To begin creating your virtual classroom, you really need just need 4 things: a blank PowerPoint slide, a few classroom images, your Bitmoji, and any links you want to add to your classroom.
In replace of using a blank slide, there are plenty of shops online that can provide you with templates or already set up classroom backgrounds for you to personalize; however, many of these will cost money. I don’t recommend taking this route, because creating your own Bitmoji Classroom is really relatively easy and won’t take too much time.
Start on your blank PowerPoint slide – an open canvas! We will insert images on this slide to build up our classroom. Be as creative as you wish! I like to start by adding a floor and a wall. Search Google for some images, save them to your desktop, or do an online search through PowerPoint.
When you search for an image online, be sure to change the search settings to account for copyright issues. Under Tools, change the Usage Rights to Labeled for Reuse. One more setting you can change is when you are looking for transparent images. This way when you add a photo to your slide, it will not have a background. To do this, under Color, change it to Transparent.
💡 If you find an image that you must have that isn’t a transparent background, you can remove the background right in PowerPoint!
Format & Place the Images
Once the ‘floor’ image is uploaded onto your slide, we can crop, resize, and move it to the bottom half of our slide. Follow the same steps to move your ‘wall’ image to the top half of your slide. Then, continue to build up your classroom by adding other images, like a chair, a desk, shelves, a coffee cup, plants, or a computer. Basically, anything that you want to have that creates a homey classroom environment.
To make your classroom realistic, add depth by layering images. To do this, right-click on the image that you would like to have in front, and on the menu, click Send to Front.
Save Slide Background
Before you get carried away in adding images, we suggest saving the most basic features of your classroom as a slide background. This way, if you are changing your Bitmoji classroom often, you do not have to start from scratch every time. You can use this preset background and add other images depending on what you will need and want for that day. This tip will save you so much time in the future, so don’t forget to do this!
To do this, save your slide as an image in File -> Save As. Then the next time you create a PowerPoint, start by uploading this image don’t your slide. Then you can continue adding all the other small image features to your classroom.
Add Your Bitmoji to Your Classroom
.png)
.png)
Now, it’s time for the most important part – adding yourself to the classroom! Open Chrome and download the Bitmoji Chrome extension if you do not already have it. Then, log in to your account. If you don’t have one, easily create one at bitmoji.com.
Bitmojis come with a lot of different poses, many of them with text attached. When adding a Bitmoji to your classroom, you usually want one without extra text and artwork included. To find one that is just yourself, search “pose” or “full-body” in the Bitmoji extension. When you see one you like, right-click to save it as an image on your desktop.
Then, head back into PowerPoint and insert that image into your slide. Resize and place it anywhere you would like it.
Make Your Bitmoji Classroom Interactive
Bitmoji Classrooms aren’t just for looks! Add links or videos to your classroom for students to explore and to help them feel like they are learning back in their own classroom.
You can add links through text or images that are on your slide. Highlight the text, or click on the image that you want to link. Then, on the top ribbon in PowerPoint, hit the Link button to paste in a website that you want your students to check out. You can also link these to another slide in your presentation instead if you want them to check out the information there.
.webp)
To embed a video right on your slide, you only need to go to the Insert tab, and then click Video and Online Video. Students can watch these videos from your slide without ever having to leave PowerPoint!
Now, your students can click on objects and text, and watch videos through your Bitmoji Classroom!
Share Your Bitmoji Classroom Through Teams
If you and your students are using Teams, you can easily share your Bitmoji classroom with them for easy access. You will need to create a shareable link to your PowerPoint slide so that your students can view it. From the top right-hand corner, click share, and get a website link. Create a view-only link and copy.
Before we do anything with this link, we will need to add some text to the end of the link. This text allows us to publish the link online. Open any text editor on your desktop, paste your link, then add this text to the end of your link:
&=&action=embedview
Now, copy that whole link and open up Teams. In your Class, under the General Channel, we are going to add a new pivot on the top ribbon. This will give students easy access to your classroom at any time. Click the plus button, and add a Website. Name the pivot “Virtual Classroom” or “Bitmoji Classroom,” and paste the link. Students now have access to explore your slide deck by clicking through all the interactive links.
Very interactive 😊
ReplyDelete