you have used Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

We hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

Interviews with Educators | Kimberly Faith Hall Church

Interviews with Educators | Kimberly Faith Hall Church

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Mrs. Kimberly Church is a Spanish teacher… Kimberly uses Voki in her Spanish classes, and she also teaches other  educators about the benefits of using technology (such as Voki) in the classroom. Below is an interview with Kimberly, as well as a couple of videos her and her class created about Voki. Here is Kimberly’s video on how she uses Voki in her Spanish classes. To view more of Kimberly’s class videos, visit her YouTube channel, evansspanishteacher. Below is Kimberly’s interview, as well as another Voki video about using Voki in oral tests.

Q: So, Kimberly, why do you use Voki? 

I discovered Voki 2 years ago and just love it!  Voki takes the stress out of “presenting” a memory piece in another language in front of the class, and students can  focus on the material on the screen in front of them.   The kids have fun, (dare I say the words “fun test?”), and of course, I as the teacher have fun reviewing their very best material.  🙂  I emailed the parents the link to the website to view their child’s oral test, (the Voki), and they loved it too.  Over the weekend, at least 15 parents embedded their child’s Voki to their Facebook.  It’s something the kids are proud of, and instead of dreading oral test day, they really look forward to it.  🙂  

Q: Has Voki helped you with assessment?

Using Voki for oral tests allows the student to hear what I hear.  I can’t tell you how many times students would ask, “Why didn’t I make a 100 on my oral test?”  I would point out that they mispronounced a word, or said a wrong word and they would reply, “I did?”  Using Voki allows the students to hear themselves, as an evaluator, and they can re-record until they’re happy with it, and attach the recording to a Voki, making the assessment creative.  Students who use to make low assessment grades on oral tests are making perfect scores taking their oral tests using Voki.  Efficient and Proficient!!!!

Q: We heard that you’re something of a Voki expert among your peers, right?

I actually enjoy using Voki so much, and use it for so many tasks and assessments in my class, I teach a workshop for teachers about how to apply Voki in their class, (even at the MWALLT conference at the University of Minnesota).   I have become known as “that Voki teacher” at my campus, and even in my district.  As long as I keep the content fun and integrate technology to make learning efficient, I’ll never stop looking for ways to infuse my lessons with great technology, like Voki.  As a foreign language teacher, I’m looking for “efficient proficient,” and Voki gives me that.

Q: Have you had a chance to use Voki Classroom?

I have to say, it has been much easier to sell the benefits, since you have come out with Voki Classroom. It is so much easier to have the students organized in classes, and have their assignments posted and ready to work on when they open up their account.   I look forward to spreading the word about Voki and Voki Classroom.  Thank you for all you have done for my students.  I can’t wait to see what Voki will come up with next, for uses in the classroom. 🙂  k. pura vida — And here are Mrs. Church’s students talking about using Voki in oral tests:

For more info, check out Mrs. Church’s links:

Want to be part of our Interviews with Educators series?
Send us an email (submit@voki.com) and we’ll be in touch!

Until next time,

The Voki Team
Lights, Camera, Action: Voki Drama Lesson Plans Are on Deck

Lights, Camera, Action: Voki Drama Lesson Plans Are on Deck

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Students who “act up” in class usually go to the principal’s office. However, students who act up in class using the latest Voki Drama Lesson Plans will learn, have fun, and become more attuned to the subtleties of dramatic character. Using various interactive exercises, and Voki, students will get the chance to discover their inner star and build confidence along the way.

Below are the Drama Class Lesson Plans, which are now live in the Voki Lesson Plan Database. As always, Voki lesson plans are provided to teachers for Free! 3,2,1, ACTION!

Reminder: The grade assigned to each lesson plan is not set in stone – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit!

Tip 1: Don’t be afraid to modify Voki lesson plans to fit your students and their abilities, or your requirements & ideas.

Tip 2: Take a look at the example Voki that is provided within each lesson plan.

  1. Everyday Items, Imaginary Uses (7th grade): In this improvisational exercise, students will use their imaginations to create new ideas out of everyday objects. Students will take turns passing around an object and coming up with its new name and new use. By constricting the amount of time each student has to re-invent an old item, students must use their gut instinct which in turn will help them develop as young actors and thespians.
  2. Drama in Motion (8th grade): In this lesson, students create a play using motion and nothing else. After the play has been completed, each student creates an interpretative Voki that tells the story in words. This exercise allows students to create a theatrical piece using non-verbal forms of expression and interpretation.
  3. Dramatic Feeling Charades (9th grade): Students explore the different facets of expressing emotion through an impromptu and rigorous acting exercise. Students will get the chance to perform in front of their peers and get constructive feedback. Through this exercise, students will learn about the subtleties of emotions.
  4. From Paper to Stage (10th grade): Students read a short play and are in charge of the creative direction. Students create a Voki that describes what elements should be added to the play to make it come alive. Once students make their proposition, the class votes on which play they would like to carry out as a class for an end-of-year performance.

