National Hot Dog Day, Kindergarten Math, and More

National Hot Dog Day, Kindergarten Math, and More

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 “I’d rather hear it from an avatar.”

Who’s with us? We know the millions of teachers who use Voki worldwide can agree, but we’ll speak for ourselves—avatar technology rocks. No doubt about it, a new chapter of teaching and learning is making an indelible mark in the classroom—and Voki is helping write the story. Read on to learn our ed tech developments—it’s a page (er, paragraph?) turner.

Character Analysis Meets the Techie Teacher’s World

ELA was never so animated. This four-step lesson plan—story selection, graphic organizer completion, written reflection, and Voki creation—will get your students analyzing character development on a whole other level.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Avatars Teach Kids About Democracy

Bring current affairs discussion into the classroom using the Voki Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton avatars. It’s never too early to teach the merits of democracy.

Kindergarten Math: Shapes and their Characteristics

Can you classify a shape without using its proper name? Learn how to use your observe and describe skills in this all-new Voki Teach lesson for your kindergarten kiddies. Geometric vocabulary, including ‘side,’ ‘corner,’ and ‘curve,’ is discussed.

National Hot Dog Day is July 23!

You don’t have to tell us twice. In this hook activity, lend your ear to our Voki hot dog avatar and support his cause—post a picture of a frank on July 23 with hashtag #NationalHotDogDay!

Voki 2.2 Coming Soon

Did you like the above hook activity? Well, there’s good news for more than just our frankfurter fans: our Voki 2.2 edition is due out later this summer. What does this mean for you? More time, less search. Voki Teach will now house all Common-Core aligned lessons, hook activities, and tech projects organized by subject area and grade level and with the same layout as our favorite video resource, Youtube. Share links to these resources, and Level 3 users, edit lessons and hooks to your liking.

The Voki App is Now Available in the iOS App Store

Create Voki avatars at your fingertips with our Voki app. It’s the perfect tool for students to work on projects and assignments. Download it here.

Tune in for Live Coverage of the School Technology Summit, NYC

Voki is attending the Department of Education School Technology Summit on July 27! Catch live updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages to get the scoop on ed tech news from inside the event.

Has Voki had a positive impact on your student’s life?

If so, we would love to hear about it and inspire others! Please email feedback@voki.com and share your story with us. If your story is featured, we will provide your classroom with a free, one-year level 3 subscription valued at $100.

Stay cool, Voki fans!

Sincerely,

Catherine Alvino, Digital Marketing Coordinator

Character Analysis Meets the Techie Teacher’s World

Character Analysis Meets the Techie Teacher’s World

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

“You have to be willing to meet them where they are and take them where they need to go.”

I’m not really sure who said this to me, but it has been a statement I return to often as I attempt to guide students into the future, toward careers—some of which do not exist today.   What we do know as educators is that students will need to be able to analyze, problem solve, and communicate in increasingly diverse manners. Analyzing characters in literature provides an opportunity for students to practice those skills that they will later transfer into the workplace.

Meeting Them Where They Are

The students we meet in the classroom today have never known a world without technology. As educators we cannot ask them to power down in order to function in our classroom.  We must power up to allow them to experience a classroom that is a meaningful authentic experience or we will never get the buy in we need to move where they need to go.  One of the many ways my teaching partner and I attempt to meet them where they are is through the use of web lessons.

Taking Them Where They Need To Go

This summer, my teaching partner, Angela Drake, and I began to explore a way to improve student mastery in regard to analyzing how a character changes or responds to the plot as the story moves toward resolution.  We decided that a good starting point would be to engage students in familiar picture books and charging them with analyzing the characters as they move through the plot elements.  Together we created a web lesson that would allow students to select one of three stories to analyze.  You can find our web lesson at www.characterschange.weebly.com.

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Step One Selecting a Picture Book

The SAG Foundation offers a wonderful site called www.storylineonline.net which features popular actors reading a variety of picture books.  This allows students to engage with the story of their choosing in a new and exciting way.  Every student loves choice and Storyline Online offers something for everyone.  We selected three books which offered students an opportunity to analyze how and why a character changes as the story progresses.

