The MONKEY Did It! The Movie
VT No 290 I Impossible to put down! says Betty
Hello Everyone,
I’ve just finished making the MOVIE of The MONKEY Did It!
If this video gave you even half the joy it gave Betty (and she was howling with laughter), swing over to YouTube, drop a cheeky comment and tell me what tickled your fancy! Feedback feeds the monkey.
Above is the Betty’s review from the video.
Here’s the full version
Book review by Betty Wiggles
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Annelida Chronicle
"Who can forget MONKEYS appearances in such literary classics as '
THE NEW JUMPER' and his award winning performance in 'UNLIKELY'
Well now he steps into the role of AUTHOR, and yes, MONKEY finally gets a turn at the typewriter, and chaos follows as he breaks the fourth wall with Hilarious results.
The MONKEY Did It! isn’t just a wild story packed with pirates, cats in space, and sky dragons, it’s part of a bold new genre from a stellar talent.
The MONKEY Did It! is sharply written and impossible to put down!
I give it 10 out of 10 Bananas"
I can't wait to see what he gets up to next
- Betty Wiggles
Enough of the chat, check out the Amazing Tools & Absolutely Splendid ideas I have to share with you today, in the spirit of
EASIER, MORE PRODUCTIVE
& A WHOLE LOT MORE FUN!
PS
Virtual Teacher is.......... FREE FOREVER
Here's What's on the MENU Today
Life’s Like a Movie, Write YOUR Own Ending! What Kermit the Frog told graduates.
The MONKEY Did It! How It Works K-12 Designed to Entertain. Built to Inspire. Perfect for 4–18 Year Olds.
Planet Homophone: Citizens of the Planet Homophone are totally confused, chaos reigns. The citizens don’t know their heads from there toes, and they’re definitely not okay.
CHECK THESE OUT LIST : Make sure you do!
VT YouTube: The Monkey Did it! and Other Human AI collaborations
Let's create a ripple effect of learning, sharing, and growing together. Pass any good ideas on to colleagues, and encourage them to subscribe to VirtualTeacher for more.
Life’s Like a Movie, Write YOUR Own Ending!
That’s what Kermit the Frog told graduates in the 2025 Kermencement speech at the University of Maryland, that everyone’s talking about. And he meant it.
In a world full of scripts written by someone else, parents, teachers, algorithms, even expectations, Kermit’s message landed like a lightning bolt:
You’re the writer. The editor. The star.
He wasn’t joking when he said:
“Believing in others is easy. Believing in yourself? That’s the real trick.”
And he’s right.
University of Maryland’s 2025 commencement speaker Kermit the Frog interviewed by CNN’s Sara Sidner
That’s exactly what I tackle in The Monkey Did It.
A wild monkey grabs the typewriter and suddenly the story spins into wild, wonderful chaos. Why?
Because he takes charge. He writes his own story.
We need more stories like this.
Stories for brave, curious, unstoppable kids.
Kids who aren’t waiting to be told what to do, they’re ready to do the telling.
So if Kermit inspired you, tell your kids this:
The greatest adventure starts when YOU take the pen.
Not every story needs a frog or a monkey…
But every story needs a hero and that’s YOU.
Then WATCH & READ The Monkey Did It, and start writing your ending.
Here’s a Short of the interview, great for a quick discussion starter.
The MONKEY Did It! How It Works K-12
The Monkey Did It!
BOOK + VIDEO = LAUGHTER, LEARNING & AI MAGIC
Designed to Entertain. Built to Inspire. Perfect for 4–18 Year Olds.
First and foremost, fun and entertaining and also a quiet nudge toward agency, creativity and the power of choosing your own path.
ENTERTAINING, FUN & AI Intro(Ages 4–8)
This story is a riot of imagination, with a cheeky, typewriter-wielding monkey at the centre of it all. And honestly, who doesn’t love a monkey?
Using the book and video with this age group leads to belly laughs and brilliant ideas.
QUESTIONS fly:
What will the monkey write next?
Students can write their own version of what happens next, then draw the scene!
