Each summer day, I explore more questions than answers with starting the new 2020-2021 school year. It has become increasingly difficult to plan with so many unknowns, however- we can all agree upon- continuing to have some form of instruction, virtually. I consider very closely how we will all keep ourselves safe, how we will engage students in meaningful language learning experiences, and which {virtual} classroom routines will become our “new normal” for the following school year.

With these wonderings, I opted to join a variety of Facebook educator groups. There was tremendous insight & sharing that I kept seeing amongst educators and I felt inspired to catch up within these forums. I also considered how an asynchronous platform would work within a Spanish class and what benefits would come from allowing students to explore a virtual space (similar to a choice board) with meaningful learning immersion opportunities for self-guided & self-paced learning.

Joining the Bitmoji Craze for Educators Facebook group has been amazing! I quickly learned that the folks within this group are incredibly creative and collaborative.  Each day, hundreds of educators share their creations & links to download/copy. I began to compile all of these shares & presentations within a Google Folder. And, I kept reading about how educators were using Bitmojis with a future virtual class setting in mind.

Here are some ideas/presentations that I have seen, thanks to the group! *Please provide credit to the Bitmoji Craze for Educators Group and do not attempt to profit by selling their (our) work on TpT. Also, please MAKE A COPY! 

–Bitmoji Classroom for Students (imagine anywhere in the school that comes to life! Culinary Arts, Music, Gymnasium, Main Office, etc.)

–“Meet The Teacher” Bitmoji Classroom 

–Classroom Libraries (with themes!)

–Virtual Field Trips / Around the World 

–“Meet the Student” Bitmoji Virtual Locker Shares

–Choice/Menu Board Spaces (Choice Board Folder)

–Bitmoji Virtual Art Gallery

So…after all of a lot of viewing examples and great ideas, I opted to create my own with the purpose of creating an asynchronous learning platform for Spanish II students at the beginning of the school year, with our first unit: Exploring Our Interests. I created a quick overview video of my below steps as well.

Step 1: Since I already had the Bitmoji app on my phone, I went to the Chrome Store and added the Bitmoji extension to my browser. This allowed me to search for my Bitmoji and later add it to my classroom space.

Step 2: Using the resources compiled from the Bitmoji Craze for Educators Facebook group, I selected a classroom background. I opted for a traditional classroom space but there are SOOOO many other great options!

Step 3: After selecting a background, I began to add furniture, posters, plants, rugs, books, etc. I wanted the space to replicate what my actual classroom may look like.  Thanks to the Bitmoji Craze for Educators group, I had a bunch of items, ready to go- without backgrounds! I compiled those generous & general resources here.

Step 4: After the new virtual space seemed to be coming together, I began to add links to the different items around the room. This would send students on virtual journeys all around Spain with what may/may not interest us in mind! I added links to articles, music, podcasts, and videos,  I’m still working on the books/library portion! Teachers have also included direct links to different online activities for students to complete. Either way, I am continuing to lead this unit with culture!

Here is my sample Spanish II classroom, please make a COPY! 

So, the “hard” part felt like it was over- my classroom space had been designed, and now, from week to week, I could make a copy and invite students to a different virtual exploration based on our unit of study, independently. I am also continuing to follow the buzz on both Facebook & Twitter with the intention of making these spaces more personalized, I would like to use unscreen.com to put my actual self into the classroom space (#BeTheBitmoji)! I so appreciated the shares & video tutorials on Twitter by Esther Park! And, I am still designing a few general options for self-paced, guided instruction through the help of SlidesMania templates such as this template…..or this template. There are so many options out there– selecting ONE and sticking with it is KEY!

Regardless of what you select as your tool for asynchronous instruction, be comfortable with using it as part of your weekly routine! Whether you select to create a Bitmoji space, weekly Google Slide agenda, or a learning module platform, be consistent with how you deliver your asynchronous expectations/ instruction and make sure your students feel comfortable accessing this space as part of your classroom routine.

Best wishes in your creative design & planning! Please feel free to share your creations below or within the Bitmoji Craze for Educators Facebook group!