Each lesson plan contains the intended grade level and subject(s), the time recommended for completion, resources needed, as well as a list of objectives and activities. Voki lessons are easy to follow and can be adapted according to your own personal teaching style.

As always, we are interested in hearing about how you have used Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Now go out there and break a leg!

The Voki Team

Rediscovering America: Columbus Day Lesson Plans

Rediscovering America: Columbus Day Lesson Plans

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 3 Comments

The ways in which we have celebrated Columbus Day have varied greatly throughout American history. Some use this day to honor Italian-American immigrant ancestors and others observe the achievements that have been made in America since it became a place on the map. On the other hand, many people don’t think about anything at all! Today’s Columbus Day celebrations, like the man himself and the stories that followed his ‘discoveries’, are wide-ranging.

Although we can’t tell you what to do or think (or celebrate) on Columbus Day, we are here to help you plan your class with ease! So, let’s make this Columbus Day a day of rediscovery. With a fresh new batch of lesson plans, we aim to break down some myths that surround American history and rediscover these same histories with a different and more inquisitive lens, using Voki of course!

Below are the Voki Columbus Day Lesson Plans, which are now live in the Voki Lesson Plan Database!

(Remember – the grade assigned to each lesson plan is our best guess – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit!)

  1. Who was Christopher Columbus? (5th grade): Columbus and his voyages are investigated using primary sources and critical thinking.
  2. Discovering America (4th grade): Who did the Europeans encounter when they landed in America?
  3. Deconstructing the American Revolution (7th grade): Students learn about the policies that led to the American Revolution and analyse their effects on a society on the brink of chaos.
  4. America: Before and After the Industrial Revolution (10th grade): Students learn about how American industry became more efficient and modernized after an industrial invention boom.

Rethinking what are often considered to be facts is a great exercise for students. By questioning history, students will discover for themselves that this subject is one that has been passed down from human to human through many different perspectives. By combining primary sources with critical thinking, these lessons bring history to life and show students that various stories make up each historical event or period.

Along with helping students analyze the murkier parts of history, the lessons will help students discover new ‘facts’ for themselves, which is a valuable tool for developing thought processes and is essentially related to Christopher Columbus!

Each lesson contains the intended grade level and subject(s), the time recommended for completion, resources needed, as well as a list of objectives and activities. The lessons are easy to follow and can be adapted according to your own personal teaching style.

As always, we are interested in hearing about how you have used Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Happy Columbus Day and have fun rediscovering America!

Lesson Plan Preview – Conjugation Practice with Voki

Lesson Plan Preview – Conjugation Practice with Voki

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 5 Comments

Learning a second language can be tough for all ages. Making grammar practice fun can be just plain difficult. Here at Voki, we have been working on creating lesson plans that can bring seemingly mundane subjects to life and make learning fun!

One lesson in particular is focused on making grammar and conjugation more engaging – more than just written repetition and paperwork. By using Voki to practice conjugation and sentence structure, students will get the chance to interact with language through sight and sound.

The lesson plan “Conjugation and Sentence Practice with Voki” calls for students to choose a verb, conjugate in the tense being studied, and create a Voki. Following the conjugations, students type an example sentence. The Voki can then pronounce their conjugations and example sentence in the language being studied and in the preferred dialect. Once students feel comfortable with the pronunciation and conjugations of a verb, they can record their own voice for the Voki.

If the teacher uses Voki Classroom, a webpage is automatically created for the lesson. If the lesson is conducted using Voki (and not Voki Classroom), the teacher can use a class blog or webpage to display the Vokis. By creating a webpage, teachers and students have access to an online audio-visual database of verbs that are fully conjugated and pronounced correctly. The webpage can serve as reference and extra practice for the class.

“Conjugation and Sentence Practice with Voki” is one of many new lesson plans that we have added to the Voki Lesson Plan Database. As always, Voki lesson plans are free for all to peruse and use. Happy conjugating!

The Voki Team

Interviews with Educators | Mrs. Menezez

Interviews with Educators | Mrs. Menezez

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Ana Maria Menezez is an English teacher in Brazil and uses Voki to inspire her students to speak up and learn a foreign language in an engaging atmosphere. Ana was kind enough to share with us some examples of how she uses Voki in the classroom along with some of her own tips and tricks.

Ana uses Voki to motivate students to practice speaking in a personalized way and also creates her own Voki to improve interaction between teacher and student. One of the most important things about Voki for Ana is its ability to help the quieter students speak up and have a voice in class.

For more of Ana’s tips, tricks, and Voki experiences, check out the interview below!

Check out Ana’s blog: Life Feast

Follow Ana on Twitter: @anamariacult

Want to be interviewed for the Voki blog?
Send us an email at submit@voki.com and we’ll get in touch!

