Time Timer iPod App

We have a morning routine that goes something like this: the students gather around the projector for morning meeting and one of my wonderful teaching assistants gathers up a behavior chart, a dry eraser maker, and a huge Time Timer.  She approaches a student and reminds her of her ability to earn a reward by collecting ten stars.  A star is given each time ten minutes passes on the Time Timer without incidence of interrupting/disruption and a bonus star is given for each appropriate AAC device activation.  Through our morning meeting I watch the student and the staff quietly interact as they draw dry erase stars on the chart and re-set the Time Timer for ten more minutes. 

Ironically, almost, the reward this student earns is use of the classroom iPod touch to listen to music.  She uses Flick Tunes to be able to more easily change the song, but in general is just content to have music on.  

Won't it be cool this week when I can download the only app I have been waiting for from the iTunes store and have this entire process move to the iPod Touch?  The Time Timer App (get it in the iTunes store) is a way to have a Time Timer in your pocket.  It is perfect for counting down those difficult transitions (we just used our "old fashioned" Time Timer for this the other day, a student who does not like to leave on Fridays is given a five minute countdown on the Time Timer and then leave school like a pro) on the go.

We will even think about adding one of the many star charts apps (iAchieve, iRewards, Earn It Stars) to our iPod Touch as well, so the entire process from the Time Timer to the stars to the music is in one place - on one iPod.