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Step Two The Graphic Organizer

The second tab of the web lesson provides a link to the graphic organizer we would like the students to use to gather their evidence to support their analysis of how and why the character changes.  Read Write Think offers a wonderful graphic organizer specific to our purpose.  You can find this resource and many others at www.readwritethink.org.

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This is the graphic organizer we selected from www.readwritethink.org.

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The direct link to this organizer is http://goo.gl/zCJYPo.

Step Three The Writing Plan and Google Docs

Google Drive offers a variety of tools and the best part is it’s all free to use and you are given the extra benefit of your documents, slides, forms, and spreadsheets being at your fingertips wherever you go.  Upon finishing the reading and finalizing the details in their graphic organizer, students are then instructed to create a Google Document to record their analysis of the character.  Students are expected to describe what the character is like at the beginning of the story, how they change, why they change, and then finally, a description of the character at the conclusion of the story.  They then meet with their peer editing partner to review conventions, make suggestions for revision, verify they have met the expectations of the assignment, and review the piece to make sure it makes sense to the reader.  After final revisions have taken place, students can then move on to the next step—creating a Voki to share their analysis.

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A Brief Digression

Teaching students to communicate in diverse ways is an important part of our instructional goals. Using a talking avatar of their own creation gives students the sense of choice and control they need and provides even the quietest student with a voice to share their knowledge.  In fact, Voki became my hero last year when a student who seldom spoke in class created a Voki Book Talk that left me astonished at the insight and depth of knowledge he possessed, but had been previously unable to express.  Here is that sweet book talk  http://goo.gl/CEU5PL.

 

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Step Four Creating Your Character Analysis Voki  

The final step in our web lesson instructs the student to create a Voki to share their analysis.  I’ll let my Voki avatar tell you about this step. http://goo.gl/q9xzSj

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Using the Vokis created by your students as a formative or summative assessment of the CCSS RL 6.3 standard is an excellent example of “meeting your students where they are and taking them where they need to go.”
Where to Find Me

Please join me on Twitter @cariehinkle and visit my website  at www.cariehinkle.weebly.com to hear about the latest adventures in this techie teacher’s World. Also, look for me on Instagram at carieh5 and periodically, as a featured class on EdTech Baton.

A Thank You

Special thanks to my teaching partner, Angela Drake, who is always willing to join me on any adventure.

 

Beverly Burks Shares a Few of Her Favorite *Voki* Things

Beverly Burks Shares a Few of Her Favorite *Voki* Things

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In my position as a district-level trainer, I get to experience and use Voki in a lot of different ways.

As a technology trainer, I use Voki to add interest to my presentations.

Vokis are great because my audience gets to experience different personas when I present, not just me.

I also create and demonstrate Voki to teachers to use in the classroom. I encourage teachers to create and have their students create Vokis that go with a variety of subject areas.

For ELA, my Gramma Eula Voki is a Voki where Gramma Eula speaks about her “Chicken Sunday” character.

For Social Studies, a Voki was created to tell about the Alamo.

We use Vokis in math to demonstrate and explain math problems.

Each one of the Vokis created for “Chicken Sunday”, The Alamo and the math demo contained corresponding lesson suggestions. If you are a Promethean ActivInspire user, you can download the flipchart with the lesson idea here. https://goo.gl/JEQNNH (the giveaway on this flipchart is over).

Here’s a static copy of the flipchart in PDF form. https://goo.gl/JdkkT8

The uses for Voki are limitless. My last newsletter for this school year was pretty much devoted to Voki.

http://beverlyedtech.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/0/5/11052784/may_newsletter_beverlyedtech.pdf

I believe the introduction of the Voki app is only going to make Voki more popular. Being able to create Vokis on mobile devices is a big step forward. I am looking forward to diving deeper into Voki Presenter so that I can share those features with our teachers next school year.

When the school year starts back up, I am thinking that will be a good time to have a create a “Back to School” Voki challenge.

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Beverly is a district level technology trainer with the Fort Worth Independent School District in Fort Worth, TX. She has an undergrad degree in Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters of Technology and Cognition from the University of North Texas. Beverly is a longtime Voki user and is very excited to be a Voki Ambassador.

