We Love a Milk Moustache!

Milk can do more than induce a giggle fest inspired by who has the best milk moustache. To learn a few things and to share with your child, head on over Milk Matters. 

 You will meet Bo Vine, a very healthy friend, who will guide your child through activities to learn why milk matters for health.  Play CowBop or print a coloring book featuring Buddy Brush who teaches us about the link between calcium and good oral hygiene.

App to Consider

Toucan Toucan’t This humorous storybook with imaginative wordplay will be enjoyed by children and adults alike! The comical story accompanied by bright, engaging illustrations and ANIMATION will guarantee that this book is bound to be read time and time again. Children love being able to run their fingers over the text to hear the story and touch any word to hear it said or spelled. They will happily spend hours coloring in the book and they can record themselves as well. This is the - perfect gift for your children and, even better, it’s great learning too! This app is available for download on iTunes.

Buckleitner Message

One iPad and 40 kids

I’ve been testing apps lately in a local Kindergarten classroom.  To do so, I've let the teacher borrow a fully configured iPad 2, stocked with dozens of hand picked apps.  So guess which app he uses the most? The camera. The iPad's large clear screen makes it easy to quickly capture and review video at any time.

 

Here's a quick example of how it's already become a valuable tool.  Any teacher knows the stress involved when it comes to moving a class of kids down the hallway, say to lunch or to gym. You want your class to be on their best behavior, in part because all the other teachers are watching.  One day, Chris (the teacher) followed the kids with the iPad, video camera running,  Later, the class reviewed the footage and could see when things became a little rowdy and talk about how to avoid the problem the next time.  No lecture or stern look required.

 

My AOTM (App of the Month) is LEGO Life of George, which lets you test your pattern matching skills under the pressure of a stop watch. See how it works, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grNO42UK5q8. The app serves as your blueprint, timer, progress tracker, and -- most interestingly -- your judge.  The $30 kit contains 144 Legos and a special cardboard grid that lets your camera to "see" and then rate your project work. How? It uses special scanning software called EyeCue (see www.eyecue-tech.com) that works with the grid. There are 12 levels, each with 10 models to build so there's plenty to do. In addition to the Game Mode which can be played alone or against one competitor in a pass-and-play format, it is possible to design and capture your own models to be saved in a scrap book.

 

Warren Buckleitner, Ph.D.

Editor, Children's Technology Review