You’re reading a book, a bystander looking into the action but at the same time so deeply involved in the characters and their stories. You’ve never met these people, maybe because they are merely fictional manifestations of the author’s creative self, but you swear you know exactly what they sound like. Their voice is as real as the story is relatable.

Voice does not have to be spoken to be heard. The deaf present their voice through sign language, artists theirs through art, and writers of course in the written word. But there is another category of voice that we are newly tapping into—and that is the voice of an avatar.

An avatar is really a bridge between reality and imagination, an animation that captures a sort of semi-fiction. With Voki, you pick the visual attributes you’d like your avatar to display, whether it be the armor of a knight or the uniform of a baseball hero—and much more in between—and then you give it a voice. It’s a pretty cool thing if you think about it—the act of injecting speech into something that represents your imagination.

I work for Voki, so I might be a tad bit partial, but even I was elated with the avatar I created recently. I took a Shakespearean sonnet, pasted it into the TTS field, and chose “Hugh” as the English accent in which I wanted the poem to be narrated. Then, voila! My Voki was speaking in perfect iambic pentameter as if Shakespeare was uttering the words himself.

Besides the TTS option, there are also other ways to give your Voki a voice—you can record your own or upload an audio file. For instance, you may choose to have your Voki hot dog avatar speak in your own unique tongue, or have the Voki Donald Trump pronounce one of his sayings by uploading a sound byte. The Voki tools also allow nonverbal users to type in text and have it audibly expressed.

I don’t know about you, but I studied Latin in high school and college, so my foreign language skills don’t extend much further than a splattering of non-English words. Voki is pretty handy for monolingual people like me and for those more diligently trying to master new languages. Simply type in your text and choose from over 30 languages to translate it into. Violeta, Bernard and the rest of the gang will get you on your way to becoming multilingual in no time. Perfecto!

Now that the Voki for Education app is out, accessing voice is now easier than ever. Students can create Vokis on their iPhones or iPads and follow the same steps to get their Vokis’ mouths moving. This app is especially useful for integrating technology in the classroom, quick assessments, and calling on students to get creative and CREATE. And you know, sharing your voice in this world is the name of the game, and that’s exactly what the app allows you to do—share on social media, email, and embed onto other platforms.

Now, enough about me.  I’d really like to know—what’s your Voki’s story?

Catherine Alvino is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at Oddcast. She holds a BA in English Literature and a MBA with a concentration in Marketing. She loves to write and is proud to work for a company that adds value to learning.

Media and Digital Literacy students at Thurston High School in Redford, Michigan include students who range in ability from non-verbal students that receive special education services to advanced placement students with strong verbal and writing skills. Incorporating Voki as a teaching tool allows students of all abilities to have a “voice” for the assignment. Because Voki provides the option for students to deliver their message through writing or through speaking, it levels the playing field for all students.

Our Media and Digital Literacy classes spend a great deal of time analyzing elements of broadcast television as part of a larger news production unit. A highlight of the unit is to use Voki to create a political campaign advertisement. With the upcoming 2016 elections, students had the opportunity to analyze the front runners for the Republican and Democratic parties and then create their own political advertisement that would “air” on an upcoming local news broadcast.

For this assignment, students needed to create a professional looking avatar and write a 30-90 second political ad which demonstrated knowledge of research of campaign issues. I’ve included a few examples of student work below.

http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=12707736&chsm=c23e617970f139e5a2713b7c930847d3

http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=12682215&chsm=e939426918155b661127a427505990cb

http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=12707630&chsm=d534f7486ae841f28acc2a56772f61a7

Kara Clayton has taught media and digital literacy courses for more than 20 years at Thurston High School in the South Redford School District just outside of Detroit, Michigan. She is thrilled to be a Voki Ambassador. She recently earned a Graduate Certificate in Digital Literacy from The University of Rhode Island Harrington School of Communication and will complete requirements for her Masters in Adult Education from the University of Rhode Island in December, 2016. Kara is a faculty member for the annual Summer Institute in Digital Literacy held in Providence, Rhode Island. She is the recipient of the National Council for teachers of English Media Literacy Award (2012), and the Michigan Youth Arts Touchstone Award (2012). Kara also served as a board member for the National Association of Media Literacy Education.

As we navigate the world, mobile device as our helm, one question never fails to pop up in our head—“Is there an app for that?” Yup, those unassuming icons energizing the mobile stratosphere have undoubtedly sparked the doer in each of us, making life easier in palpable ways. They are not only motivators, but also gateways to engage with our environment, process information, create and share. So, in the spirit of proactivity, we hopped on the train where taps and swipes get you what you want in a matter of no time.

We were once students ourselves, and we’ll admit—homework wasn’t exactly our preferred after-school activity. Even if we wanted to dive into our post-classroom assignments, time was never on our side (how could we forget all those extracurriculars eating up our day?). In designing the Voki for Education app, we considered what would interest students and take into account their busy schedules. Creating an avatar from your mobile device to express your ideas and work on assignments and projects was the perfect solution.

The process couldn’t be easier. Simply tap on the avatar of your choice and customize as you wish. Enter the text-to-speech message you want your Voki to narrate or choose to record your message with your own voice. The student can email his teacher once he is finished creating the Voki, or share it across his social media platforms. The app is intended to mirror the online experience, but with added convenience and accessibility.

Although the app is a natural complement for homework, it can also supplement in-class lessons. It’s egalitarian in design, giving a voice to virtually every type of student. Students, since they are engaged in their self-learning, are more likely to absorb concepts. And teachers, don’t fret—you can create Vokis too. Go ahead, feel free to share assignments with your class ala Voki.

Voki 2.0 saw a rehaul of our site, new product packaging, and a more flexible price model. Our latest offering, the “Voki for Education” app, is the culmination of the seamless experience we seek to provide our users with. You can say we strove to make possible the impossible—a new tradition of learning that was, well, fun.