Your Mid-July Catch Up on the Classroom

Your Mid-July Catch Up on the Classroom

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Here at Voki, school is on our minds even in the dog days of summer. That’s why we continue to create lessons and hooks and to improve our products so you can use them without breaking a sweat (we’ll leave that one up to the sun). Teachers, we hope you’re basking in the glory of summer break, but we got you covered when you’re ready to start thinking about the classroom again (no rush though).

How to Balance Staying in the Know and Enjoying Summer Vacation

Just because it’s summer, you don’t have to turn off the school sphere of your brain completely. Reading about relevant education news and potential school projects might be just the right dose you need to tap into your teacher self. Our latestblog rounds up sites that will keep you abreast of what’s new in education so you’ll be in-the-know when it’s back-to-school.  

Bastille Day is July 14!

Who can forget how the people of France stormed the Bastille for their independence? We’re putting a sweet touch on the French equivalent of America’s Independence Day by having students make a French-themed e-card in the shape of a cake. We’re betting the enthusiasm won’t be lacking for this hook activity.

EdTech 10: Gotta Catch ‘Em All

We made Getting Smart’s  Top 10 Tweet list for ed tech news. No surprise it was regarding our post on teaching politics with avatars.

“The Road to the White House” featuring Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Voki avatars

Speaking about teaching politics with avatars, have you seen our hook that brings students through the stages of the presidential election? Its nonpartisan approach covers bigger themes like democracy and government. But, we’re not going to lie, the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton avatars are not to be missed (especially their uncanny voices).

The Voki App is now available on the iOS Appstore.

Our new app makes creating a Voki avatar easier than ever.  With a few taps of the fingertips, you can customize your own Voki avatar from a library of characters and accessories. Just like the online desktop experience, you can type your message or record your voice. Voila! Stay tuned for the Android version coming soon this summer!

Voki 2.0 is better than ever.

Our site recently went through some major upgrades. We introduced both monthly and annual subscription options, a sleeker Voki Presenter design, and easier navigation so you’re able to seamlessly share your Voki avatars with a friend, classmate, or teacher. We have an even bigger upgrade in the works—let’s just say it will make life as a teacher a lot easier.

Has Voki had a positive impact on your student’s life?

If so, we would love to hear about it and inspire others! Please email feedback@voki.com and share your story with us. If your story is featured, we will provide your classroom with a free, one-year level 3 subscription valued at $100.

Stay cool, Voki  fans! Hope the rest of your week is great!

Sincerely,

Catherine Alvino, Digital Marketing Coordinator

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Cooling Down with Voki

Cooling Down with Voki

by Voki Blog ♥ 3 Comments

 

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Happy Friday!

July is officially in full swing, and let’s just say—we’re feeling it. Temps may be rising, but Voki is keeping it cool for us with its fresh content and features. Here’s how it can help you beat the heat:

Using Voki on the First Day of School, as a Reflection Tool, and to Introduce Personas. 

Voki ambassador Paul Solarz just made ice breakers a little more fun. From a spin on “Two Truths and a Lie” to a new way to teach the Oregon Trail, Paul shares his secrets on how he uses Voki in his 5th grade classroom. 

“You Get Summers Off” & Other Damaging Myths About Teaching.

We’re sure you heard some of these before, but do those who aren’t teachers know the real stats? The dismissal bell might ring at 3:30, but teachers are actually putting in an average of 53 hours per week. You might want to furnish yourself with the rest of these facts in case someone gets them wrong. 

Grade 5 Social Studies: Complex Societies

Looking for an engaging way to educate your students on the Inca, Aztec, and Mayan People? This all-new Voki Teach lesson will take you through what attributes make up these complex societies, including the technologies they introduced to civilization. 

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Vokis are now available!

It’s hard to escape the mugs of these two—but why not bring a fresh face to the table? We’re talking about our two newest additions to the Voki library—the presumptive nominees themselves. Check them out on our Instagram page and see them in avatar form! 

“The Road to the White House”

Teaching politics can be tough, so we listened to teachers’ concerns and created a non-partisan hook presentation that covers the main stages of the presidential election process and gives students the chance to host their own classroom vote. We’re keeping the media frenzy out of the classroom, and refocusing on themes like government and democracy. 

