Voki is a free online tool that allows students to create speaking avatars. It has several strengths for classroom use, including being easy for students to use, allowing content to be shared, and integrating with any curriculum area. Some potential uses include having avatars introduce concepts, explain steps, or share student work. However, it also has limitations like a maximum recording time of 60 seconds. Teachers can embed Voki videos in platforms like PowerPoint by copying the embed code or recording the Voki with screen recording software.

1. Voki: Using Avatars in the
Classroom
By Conroy Hall
MET. M.Sc. B.Sc. Dip.Ed.

2. What is Voki
Voki is a free online virtual classroom tool that
allows your learner to create personalized
speaking avatars. Voki is a combination of
"vox", which is Latin for voice, and "Loki",
which, is a prankster character in Norse
Mythology.

3. Strength of Voki
• User- and viewer- friendly
• Ability to share "voki-videos" with others
(students, teachers, parents, other classes)
• Easy to embed, in a variety of ways
– embed to blogs, web pages (good for course
pages/discussions), and social networking sites.
• For world language teachers, Voki is a great
tool for recording auditory monologues.
• Content friendly - can be integrated in any
curriculum area.

4. Strength of Voki Continue
• Students don’t need a microphone - they can
use any telephone, including their personal
cellphone.
– Voki recordings can be called in by phone, created
with text-to-speech (typing), using a microphone,
or by uploading an MP3 file.
• Able to download a Voki to your phone
• Provides a new method of student
presentation (can be viewed outside the
classroom)

5. Weakness
• The maximum recording time is 60 seconds.
• Time consuming
• When typing text you may need to type
phonetically so that the voki pronounces the
word correctly. This may take several tries

6. Voki Benefits
• Students can use Voki to create a class
introduction and recording a message
• Foreign language students can use Voki to
speak “in character” for different role-play
assignments.
• Students can orally share their “writing
pieces.”
• Voki can be used as an item in a student
electronic portfolio

7. How to use Voki in your
Classroom

8. Math Class
1. Introduce a new concept by using a talking
avatar.
2. Have your avatar give instructions for an
assignment.
3. Have your avatar explain the steps to solving
an equation.
4.Teachers can create a Voki to remind students
of the correct steps in solving a problem.
5.Have students create word problems, using
their Vokis.

9. Language Arts Ideas
1. Create an avatar to read a poem written by
the student.
2. Have a student create their avatar and use it
for digital storytelling.
3. Have students write and record a special
message for someone.
4. Have the avatar introduce a discussion topic.

10. Social Studies
1. Students can create an avatar to share
historic event information.
2. Create a historic figure avatar to give an
autobiographic account of their life.
3. Have the avatar give clues to a location on
the map and use Google Earth to find it.
4. Students could write a news report and have
the avatar read it for them.

11. Science Ideas
1. The avatar could explain the scientific
method.
2. Students could create their avatar and have it
explain the results from an experiment.
3. Have an avatar introduce a new concept.
4.Have the avatar introduce a Discovery
Streaming video or science journal activity.
5.Teachers can create a Voki that can give
directions for steps in an experiment.

12. Speech Therapy:
1. This is a great opportunity to provide a new
way to practice articulation sounds.
2. By recording their own voice, students with
dysfluency have accurate feedback as to their
progress.
3. Students with language goals can practice
conjunctions, figures of speech or expressing
the main idea. Sharing the Voki with another
student allows for peer feedback.

13. Foreign Language:
1. What a fun way to practice new vocabulary!
By recording their own voices, students get
quick feedback on their pronunciation and
accuracy.
2. Through typing their responses, students get
practice in the written aspects of the
language. Remember, Vokis know 30
languages!

