#AppMondayTAS - Mr. Potato Head Create and Play

Each week I will be featuring an app from BridgingApps.org.  These apps are features in the Bridging Apps newsletter each week and are reviewed by Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Special Education Teachers.  Come back each week for a new review.  If you’d like more information on how to use the BridgingApps.org website, or to find more app reviews, please click here.

Mr. Potato Head Create and Play - $3.99 (Universal)

Reviewer Comments

Mr. Potato Head is an app built on the traditional Mr. Potato Head toy. As the child plays with the app, more parts are unlocked with a total of over 200 mix and match parts that can be unlocked. After making a silly character, the child can take photos of his/her creation to share and play with the character in a variety of scenes.

This app is great for working on identifying body parts both expressively and receptively. It can also be used for working on following increasingly complex commands. An example of this is: Give Mr. Potato Head a red hat and 2 brown eyes. The child can also work on expressive language as the adult can manipulate the app as the child requests parts to Mr. Potato.

We have used this app with children between the ages of 3 and 9 with diagnoses of speech/language delays, autism and learning differences.

Mobile Devices

iPad

iPhone

Embedded Skills

early learning skills

purposeful touch

develop joint attention

receptive language

increase creative play

finger isolation

Independent Traits

Fine Motor

Preschool Games

Creative

Assistive/Independent

Independent

iTunes Categories

Games

Kids

Educational

Education

BridgingApps Categories

Fine Motor skills

Fun

Social Play

BridgingApps Reviewed App

Disclaimer:

You may copy, modify format, distribute and perform the work(s), including app reviews and any data even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission provided that you: a) cite our research project and publications as follows: BridgingApps, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston; b) agree that we make no warranties about the work(s) or data, and disclaim liability for all uses of the work(s) or data, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; c) when using or citing the work(s) or data, you should not imply endorsement by us; and d) do not misrepresent the work or its content, or any part thereof, or present it any manner which would have the effect of disparaging BridgingApps, Easter Seals Greater Houston or any affiliated entity or person.

Patrick

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ClassDojo

I'm not sure where I first heard about ClassDojo, but I never took the time to do more than glance at it.  I knew it was a website for tracking behavior, but didn't give it a chance until I heard an interview with the creators on the EdGamer Podcast.  Liam and Sam (the co-creators) did an excellent job of explaining why they started ClassDojo that I realized I had to give it a try.

So what exactly is ClassDojo, a fun, easy, mobile way to track an entire classroom worth of behavior! The website is still in beta and free for teachers (and intends to stay free!) so first head on over and create an account.  Setting up a class is simple too, just type in your students names and you're set.  They have already pre-loaded 6 positive and 6 negative behaviors to track.  You are free to customize, add or delete these behaviors as you like!  Another fun aspect is each student is assigned a fun avatar that you can change or they can customize (more on that in another post!).

Once the class is set up it's time to start.  Click on Start Class and you can start taking data.  Click on a student and then click on the behavior they exhibit.  A running total of points is kept by each student, and their's a pop-up at the bottom that shows what they did and gives a small audio cue.  You can even choose to show notifications for both positive and negative, or you can turn off one or the other.  Same with the audio notification it can be set to only go off with positive notifications!  The last setting is to have combined points or you can separate the positive from the negative points, giving each student 2 numbers to watch.

The interface is designed to be displayed to the entire class while it's being used, so it works great with a SMARTBoard or Projector during class times.  The beauty is that you can then use a mobile device to assign points from anywhere in the classroom or school even.  Multiple devices can be logged in at one time and can all be giving points during a lesson!  You can even see the points on the mobile device if you want to show it to a student.  Just point you iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, Android phone or tablet to http://mobile.classdojo.com to sign into your account and get started!

When you are finished with a class and click end class you are presented with a graph that gives you the overall positive percentage.  While showing you the positive and negative points you awarded.  You can view this as a classroom or by individual student.  You can email yourself a copy of the report (PDF download is coming soon) and you can email each individual student report to yourself or parent by typing in their email address.

I have quite a bit more to say about ClassDojo.com, but think I'm going to save that for another post.  Please give it a try and let me know how it goes in your classroom!

Patrick

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#AppMondayTAS - Toca Boca Apps

I downloaded Toca Hair Salon (Universal | $1.99) on a free day, and until recently had not had the chance to check it out.  This app is an amazingly well done app that's all about cutting and styling hair.  I first tried with my daughter, who fell in love with it.  Then I tried it with my students (8 boys) and they can't stop playing with it.  This app is all about play and imagination and presents so many opportunities for communication and socialization it is well worth the money.