The Voki App is now available on the iOS Appstore.

Just a hunch, but we bet you’re looking for a new app to try out. We felt the same way, which is why we launched the Voki for Education app. Not only is it free, but it also streamlines the Voki experience so you can now create and share avatars from your desktop and mobile devices.

Voki 2.0 is better than ever.  

We don’t know what feature of our recently updated site we like best. It offers both monthly and annual subscription options to keep things within budget, not to mention the navigation is incredibly easy. Did we tell you Voki Presenter got a makeover too? Well it did, and the sleek design will captivate any audience. 

Has Voki had a positive impact on your student’s life?

If so, we would love to hear about it and inspire others! Please email feedback@voki.com and share your story with us. If your story is featured, we will provide your classroom with a free, one-year level 3 subscription valued at $100.

Stay cool, Voki fans! Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Catherine Alvino, Digital Marketing Coordinator

Fun Fact: The winner of the July Fourth hot dog eating contest at the historic Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island devoured a record-breaking 70 hot dogs and buns in just 10 minutes. 

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How to Balance Staying in the Know and Enjoying Summer Vacation

How to Balance Staying in the Know and Enjoying Summer Vacation

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

 

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The last day of school has come and gone. You’ve filed away thoughts of curriculum, parent/teacher conferences, and grading to the deep recesses of your mind—and bolted the deadlock on them til the first day bell brings you back to reality. The looming anxiety of lesson planning has quickly siphoned out of your system like a fever that finally breaks. Despite this new-found calm that would only be felt in dreams during the school year, another sensation creeps into the picture—boredom.

We get it. The rush of excitement burns out for all of us, so the fact that you’re experiencing a roadblock of “What should I do?” three weeks into your vacation is not abnormal in the least. Our advice? Don’t remove yourself completely from the teaching mindset. Stay abreast with education news, so you’re in-the-know when it’s back-to-school. Here are some of our favorite sites to keep you comfortably in the loop, so you feel informed (but not TOO involved).

Edublogs. This free email subscription service rounds up trending, topical and resource-packed articles from around the Web. Whether you’re looking for education news, project ideas or tips on the best tech tools to use, this service saves you the search—the answers await you in your inbox in edublogs’ weekly email.

Teach 100. Call it a one-stop shop for teachers—this site curates a daily ranking of education blogs on the web so you can prioritize your reading material accordingly. Our personal favorites that always make the top of the list? MindShift and TeachThought.

Whooos Reading Blog. We’ve got to say—Whooo’s Reading is not only a great way to gamify reading, but it also publishes some very handy blog content. Topics are fun and practical, and the articles are generally written in easy-to-read list form (kinda like this). Expect to see posts ranging from a roundup of teacher memes to a roundup of techy teacher reads.

reddit. Sometimes it’s not worth the read. Reddit knows that, which is why it depends on its users to vote whether the article was a go or a no. You can search for articles by subscribing to subreddits, or categories that interest you. Feel free to browse the site, comment on posts, and give your vote. Rest assured, though, you can bank on a weekly email with reddit’s best buzzing articles.

The Official Voki Blog. Okay, shameless plug, but it won’t let you down. This blog features first-hand accounts of how teachers use Voki in the classroom. Although it includes many product-related features, the blog also appeals to the general demands of teachers—like reading material that is worth their limited time (How Teachers Can Win During Tax Season, anyone?).

Hope this reading helps balance out the freedom by putting your brains to work!

XO,

Voki

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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.

 

 

Using Voki on the First Day of School, as a Reflection Tool, and to Introduce Personas

Using Voki on the First Day of School, as a Reflection Tool, and to Introduce Personas

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

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Although few people would have ever considered my 5th grade classroom “traditional,” I did avoid technology for the bulk of my first decade of teaching!  Nowadays, there are so many amazing tools out there that I wonder how anyone could avoid using technology with their students today.

Voki is one of those tools that I use in my classroom to increase motivation and encourage reflection with my students.  One such way I use Voki to increase motivation is on the first day of school.  Since it’s the first day, some of us don’t know everyone.  A mixer is a nice, old-fashioned way of getting to know each other and building community in the classroom.  Instead of the traditional walking around mixer, I decided to do a techie version that requires students to embed a URL on their blog & comment on each others’ posts.  (I bet these 5th graders never expected this on the first day!)

