Voki

Voki is a great alternative to a written biographical report on an important historical figure.  Using a Voki is a great motivator for the students because they enjoy creating and customizing their avatar.  Learning still takes place and it is quite possible that the students will retain more information by using a Voki.  When students are required to write a research paper, they more than likely simply regurgitate the information that they research and fulfilling requirements just to get a good grade.  They find that sort of assignment tedious and therefore tend to forget any facts shortly after completing the paper.  Vokis change that and allow the students to be more active learners.  The way that I use Voki in my classroom to increase interest and retention is quite simple.  I have my students do the typical research on a person of importance during the time period we are studying.  They then write a script that chronologically goes through the historical person's life highlighting their important contributions to history.  Next, they get to create their avatar which of course they absolutely love!  Finally, they record their script using Audacity, upload it to voki.com, and publish their completed project.  They get to share their Voki with the class and everyone is able to learn more while having fun.  What more could you want from your students as a teacher!!  For more information, visit the Voki website:


http://www.voki.com/