Lab Llama Review: codeSpark

Some apps are old...some apps are brand new...others are glitchy...others run great! Who has time to vet them all?? 

Lord knows that I don't, but I want to share some llama love by rating the resources that I have had some firsthand experience using. I'm not paid (darn) and by no means are these reviews "official" but hey, who says they can't still be useful. 

Today I'm covering a coding app - codeSpark (aka The Foos)! This app uses fun activities to get students coding. It appeals to both boys and girls with fun characters that doesn't slant one way or the other. Students can build obstacle course levels, raise pets, and go through the coding process with a police, construction worker, ninja, and chef theme.

Price Point

Free! Setting up a teacher dashboard and account does not cost anything! If parents want to have an account for their children, the current price is $7.99 monthly.

Practicality
It is available on iOS and Android - so most tablets can support it. It requires internet access to run. So far as apps are concerned, this is fairly standard so no points taken away for that.

The dashboard is practical as well. You can bulk load student names, customize what activities can or cannot be accessed, view individual students' progress, and lock out accounts. They also provide access to unplugged lessons, lesson plans, and more!

Student Engagement
Three cheers for student engagement!! (hoorah, hoorah, hoorah!) From 1st grade to 6th, students often choose to play this app over free time with robots. They beg to play it in their regular classrooms (which I leave the decision up to the individual teachers).

The graphics are charming and not too "babyish" for the older kids, but the buttons and commands are great for pre-readers! 

They also provide updates with new activities to hook the students all over again. At the current time, they are running a Snoopy themed snow ball fight as well as an adventure mode that drops crystals.

Nothing but good things to say from the student perspective.

Reliability

If you're using the app, it has been as reliable as my internet connection. When I've had problems with my connection, it renders this app useless. 

If you're using the lite version on desktop computers, I've had a couple instances where flash players/other factors have limited my usage with it. It has been a year or two since doing the web version, so they may have improved that component.

Academic Value
A STEM teacher's dream! The coding and analytical thinking skills are present throughout. Each level ties back to some type of technology standard. Basic math is used for purchasing upgraded items in the "store" and by requiring a certain number of gems to open certain doors (the greater than and less than symbols are used). 

Final Score
What type of llama lover would I be if my scoring wasn't llamarific!!

With little negative feedback on each rating in each category, it may not come as a surprise that this site gets a score of...

5 out of 5 Lovely Llamas!

I'd love to hear from you! Have you tried the Foos? Like it, love it, or want to try it? 

Llama love,

Sam

Lab Llama Review: ABCmouse

Some sites are old...some sites are brand new...others are glitchy...others run great! Who has time to vet them all?? 

Lord knows that I don't, but I want to share some llama love by rating the sites that I have had some firsthand experience using. I'm not paid (darn) and by no means are these reviews "official" but hey, who says they can't still be useful. 

Today I'm covering a K-2 educational site - ABCmouse! 

Price Point

*drum roll please* Free for teachers! 
I was skeptical at first that there would be an "up-sell" after an account is created, but it truly is the full site for free. It is not free if parents want their students to have access outside of school, but for a computer lab/free time/mouse skills activity, the price point of free is a-okay! 

Practicality
Nothing negative to say for practicality of the site. 

Once you have logged into each computer, they stay logged in indefinitely. I am sure you know how nice it is not to have to worry about log in and password problems when it comes to your littles. 

For me, ABCmouse has a nice shortcut at the top of our web browser and the students have access when they finish other activities early. 

The site also provides a very extensive dashboard with great features.

You can assign specific activities or groups of activities, track progress, change difficulty levels... I know I personally could take advantage of more than I have up until this point.

Student Engagement
ABCmouse has a "ticket" system within the games that keep students more than happy. They can spend the digital tickets they earn within a shopping center where they can put custom outfits on their avatars, buy exotic pets (I have a few kids saving up to buy a pet dragon), decorate their room, and more. The tickets are easy to earn and my students LOVE the ability to show off their finest purchases and upgrades.

A word of caution though - some students are not very careful about making sure they are logged in as themselves before going to town with the tickets. I often reiterate that they need to ensure their name and face are in the top left corner. Fortunately, it is often the teacher account tickets that get spent because the default person logged in is the teacher.

Reliability

Overall reliability of logging in, etc...great. I haven't experienced any days where the site was down. 

Reliability within each of the games and activities...slightly less impressive. There are a few videos and activities that have gotten "stuck." To be fair, the puzzles get stuck because a student has it just a hair off of the target area, but it is not easy to recognize which puzzle piece is the problem. I have also had videos end and then get stuck. I have to pull the progress bar back a few seconds and let the end of the video play.

Now I know the problems I cited can be from things as simple as web browser updates/compatibility issues, so it's not something I would dock points from on ABCmouse's overall review. Just know that the site isn't completely "set it and forget it" when it comes to managing student use.

Academic Value
It has great academic value in a general sort of way. Each activity is designed to increase students' math, language arts, and reading skills. 

From a STEM/technology teacher, it does not overtly teach the concepts that we desire. Concepts such as digital citizenship and computer terminology are not present. Indirectly, it also teaches decision making, hand/eye coordination, and mouse skills. 

That being said, you can't realistically fault a site like this on academic value because of the overall value it does offer.

Final Score
What type of llama lover would I be if my scoring wasn't llamarific!!

With little negative feedback on each rating in each category, it may not come as a surprise that this site gets a score of...

5 out of 5 Lovely Llamas!

I'd love to hear from you! Have you had personal experience with ABCmouse? Like it, love it, or want to try it? 