Voki Tip of the Week: Adding Accent Marks to Text-to-Speech

Voki Tip of the Week: Adding Accent Marks to Text-to-Speech

by Voki Blog ♥ 6 Comments

There are many ways to add an accent mark to your text-to-speech audio for your Voki, but this a the coolest tip we found on our Teacher’s Corner Forum.

It looks like a great way to avoid copying and pasting from Word, you can just enter these ALT codes.  Here’s how it works:

“When Num Lock is turned on, students can hold down the ALT key while typing a 4-digit number on the right-hand number pad (NOT the regular numbers which run straight across the top of the keyboard) and it will make the desired character. Examples:

ALT 0231 = ç (c cedilla)

ALT 0232 = è (e grave)”

So, let’s say you want your Voki to recite an excerpt from Federico Garcia Lorca’s “Arbolé, Arbolé . . .”

Here’s what you’d like your Voki to read:

Arbolé, arbolé,
seco y verdí.

La niña del bello rostro
está cogiendo aceituna.
El viento, galán de torres,
la prende por la cintura.
Pasaron cuatro jinetes
sobre jacas andaluzas,
con trajes de azul y verde,
con largas capas oscuras.

Here’s how it would look if you were to type it out using ALT codes:

ArbolALT+130, arbolALT+130,
seco y verdALT+161.

La niALT+164a del bello rostro
estALT+160 cogiendo aceituna.
El viento, galALT+160n de torres,
la prende por la cintura.
Pasaron cuatro jinetes
sobre jacas andaluzas,
con trajes de azul y verde,
con largas capas oscuras.

And here’s an example, using on of the Voki Spanish voices.

You can find the full list of French accent ALT codes here and Spanish accent ALT codes here.

Got a Voki tip?

Share it in the “Voki in the Classroom” section and we might feature you right here, in the blog!

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=3496175&height=267&width=200
Voki in the Languages Classroom

Voki in the Languages Classroom

by Voki Blog ♥ 8 Comments

José Picardo

The ability to speak the foreign language in question can safely be described as the principal objective of learning foreign languages. However, it can often prove difficult to assess your pupils’ ability to speak the foreign language in the classroom, as time and numbers often conspire against us.

If you do find them time, for many pupils, speaking in the classroom involves being put in a very tricky spot. Not only do they have to say something of consequence in front of their teacher and fellow pupils, they also have to pronounce all those strange sounds correctly, while ensuring that they get the grammar right. Rather them than me!

As a foreign languages educator, Voki has provided me with a fantastic way to assess my pupils’ speaking ability, whilst providing them with a means to speak the language in a way they find both engaging and motivating, and that builds their confidence. Speaking in the foreign language is no longer stressful or fear-inducing, but rather an activity they look forward to.

Lesson planning with Voki

My pupils don’t use Voki in every lesson. Approximately once every half term, I plan a series of lessons that culminates in my pupils using Voki as a means of assessment. I generally follow this pattern:

  • Our first lesson in the sequence focuses on revising the appropriate vocabulary and/or grammatical structures. At the end of the lesson, I set a relevant writing task for homework, with the aim of basing our Vokis upon this task.
  • In subsequent lessons we develop the topic further and I return their exercise books with highlighted errors and corrections to their homework. You may prefer to do this digitally using blogs or wikis.
  • Eventually, I will take the class to an ICT room and set the speaking task, explaining very clearly what the expected outcome should be. As Voki is available online, the task can also be finished for homework.
  • Finally, I collect all the Vokis by email, import them into my own account and assess them. If you have your own classroom blog, you may want to publish your pupils’ Vokis in your blog for further peer-assessment, which your pupils could do by leaving comments for one another, as my pupils have done here in our blog.

Voki’s Advantages

As mentioned above, Voki can be accessed both at home and at school, facilitating the transition from teacher-centered, classroom-based learning to personalized learning in which the pupil begins to acquire individual responsibility.

Voki is a Web application, and the Web is where our pupils are spending more and more of their time. Voki is also inherently fun and engaging. All this serves a powerful motivator to our pupils and should not be disparaged.

Still, for me, one of the most striking and unexpected advantages of using Voki in the languages classroom is that it has made it possible for the quieter pupils to make their presence felt and be heard. In my experience, it has often been the case that it is indeed these pupils who have produced the most remarkable Vokis, often outshining their more lively and vociferous counterparts.

In addition to providing me with both a fantastic way to assess the speaking skill and with evidence of learning, all my pupils have gained confidence in their speaking ability as a result of using Voki in this way. Voki has catalyzed pupils’ interest in all things Web and has helped to increase my pupils’ self-assurance when it comes to speaking in a foreign language by allowing them to role-play and become someone else: a more confident self.

———–

José Picardo is Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Nottingham High School.

He also runs two popular blogs: Box of Tricks and JosePicardo.com.

Find José on Twitter: @josepicardo