My Favorite Apps – Piano Monkey

My students love new ways to use the iPad in our sessions. I like finding ways to keep them engaged while learning new things. That’s why I so many educational apps. One of the apps I have been using recently in Piano Monkey! Piano Monkey tests students’ knowledge of notes on both treble clef and bass clef, giving them three options to choose from. If you select the correct note, the note will be played and the monkey will smile, giving you the opportunity to move on to the next note. If you select the incorrect note, the option will be blacked out and you will be given a second chance to select the correct answer. The game only test you on 10 notes at a time.  At the end of the ten notes you are given a score and a the time which to took you to complete the ten notes. You also have the option to test on bass or treble clef.  If you touch the white “i”  in the lower right corner of the screen, you will Read More

My Favorite Apps – DoReMemory

I am always on the hunt for interactive, educational apps that will help my clients meet there goals. This simple, straight forward app focuses on learning notes on treble and bass clef as well as the difference between high and low. You can choose whether your student should work on bass clef or treble clef. The screen will prompt you with the note name. You then tap the correct placement on the note on the staff. If you select the correct placement, a green note will appear with a check mark in the upper right-hand corner. If you select incorrectly, a red not will appear in the correct placement with an “x” in the upper right-hand corner. The app will also ask to for high C, Middle C, and C so that the client has to know the difference between all three on both the keyboard and staff. Each round is only 12 notes long. At the end of the 12 notes the app will give you a score and ask if you want to keep practicing. If you have Read More

My Favorite Apps – Wunderlist

In a recent post (5 Quick Tips to Avoid Burnout) I mentioned that making lists and checking things off throughout the day helps keep me focused, organized, and on-task.  Not only that, a completed list gives me a sense of accomplishment! Recently, I discovered a new app that has made my life much easier! No more paper lists or post-it reminders cluttering my desk, wasting paper, and getting shredded in the wash.  Wunderlist is a free app that allows you to make multiple lists that sync to your phone, tablet, and computer effortlessly. Here’s a quick walk through. After creating an account using an email address, you are brought to a home screen where you can start building folders/categories for your lists.  I have a lot of different things going on right now, so my home page has several list names. After you have created the title of your list you can begin adding items!  For each item you can also add subtasks, set reminder alarms, due dates, and add notes. If you type a date or time within the Read More

My Favorite Apps – Singing Fingers

I love using my iPad to reinforce the goals and objectives I am working on with my clients. This next app is great for meting a variety of needs with clients of all skills and abilities. Singing Fingers!! When you first enter the app, it will look a little something like this Tap on the blank page icon in the top left corner to start a new drawing. To draw, create a sound, sing, or talk as you drag your finger across the screen. Different pitches create different colors on the screen. Nothing will appear on the screen unless you create a sound while drawing. To demonstrate how this works, I sang different pitches while drawing keyboard. I have used this app with clients with speech delays, encouraging clients to create specific sounds while drawing. I have used this app to help teach different sounds, words, letters, and number; creating the sound of the letter or number while drawing it. I have also used this app to work on pitch matching, tone, volume control, attention, fine motor skills and interaction. Read More