Creating an Avatar

Hi everybody! Today I`m going to talk about the use of avatars in education. First of all, we need to know what is an avatar. Is an image that represents an animal, a person or a thing that we can use with the objective of keeping our identity secure.

MY AVATAR

Here you have my avatar.

My name is Lora. I am 10 years old. I am a explorer and I learned all that I know from my parents. I`m lost in a temple and I need help from the third graders.
I am very interested in science, history and also in traveling. I usually travel a lot, but normally with friends or family. This time is different, I am alone and I need help to solve the riddles. I came here, looking for a treasure. During my trip I will ask to my friends from third grade.

HOW TO CREATE AN AVATAR

In my case I have used an application that is called "Toontastic". I chose that one because is not registration requires and is easy to use. I will use the avatar with children in science class. It`s a funny way to keep their attention and also they can review what they have learned in class. 

First of all you can choose between three different scenes.

I have chosen the first one that have three parts: beginning, middle and end.

Then you have to pick a setting. There are many kinds of them: spooky camp, space, pirates, etc.

Furthermore there is a big variety of avatar. You can make as you want, choose clothes, hair, etc. Also you can make your own character if you are good at drawing. As well you can insert different moods (tense music, romantic music, etc).

Another activity could be that children do their own avatars. They will feel very enthusiastic about the personalization of their avatars, using their pictures, voices, desing... in definitive in their imagination. You can do many different activities. For example there is another option in this app to make a science report.

I have really enjoyed doing this activity. I think it could be used in many educational settings and that it is a new and different way of keeping the attention of students. One important aspect is that if you make this activity in english, children can improve speaking and their pronunciation. 

I have no hesitation in recommending this application and encourage those who are reading this post to put into a practice in your classroom.

All the pictures have been taken from the app Toontastic. (screenshoot)