Pick of the Day from ATIA 2013

Widgit Go is a new app from Widgit. Currently it is available in a full version and a lite version on Google Play for Android devices.  It should be available for iPads soon.

Widgit Go has an array of impressive capacities.  It can be used for creating various activities for learning and to act as visual supports. It runs without an internet connection, which is important for schools where that is an issue. The full version comes with all 12,000 Widgit Symbols.

It can be used for augmentative communication, of course, but it also can be used for learning activities.  It comes with 12 sample activities which include three communication boards, five symbol based writing activities (perfect for alternative assessment), three instructional activities and an excellent email activity.

The activities that teachers, parents and educators could create are limited only be creativity.  Visual schedules, social stories, matching activities, grid based writing activities, picture supported lists with speech feedback, picture recipes with voice feedback and so much more.  

The activities you make can easily be backed up and shared on Dropbox.  Editing is simple and can all be done on one page.  Activities can have as few as one and as many as seventy cells per page.  Pages can link dynamically.  You can use the included symbols or photos.   There are plenty of customization options such as changing colors and using music or sound effects on a button.

The email activity is incredible as it allows a student to compose an email using symbols, hear it read back with highlighting and then send it.  When the recipient of the e-mail open it he or she will also see the symbolated email text and have the ability to have it read with highlighting.  Even if they don't have the app.