Llama love,

Sam

Whisker Fingers: A Quick Trick for Perfect Mouse Grip

The mission...should you choose to accept it...get 20+ kindergarten kiddos to hold a mouse and use a computer. This blog post will self destruct in 10 seconds.

Okay, maybe that's too dramatic - but your students hold the mouse wrong sometimes, amiright? Poking the screen gets increasingly frequent as more students use mom and dad's cellphones and iPads and smart watches and whatever else!

So here is my awesome tip for getting those fingers right on the computer mouse.

How to Teach "Whisker Fingers"

- Assemble the children
- Hold up a computer mouse and have the students orally repeat after you, "MOUSE"
- Show picture of a real mouse, such as this:

- Wait for all the "ooos" and "awwws" and "so cute"! 

- Ask, "With a raised hand - what is growing out of his face?"

- Explain that WHISKERS can help us with our computer mouse!

- Ask students to copy you. With both hands, hold out the number 1. Then 2. Then stick out their thumbs. End resulting in this:

- Call these your "whisker fingers" and have them hold them to their face as if they were a mouse. Here are my kiddos demonstrating:

- Pick up the computer mouse and model how the two fingers are split on the two buttons, and the thumb wraps onto the side. Like this:

- Go to computers and practice in Paint or whatever else you already use! 

The biggest benefit is having a name ((Whisker Fingers)) that you can reference when you see them doing it incorrectly. Voila!

Llama love,

Sam

Computer Lab Teachers are Unicorns

Did you realize that computer lab teachers are unicorns?

When the revelation hit me, I can't lie...it made me feel a little glittery. And by glittery I mean that special, pampered feeling you get when you make a treat yo' self purchase that you can't justify as practical.

Viewing myself as a confidently colorful, magical creature helped change my perspective on my classroom experience and I think that's worth examining.

Before you write me off as crazy for making such a bold, outrageous claim, examine the evidence with me.

1) They are rare.

Does every school have grade level teachers? Administrators? Custodial staff? Of course!
Tech teachers? Not always.
There are many students out there who are not benefiting from your lessons on what to do if they're cyber-bullied (or not to be a bully themselves). There are also many students out there who will have to wait until they are older to realize they have a passion for coding and that they want to pursue that passion.
Remember that your school is benefiting from (semi)unique enrichment just by having you on staff.

2) They are magical.

That pop up that won't go away? An important folder disappeared? Who better than the computer lab teacher to magically solve problems that baffle the otherwise educated school professionals. Your unique skill set basically sorts you into the Hogwarts house of your choice (I'm Ravenclaw apparently).

And don't get me wrong, the students think you're magical too. You have toys. Computers, iPads, robots - toys. Magical toys that get them away from their usual daily routine. However, getting them to stop viewing your class time as bonus recess is an issue all its own.

3) They are lone creatures.

Flock? Herd? Pack? Litter? Tribe? Nope - unicorns are solitary creatures. We computer teachers don't often have other professionals (*cough*other adults*cough*) to talk to about lesson plans, seating charts, management issues, etc. And I won't lie...it's lonely. Other teachers often only approach us when they have a problem with something or a special request that will cost us time/energy. Do they mean to do this to us? Most probably don't, but the reality is there.

4) Spotting one in the wild is worth getting excited about.

By far my FAVORITE unicorn feature is how thrilled students are to see you outside your lab. Walking through the halls, every student knows you. Many are your best friend.

This is true out in public as well. Teachers are afraid to go to malls/restaurants/etc. without running into their 30 kids? That's cute. Try 400+ possible encounters!

My personal takeaway from thinking of myself as a unicorn? OWN IT! It's okay to acknowledge the challenges of the job, but there are great benefits too. You are beloved and magical and unique.

Can you relate? 

Llama love,

Sam

Lab Llama Review: Interland

Some sites are old...some sites are brand new...others are glitchy...others run great! Who has time to vet them all?? 

Lord knows that I don't, but I want to share some llama love by rating the sites that I have had some firsthand experience using. I'm not paid (darn) and by no means are these reviews "official" but hey, who says they can't still be useful. 

Today I'm covering one of my favorites - Interland! Gosh darn if Google doesn't just make great versions of everything. 

Price Point
It's free! Doesn't get better than that, right? They also have the curriculum and other resources free as well.  

Practicality
I definitely think bonus points should be awarded for practicality because it does include the curriculum. I have consulted them when I went to teach it in my own lab setting.

It does


Student Engagement
We all know, if the students aren't into it, it's going to be a battle. Interland has four topics that are played as individual games. Certain games do hold higher engagement than others, but for the most part, my 1st-6th grade students all enjoy it. I had several ask to play it during Game Day which is always a sign of a successful program.

Reliability

The site is just about as reliable as any other flash using website. I will say, it is heavy on the graphics so it may lag on slower devices/networks. They do have a lower definition option easily accessible though, so this may help.

I have used the program for two school years and have not encountered a day the system was down, so overall, good!

Academic Value
It looks like a game! It plays like a game! But they don't hire computer/technology/STEM teachers just for kids to have video game breaks, did they? (I know your students would answer yes to that question)

So what skills does Interland enhance?
- Digital citizenship (cyberbullying through comments, secure passwords, and more)
- Mouse/keyboard skills - some games require students to use more than one keyboard key at a time (to jump well) or to make quick movements with the mouse (to navigate a character)

Final Score
What type of llama lover would I be if my scoring wasn't llamarific!!

With little negative feedback on each rating in each category, it may not come as a surprise that this site gets a score of...

5 out of 5 Lovely Llamas!

I'd love to hear from you! What tool have you found best for teaching digital citizenship? 

Llama love,

Sam