14. Mathematics Instruction
Taken fromhttp://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=3259225&height=400&width=300

15. Dialogue
Video taken from http://dazenglish.wikispaces.com/

16. Introduction

17. Activity 1
1. Use Voki to create avatar for your class. The
avatar can be:
• an introduction for a lesson,
• an instruction activity
• a story
2. Embed your video in a PowerPoint
presentation
You can visit
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php
?video_id=114976

18. Getting Started with Voki

19. Go to www.voki.com and click Get Voki (not classroom voki)

20. Enter the following information to create an account. Regular Voki is
free.

21. Login here

22. You will then see this screen once logged in. It lists all options for your Voki…..

23. Customize your Character, then click “Done” tab

24. You can change the background by choosing one of Voki’s or you can
upload one of your own.

25. You can also customize your avatar (character) by choosing the type of
character he/she is, the clothing they wear, and the “bling” they come with
(glasses, jewelry, etc…)

26. The “tweak” feature lets you adjust the size of the physical features on your
avatar as well as the colors on the avatar and background.

27. To make it talk, click on “Give It A Voice”. Once you do you will choose
whether or not to call in the voice, type to give it a voice, use your
microphone, or upload an audio file to give it a voice. The most common
form used is type to voice.

28. To give it a voice you can
A. Type your text you want it to say and click
green “Done” button

29. Or B. Select a previously recorded file by
clicking the folder icon, browse and don’t forget
to click “Upload.” Click green “Done” button.

30. Now that you have selected a voki and
given it a voice, click “Publish”

31. Name your scene and click Save

32. Once you click “Publish” you will see the following screen with 2 options.
You can embed your Voki in a website or PowerPoint OR you can email it to
someone.
Embed Code

33. When you choose the email option you will fill out the form below
and click “Send” much like an email message.

34. You can add to your site by selecting
the site icon you want to add it to
(facebook, blogger, etc.)…or

35. You can copy the embed code and
paste it onto your website, or…

36. You can copy and paste this link into
an email, or post the link on your site

37. How to Embed Avatar in
PowerPoint

38. Procedure 1 Direct Link to Voki
Character
1. Click and copy your Voki embed code

39. 2. Open word document and paste the embed
code.
3. Find the value code with a hyperlink.

40. 4. Select and copy that hyperlink.
5. Now, go into your PowerPoint and click on
the Ribbon. The Ribbon opens the dropdown
menu for PowerPoint.

41. 6. Click on PowerPoint Options and a new
menu will open up.
7. Make sure that the option for Show
Developer tab in the Ribbon is checked. If
not, click on it and click OK. The Developer
tab will be added to your Ribbon.

42. 8. Click on the Developer tab.
9. Click on the More Controls icon (the one
with a hammer and a wrench) and a new
menu will pop up.

43. 10.Scroll down to find Shockwave Flash Objects
and click OK.

44. 12.You will see a + sign as your mouse cursor.
Click and drag on a blank PowerPoint slide.
This will create a big box with an X in the
middle.

45. 13.Right-click on the box and click on Properties
and a new menu will open.

46. 14.Find the Movie line and paste the Voki
hyperlink into the blank area. Then close the
Properties window.

47. • To preview, just hit F5 on your keyboard!
• Note: To play your Voki using the embed code
you must be connected to the internet.

48. Procedure 2
• Go to Screencast-o-matic (for example) and
download the latest program; it’s free.
• Open the program and return to your Voki.
• Drag the box over your Voki and press Record.

49. Procedure 2 Conti.
• Play your Voki.
• Stop recording when finished.
• You can save your recording on your PC as a
video file. You can then add it to a PowerPoint
presentation, a website, or anywhere else for
that matter.

50. References
• [PPT] Voki: Using Avatars in the Classroom
• www2.morgan.k12.ga.us/mces/video/Voki
%20Tutorial.ppt
• http://kerwin.edu.glogster.com/voki-for-the-
classroom/
• http://www.esc4.net/users/0199/docs/Webin
ar%20handout%20voki.pdf
• http://educatorstudio.com/lessons/using-
vokicom-motivate-engage-students-using-
multiplication