DISCUSS:
How do AI tools help us turn ideas into pictures?
DEMO:
Show them how to use AI to create illustrations from their own inventions. ChatGPT, Canva, Ideogram.
PROMPTING AI (Ages 8–10)
Take the chaos up a notch! Use the story as a launchpad for writing wild, monkey-fied adventures of their own.
GROUP TASK:
Students develop story prompts together and feed them into AI tools like ChatGPT, Ideogram, or Canva. This can be a Demo.
They illustrate their scenes and pull them into a class project using iMovie, Book Creator or Canva.
PROMPTING + ANIMATION + LIP SYNC (Ages 10–12)
surrounds them. It lifts them gently into the sky
Everything from the 8–10 level, plus a leap into animation and voice!
TOOLS TO EXPLORE:
Kling AI & Pika Art for AI-generated animation (both offer free tiers; teacher subs are under $10 and well worth it).
Eleven Labs for realistic character voices — just paste in text and choose a voice.
Kling or D-ID for lip-syncing those voices to characters.
PROJECT OUTPUT:
Students edit their final creations in iMovie, CapCut or DaVinci Resolve (all free).
For kids who want more control and creative muscle, DaVinci Resolve 20 is a standout.
ADVANCED CREATORS (Ages 12–18)
They’re ant-size, the kids wandered through their backyard?
Everything above, plus sound effects, key framing, music scoring and advanced video editing.
This level pushes students to think like filmmakers, animators, voice directors and editors. It challenges their creativity and hones their storytelling skills.
WHY IT WORKS
The Monkey Did It! is a showcase of what happens when great storytelling meets powerful AI tools. It’s not instant, but it’s exciting, rewarding and incredibly creative.
From spark to screen, students learn to use AI as a tool to realise their own wild, hilarious and heartfelt visions.
And yes… the MONKEY really did do it!
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AND you’’ be the first to see the 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨.
𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 to use in whatever way inspires you.
Citizens of the Planet Homophone are totally confused, chaos reigns. The citizens don’t know their heads from there toes, and they’re definitely not okay.
The Monarch says, "Over there are a group of citizens. They're having trouble figuring out which words to use. They have their iPhones at the ready but what will they type?"
Can you help them?
Challenge 1
Take 3 photos illustrating examples of each Homophone for
there, they’re and their.
Write a sentence explaining each picture - you can use arrows or circles if you like.
Check out the rest of the CHALLENGES here.
CHECK THESE OUT LIST
BRAIN BREAK Pi Patterns Play digital roulette. Earn points for palindromes, Fibonacci numbers and repeating digits. Great way to start a discussion about numbers!
The Movie in YOUR Mind Turning NARRATIVE into FILM Films are Stories of course! So there is no trouble here. We are all familiar with the elements of a written story – a narrative.
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? The age old question. Here are the answers you’ve been waiting for. Make sure you check out the Kindergarten teacher, Anderson Consulting, sounds like the Education Department to me and the very last one an original from Thomas Brown my son.
DISASTERS The first one TORNADOES HIT THE WEATHER CHANNEL Is an amazing video combining live TV Reporting and a Virtual Studio with AR effects.
VT YOUTUBE
Check out the latest Videos:
THE MOVIE of THE MONKY DID IT!
Check out the other HUMAN AI Collaboration Books on my VT YOUTUBE playlist and subscribe so you don’t miss the final ‘THE MONKEY DID IT“ when it’s released.
THANKS FOR READING
I love to hear from you. Leave a comment or just say hi by sending an email to cathy@virtualteacher.com.au If you’re having fun, your students will too.
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The opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor, Cathy Brown. All other small print clauses apply. Such as: Use at your own risk. Nothing in life is guaranteed.
If it doesn't work for you, me send an email and I'll try to figure it out.
Editor: Cathy Brown cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
Before you go I have a question for you:
Would you be interested in learning more about AI and how to integrate into your teaching? Would you like more information about inservice and training?
No need to decide just yet, just email me if you'd like to start the ball rolling. cathy@virtualteacher.com.au or check out the VT AI Consultancy Page.