Even before I had Toca Hair Salon, I had downloaded Toca Tea Party (iPad Only | $2.99), and again hadn't had a chance to try it out until recently.  This app caught my attention immediately, it's beautifully created and an amazing recreation of a child's tea party.  You start off by setting a table, by choosing your tablecloth, plates, cups and sweet treats.  Then it tells you to get some friends!!!  Everyone sits around the iPad and they can eat their sweet treats and drink their tea.  The host can pass out more treats and pour more tea.  There's even some napkins for when you spill.  The opportunities for practicing social skills, questioning, answering, and requesting are endless.  You can't even take more to eat until you finish what's in front of you!  When all the treats are done you have to put everything in the sink and clean up!

Since I had tried these two apps, I decided to splurge and get a few more.  I've since downloaded Toca Kitchen (Universal | $1.99) and Toca Store (Universal | $1.99).  Both are excellent apps that really encourage communication, creative play, socialization, requesting and more.  Toca Kitchen lets you pick from four characters and feed them.  Some foods they like, some they don't and some need to be cooked first!  Toca Store lets the kids set up shop and play store keeper.

Recently Toca Boca has added Toca House to their list of apps, which also include Toca Doctor, Toca Birthday Party Playtime, Toca Robot Lab, Toca Hair Salon - Christmas Gift (Free) and Helicopter Taxi.  I highly recommend these apps for any special education classroom or parent!

Patrick

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Summer Learning with Night Light Stories

Miss Mel and Mr. Chris over at Night Light Stories have started a great new fun summer learning resources.  Throughout the summer they'll be posting fun summer learning activities on the Night Light Stories Facebook Page.  Make sure you "like" them and follow the fun!  Feel free to add your own activities to the page too!

Patrick

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Phineas & Ferb

I've found a fun activity for this winter season, that star Phineas & Ferb from the Disney Channel.  The activity is based on their Winter Wonderland episode and has the kids doing all sorts of fun activities.  You can tell them to throw snowballs, decorate the tree, or shovel snow and they do it in their own unique way. The best part is that to get them to do these things you have to tell them, using your computer's microphone.  You do need to speak clearly to make it work, but to be honest my students didn't care what they did as long as they did it after they spoke!  It's a very motivating activity for many students.  You could even record the command onto a switch and have them speak that way.  If you have a student who types, they could practice by typing in the commands too.  I made a simple instruction and choice board of the different activities that Phineas & Ferb will complete.  You can download it from the Boardmakershare.com site - Phineas & Ferb Winter Wonderland.  Have fun playing at the Winter Wonderland!


Patrick


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A-Z Meme

Kate over at TLWMSN posted this meme and invited anyone to do it. I didn't have a plan for today's post, so here's my answers.

Accent: Mid-Western

Breakfast or no breakfast: Breakfast, everyday!

Chore I don’t care for: really don't like any of them

Dog or cat: Either, I currently have 2 cats

Essential electronics: my laptop

Favorite cologne: Escape

Gold or silver: silver

Handbag I carry most often: Swiss Army Knife Laptop Bag

Insomnia: not usually

Job Title: S.O.A.R. Teacher (Structured Opportunities for Academics & Responsibility)

Kids: Can't wait to have them!

Living arrangements: Robyn and I live in a nice 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhouse

Most admirable trait: kind

Naughtiest childhood behavior: naughty? I was a perfect child

Overnight hospital stay: I believe when I was 2, but I don't remember

Phobias: heights, glass elevators are awful

Quote: (can't think of one)

Reason to smile: crazy cats, my students, my lovely wife

Siblings: one brother

Time I wake up: 5:00, usually 7:00 on weekends

Unusual skill or talent: I can light a fire (that's what you learn when you become an Eagle Scout)

Vegetable I refuse to eat: peppers

Worst habit: figeting (with everything according to my wife)

X-rays: Once, I broke my wrist sledding

Yummy stuff: I'm a foodie, but I especially love things that are fried, Italian Beef, desert (lots and lots of desert), really anything (as long as it's not spicy).

Zoo animal I like most: Otters, they are adorable, so cute

Patrick

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Poisson Rouge

Anne marie over at Talking Smartboards & more has posted a site called Poisson Rouge. It's really a great site for kids to explore and play. No directions that I could find, but lots to look at and do. Definitely geared toward younger students.

Have fun looking around!


- Patrick

Math Website

Here's a simple math website to practice basic skills. It's got lots of fun games to practice 1:1 correspondence, rote counting, patterning, sorting, etc... Lots of good graphics and fun to boot.

Take a look at the site here:

Count us in Games

Patrick