Voki is a free service that lets you create and design avatars.  You can add your own voice or choose a voice from an assortment of automated voices that read the text you create.   

Check out the Voki Lesson Plan Database to see how other educators used Voki in their classes.

Take note:  Voki requires the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.  If your students are unable to view your Voki, they will need to install the latest update.  Or, use the Google Chrome browser, as it does not require you to install Adobe Flash Player.

Create a multimedia avatar for free!  This is another fun way to engage users.