The mixer is called “Two Truths and a Lie.”  Students brainstormed two things that are true about themselves, but that might not be very believable to their peers, and one thing that is actually untrue that might be believable by their peers.  They mix them up & record them on a Voki.  After they are finished, they embed their Voki on their blog for others to listen to.  When people listen, they post a comment with their best guess as to which one might be the lie.  At the end of the period, the students post a comment on their blogs explaining which one was the lie for all to read.

I wanted to get technology into my students’ hands right away because we needed to establish some daily rituals, access some information online, and I needed my kiddos to pass on some details to their parents after school.  I also wanted my students to access their Google Mail accounts to accept invitations to our Weebly site, and learn how to create blog entries.

Here is a link to one of my students’ blog entries where some peers listened to their Voki and posted their guess as to which one of the three facts was actually a lie: http://psolarz.weebly.com/58/post/2012/08/two-truths-and-a-lie.html

Not only is Voki motivational to students, but it also makes an excellent reflection tool.  Rather than have my students complete written reflections after finishing an activity, I occasionally have them create a Voki explaining what they learned from the lesson.

For example, in our unit on the Oregon Trail, my students participate in a simulation where they each become individuals traveling westward in a wagon train.  At the end of each period, I have my students summarize their learning experiences in several different ways, and one of those ways is through a Voki.  The novelty and creative process engage them in the task and often improve their work far beyond traditional written answers.  In addition, students who struggle with writing are able to explain their learning without being encumbered by the written word.  Because they are able to record their voices, they often get into it much more so than when they are writing their reflections or typing them.  Here is our “Voki Journal” of our journey west: http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/voki-blog

Finally, we like to use Voki to introduce ourselves to the other members of the crew headed to colonize Mars.  This is another simulation that we do in our classroom where children learn about the U.S. Constitution and Government through the experience of settling the red planet.  Due to overcrowding in the year 2150, we are forced to try to create a colony on Mars so that the human race can continue!

We are each from a different country and all have different backgrounds and occupations.  I have my students create a Voki introducing themselves, telling us a little bit about where they are from and what their job will be on Mars.  We then embed those Vokis at the top of our ePortfolios so whenever anyone visits our page, they can learn a little bit about our persona in the simulation.  Here is an example (in the top, right-hand corner of the page): http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/6—kendall

Voki has provided my students with a tool that motivates them to try their hardest and have fun doing so!  But be warned, once you teach them how to use this tool, they’re going to ask for it ALL THE TIME!  🙂

 

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Paul Solarz is a 5th grade teacher in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is a 2015 Global Teacher Prize Top 50 and author of Learn Like a Pirate.

America, Freedom and Politics in the Classroom

America, Freedom and Politics in the Classroom

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Happy Thursday!

It’s been a busy week here at Voki Headquarters! Our teams have been hard at work creating new characters, new content and new features all aimed at helping educators get the most out of Voki in the classroom. Let’s take a look at the week in review:

Get Ready for the 4th of July with our Independence Day Hook!  On July 4th, 1776, the United States declared it’s independence from Great Britain and became a free nation. Check out our latest hook just in time for the holiday to bring in the celebration!

Teachers are using Vokis to teach politics in the classroom. With the election season in full swing, it can be challenging for educators to foster a conversation that is both non-partisan and informative. We were absolutely thrilled this week to receive positive feedback from teachers around the country using our politically inspired Voki characters to foster a substantive political discourse between students.

“The Road to the White House”– This week’s special featured hook provides an excellent demonstration of how educators are using Vokis to effectively teach politics to young students. In this hook we cover the main stages of the presidential election process! It’s one of our favorite hooks to date and we highly recommend checking it out. 

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Vokis are now available! We have to tip our hats to the Voki illustration, design and production teams for their stunning new Voki representations of the Republican and Democratic presumptive nominees. Check them out on our instagram page!

“Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much?“ Politics can be an incredibly polarizing topic (both in and out of the classroom). The NPR article referenced above is a great read to help familiarize yourself with the challenges and benefits educators face when teaching controversial topics in the classroom.

Voki Teach Lesson Content continues to roll out. Still wrapping your brains around how awesome learning with Voki about the Five Senses was? Well, we’ve got a new science topic to keep the awe-inspiring momentum going—check out our recent lesson titled Life Cycles.

Bring in the Summer with our new lesson hooks! Celebrate the new season with our Summer Solstice hook by creating a flip book of the Earth rotating around the sun with Voki Presenter. But summer is not the only reason to be happy—our new hook for Don’t Let Nouns Get You Down Day (6/23) allows students to practice their sentence-writing skills with nouns that begin with the first letter of their name.  

The Voki for Education Mobile App is now available on the iOS Appstore. Everything you love about Voki is now available on the iPhone. In related news, we are also putting the finishing touches on our Android version which is set for release later this year.

Voki 2.0 is now live –  We are super excited about the new features we’ve introduced with Voki 2.0. Voki users now have more characters, content and control at their fingertips. Check out our recent coverage on eSchool News to learn more about these great new enhancements. 

Are you an educator using Voki in the classroom? If so, we would love to hear about it. Please email feedback@voki.com and share your story with us. For those who’s stories are featured in our weekly newsletter, we will provide your classroom with a free, one-year level 3 subscription valued at $100.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Best regards,

Catherine Alvino, Digital Marketing Coordinator 

Fun fact of the week: NASA has 2 satellites chasing each other around the Earth tracking the distance between themselves to measure gravitational anomalies. Their nicknames are Tom & Jerry!

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The Voki Weekly: June 16th Edition

The Voki Weekly: June 16th Edition

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“I dwell in possibility.” –Emily Dickinson

Hey Voki friend! 

We’re kicking off this edition of The Voki Weekly with a quote that resonates well in the ed tech community. You can say that poetry was to Dickinson what technology is to today’s classroom—both are vehicles to endless possibilities. Let’s take a look at all the things Voki has made possible this week with its avatar technology:

  • Press. If you’re looking for a well-written read on what it’s like for a company to enter the ed tech arena—the challenges and the excitement—and that also covers the new legislation springing up in an age where students are now accessing technology in the classroom, this article is for you. A special behind-the-scenes look, this article showcases some of the pioneering brands in the biz—and what their products specialize in. We’re thrilled that Voki received a spotlight in this kidscreen news.
  • Trump and Hillary Vokis now available. Have you seen the new Trump and Hillary Vokis yet? They bear a striking resemblance to their Republican and Democratic counterparts. Now’s a good time to start thinking about how you will be teaching about the election come the beginning of school.
  • Voki for Education app now available. Looking for a convenient way for you and your students to access Voki? How about from our new app? You can download it for free in the iTunes App store onto all iOS mobile devices. It’s a perfect way for your students to work on projects in the classroom and at home, and it’s also a great assessment tool.
  • Hooks. Print cards are getting a little old, aren’t they? Have your students make their deserving dads a Voki card for Father’s Day (6/19). Did you see our Flag Day hook narrated by President Reagan? If you haven’t, you can check it out here. Be on the lookout for the Summer Solstice (6/20), Don’t Let Nouns Get You Down Day! (6/23), and Camera Day (6/29) hooks. We’re especially excited about the hook coming out soon honoring the birthday of Eric Carle (6/25)—you know, the tissue paper illustrator and author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Remember, all our hooks are posted on our Facebook, Twitter, and G+ pages.
  • Lessons. Last week, we published 4th Grade Social Studies. The topic was New York: The Early Years. Check out the free lesson here. For Level 3 Subscribers, the entire unit is available on voki.com. Today, Kindergarten Science will be going live on the site. The topic is The Five Senses. Be sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and G+ pages today for the link to the free lesson.

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and on our blog. We love engaging with our Voki community! If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback, please feel free to email us at feedback@voki.com .

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Catherine Alvino, Digital Marketing Coordinator

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A Look at Voice and How Voki Contributes to It

A Look at Voice and How Voki Contributes to It

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

Untitled design (96)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 FullSizeRender (3)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.