Tag: Interview with Educator

Interview with Educators | Craig Badura

Interview with Educators | Craig Badura

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

1.   Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Craig Badura.  I am the K-12 Integration Specialist for Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Nebraska.  I have been an avid Voki user and integrator since 2010.

 

2.   What are your goals using Voki?

I like use a tool that will integrate seamlessly into the classroom.  Voki creates this opportunity.  Whether it be creating a Voki character of a famous person, book character or having a Voki character summarizing what students learned. Voki is so easy to integrate into any activity you may be doing in your classroom.

 

3.     How do you use Voki?

  • Famous Persons Project (Create Voki character that speaks script that students wrote)
  • Book Reviews (students create a Voki character of themselves discussing the book)
  • Book Trailers (students create Voki character based on a character in the book)
  • Summarizing (Kindergarteners created Voki characters summarizing their learning of a certain animal)

I have used Voki in a variety of ways and with almost every grade level.  It is so easy to use!

4. What are your 3 favorite things about Voki? 

  • Easy to use!
  • Embeds well.
  • Myriad of integration possibilities!

5. What would you add to the Voki product?

I wouldn’t change a thing! I do notice that some of the characters require a paid account, but there are still plenty of characters for students to choose from.

6. Do you have any Voki tricks up your sleeve?

I didn’t know that Voki’s could speak different languages.  I had an ELL student in my class that actually taught ME that you could change the language.  I bet she couldn’t speak more than a dozen words in English, yet she figured out how to change her Voki character to her native tongue!  So easy to use and what a great tool for the ELL classroom!

_____________________________

Want to be interviewed for the Voki blog? Send us an email at submit@voki.com!

Until next time,

The Voki Team

Interviews with Educators | Lindsey Griesse

Interviews with Educators | Lindsey Griesse

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

This month, we have a great interview with Ms. Lindsey Griesse from Asbell Emenetary in Fayetteville, AK. She worked used Voki with her first grade class. If you missed her video, check it out here:

LidVid

Now… on with the interview!

Who am I?
My name is Lindsey Griesse. I work at Asbell Elementary in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This is my third year of teaching. I have been a Voki user since February of this year.

Why do I use Voki?
I have several goals when I use Voki. One is that my students will be excited to create something that they can actually see. Being able to hear their own writing with a character they create puts more ownership and accountability for my students. I also want them to be able to edit their writing. They want their Voki to be correct, so they are more willing to go back and make sure all spelling, punctuation and word usage is correct. I use Voki with any type of writing project. I can check their understanding with any subject. I have used it to check comprehension on books we have read, new science concepts, as well as writing projects. Instead of just writing a response on a piece of paper, I send them to a computer to create a Voki for their response.

Kudos to Voki
One of my favorite things about Voki is that students can have their own opinion on what their Voki will look like. It encourages creativity and originality in my students. The second is that it is so easy for my students to use and navigate. The page is easy to understand and it does not take too much practice to get the hang of using it. I can have my students get to a computer and do a Voki with ease. The third thing I like about Voki is that as a teacher I can review all the assignments using my own account. This makes grading quick and stress-free for me. I do not have to deal with a million different logins and passwords. I have enough of those already! If I could add anything to Voki I would make the text box for the typing bigger and easier to see. Sometimes it is hard for my students to see the text they are typing within that little box. But I love this program and encourage educators with any age group to try it with their own class!

Lindsey also made a Prezi:

If you can’t view Lindsey’s Prezi here, click the picture below to open the link!

Lindsey

 

Want to be interviewed for the Voki blog? Send us an email at submit@voki.com!

Until next time,

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