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. 

Switch Adaptable Online Spinner, Calculator and More!

Tripico a site that designs e-Learning content has an eight section spinner or a four section spinner that can be run by a switch set to mouse click when the pointer is over the spin button. You can put any text you wish in the eight sections, if you have less than eight things to spin for you can put in "spin again", "lose a turn", or you can duplicate some items. Should be super fun with an LCD Projector on a "Big Screen" or on a SMART Board.

Also completely there is an amazing calculator that works using switches set to tab and enter to enter what you need to solve your math program. Imagine a FREE, ONLINE accessible, scanning calculator! Of course it also works with a mouse, touch screen or on a SMART Board.

Also at Tripico you can find:

Switch Adapted, Touch Screen, SMART Board or Mouse:

• Probability Spinner
• 4 Space Spinner
  
• Quiz Spinner (put in any four questions you wish)
• 1-8 Spinner
  
• 1-16 Spinner
  
• Role Selector (pick classroom jobs!)
• Simon Style Memory Game (set switches to tab and enter)
  

Touch Screen, SMART Board or Mouse

• Online Timer (counts up or down)
  
• Word Magnets
• Word Mix
• Plot It! Interactive Graph
• Swing O Meter
• One Minute Timer
• Image Match
• Score Board
• Match It
  

Another Online Timer

Here is another online timer to use for counting down break time, transitions, time in position devices or what not:

• Timer (with or without music)

add to these formerly mentioned timers

• Class Timer
• IDEAS Timer
• Toastmasters Speech Timer
• Cool Timer

Timed Visual Schedules

I have a student with an IEP objective to get ready to go home independently at the end of the day in under fifteen minutes. He made minimal progress on the objective last year in spite of a variety of interventions.

Today I tried something new and he was ready to go in eight minutes. I used a "Mark My Time" bookmark (available at department and bookstores or the website above), print outs of the steps in the routine and velcro to made a timed visual schedule. Then I told him we were having a race and that he had to do all of the steps before for the timer rang to "win". He was asked to remove each step he finished and velcro it to the back of the book mark. The last step was to sit and wait quietly, which he has never done before. He motored like he never has before and then pulled out his chair and sat down saying, "I did it!"

I would imagine that this intervention would work with any timed sequence. You can use just text or picture symbols, number of steps you can fit will depend on size of the font or symbol. I think it would be a neat idea for general education teachers to use these as hall passes for students who get distracted and don't come right back to class.

My number one tip is not to throw away the directions for the timer!