Emojination with Lori Roberts (copy)

Introduction

• Engaging the audience is key to a successful learning experience, creating a fun atmosphere that promotes connection.

• Important to emphasize the role of imagination in facilitating deeper engagement with students, allowing for a more participative and interactive learning environment.

• Topic Focus: The use of emojis and icons in education, exploring their potential to enhance communication and learning outcomes across diverse educational settings.

• The session objectives provide an overview of how meaningful emojis can be integrated into teaching practices and the various templates available for educators.

About Fried Tech

• Fried Tech is a well-established professional development company located in Houston, Texas, dedicated to empowering educators with innovative strategies and tools.

• Their mission focuses on training teachers to improve learning experiences through technology integration, fostering a dynamic environment for skill development.

• The importance of social media connections is highlighted, encouraging teachers to network and share best practices to enhance their teaching methodologies.

• Presenter: Laurie Roberts, lead learning guide with a wealth of experience in educational technology and professional development.

Purpose of Emojis in Education

• Historical perspective on emojis, tracing their origins from ancient hieroglyphics to the contemporary emojis we recognize today, first created in 1999.

• Emojis serve as a vital function in enhancing digital communication by effectively conveying tone, emotion, and context that may be absent in text alone.

• There is a direct connection to the language of students, as emojis have become a familiar aspect of their daily communication in personal and social contexts, helping to bridge gaps in understanding.

Benefits of Using Emojis

Cognitive Benefits:

• Visual aids facilitate better memory retention through the Picture Superiority Effect, where visuals help individuals recall information more effectively.

• Example: Research indicates a startling 10% recall rate of the word "dog" without an accompanying image, in stark contrast to a 65% recall rate when an image is provided.

Visual Learning:

• Students often find it easier to connect with visual aids compared to traditional text-based learning materials, particularly beneficial for diverse learning environments.

• This is especially crucial for standardized testing and comprehension, where visual representations can bolster understanding and retention of complex topics.

Accessing Emojis

• Clear instructions delineating different methods to access emojis on various devices, making emoji integration accessible for all users:

  • Windows: Access emojis by pressing the Windows button + period key simultaneously.

  • Mac: Use Control + Command + Space bar to bring up the emoji selector.

  • Chromebook: Access emojis by pressing the Search key + Shift + Space bar.

• Introduction to the Joypixels Chrome extension, which allows for convenient emoji access and offers customization options for educators seeking to enhance their digital communications.

Using Icons with Emojis

• Overview of FlatIcon as a resource for educators, facilitating the search for icons that may not be available as emojis, thus expanding visual resources in the classroom.

• Key features of FlatIcon:

  • Offers limited free downloads (10 per day) without needing to sign up, and significantly more (100 per day) available with an account.

  • Allows users to edit colors and download icons while adhering to specific license restrictions, enhancing the customization possibilities for educators.

Classroom Applications of Emojis

• Bell Ringers:

  • Employ emojis to stimulate student engagement and prompt discussions by having students guess lesson objectives based on emoji clues.

  • Example activity where students interpret city icons, fostering diverse interpretations and collaborative learning.

• Exit Tickets:

  • Integrate emojis into Google Forms to collect student feedback on group projects, promoting self-reflection on learning experiences.

  • Highlight the importance of pairing emojis with text to ensure clarity and understanding of student feedback.

• Check-Ins:

  • Use emoji-based questions to assess students' feelings and overall engagement in the classroom, providing real-time insights into their emotional state.

• Summarizing Lessons:

  • Encourage students to use specific emojis to summarize lessons, requiring them to articulate their understanding and enhance their analytical skills through visual representation.

Creative Storytelling with Emojis

• Encourage students to craft stories based on a given set of generated emojis, which serves as prompts for creative writing assignments, stimulating imagination and innovative thinking.

Emoji Template and Activities

• Introduction of various templates and digital tools designed for effective emoji use:

  • Google Slides and Adobe Express for creating presentations and collaborative projects that incorporate emojis meaningfully.

  • Generative AI activities within Adobe for students to create personalized emojis, facilitating individual creativity.

• Connection Boards:

  • Engage students by allowing them to select emojis that represent the concepts they've learned, encouraging them to explain their choices and connect their learning experiences.

Conclusion

• Recap the key takeaways from the training session, emphasizing the transformative potential of emojis and icons in educational practices.

• Encourage educators to explore and creatively apply emojis and icons in their teaching strategies for improved engagement and learning outcomes.

• Offer ongoing support and share valuable resources that were provided during the session, fostering continuous professional development.

• Extend appreciation to participating teachers for their involvement and encourage them to remain connected for future growth opportunities in their professional journeys.