Introducing DifMo

Component Designer

Use of this App:

DifMo is going to be a tool that can be used by teachers and students to assist in the academic and physical interventions that should be differentiated in lessons and assessments.  The three tools will offer an easy use for teachers and students in three accommodation: Test taking using voice instead of writing, extended time and sharing notes from teachers to students. 

User Interact with this app:

The interface of the app is very simple. There are buttons that will guide the user through the different tools the app offers. 

What do you like about designing with Component designer: 

I really like being able to see the design of the app as it goes.  Watching each piece come together to complete the vision that I have in my head.  It also allows me to experiment with different images and designs and test them in real time. 

What do you want to do but can't do with Component designer during your design?I have been having a hard time placing buttons at the bottom of the screen rather than the top.  I'm sure there is a solution, I just have not found it yet. 

The Birth of DifMo

This week I began thinking through what kind of app I want to create for my final project.

I was racking my brain, trying to think of something useful, yet creative, dreaming about the possibilities without actually having the information.

Finally I came up with an idea about differentiation.  Using an app to help in different aspects of differentiating the classroom.

So far my plan is good, but I think I can expand.  We will see what happens, but right now I am excited about the potential!

QuizApp!

This weeks app was a quiz app. I created it to be utilized in my current New Testament class.  I made a custom welcome screen as well as added a different background.  The questions came from a previous test which student should be able to answer correctly.  I could use this app as a formative assessment review in class. I really like the idea behind this app and I am excited to expand some ideas that I have about it into the future.  Overall a very enjoyable app, excited to get started on the final proposal next week!

UnLost

For this App I was really trying to think about how I could alter it's uses since we don't have a car.  I started to think about walking around Hong Kong and how easy it is to get lost in all of the tiny back alleys and seemingly chaotic road plans.  I have re-branded the where is my car app to simply be a helper for when a person gets lost.  Simple and easy.  This should be a big help to my wife in the future! 

TourHongKong App

This week's app was a really fun one to make.  I really like the tools that allow for virtual/mobile tours.  For this app I changed the city, focusing on Hong Kong where we live.  I added more locations on the listpicker, some are famous, some are our favorite spots.  

I really can see a HUGE amount of potential with this app when it comes to the classroom and having the students go on both virtual and physical scavenger hunts as well as creating their own hunts with some tweaks to the app. Overall I had a lot of fun with this one!

QR code to download the app (android only)

Here is the homescreen of the app

PuppyRun!

I am realizing more and more that as I am working on these apps, my daughter continues to inspire me. In changing the LadybugChase into Puppy run I thought about my daughter and how she loves dogs.  She wants nothing more than to hold any dog that comes near us.  Big or small she wants to hold them. 

I am really enjoying getting creative with the game.  I know I am not altering the app in it's function quite yet, but the designs have been fun to change.  Of course I tested this app on my daughter and she loved it!  Another win in her book!  

DriveAlive... Staying focused on driving first!

This week's project is one that I really appreciate.  I have had multiple friends get into accidents because of driving.  I have written before that a lot of my inspiration for being in this program is my wife and daughters.  I really like that this app is not so restricting that it is not allowing messages to come, but rather it is opening up the ability to receive the messages and communicate to the person on the other side. 

As I was building this app I was very interested to see how the text to speech and location blocks worked.  It is so cool to have this ability within the app.  Overall this is a great addition to the app building tool box and I am excited to brainstorm about where this could come from. 

MoleMash!

Molemash has been a lot of fun to work on.  I wanted to add more of my own personal touch to the app to give it a little more personality.  I am starting to understand the block concepts of the app builder.  The text has been really helpful in building the apps and I am finding I am getting more comfortable with being able to see the app in my minds eye. 

Download my version of MoleMash

Title Screen 

Game Screen 

The sound clip for the title screen was a loop created from Garageband, while the background for the game screen came from this website: 

 http://kastanok.deviantart.com/art/Damarite-Hills-External-Map-186551662

PaintPot

This week's app made me really think about my daughter.  She is almost 2 years old and has found her way to the mobile technology.  As much as we are doing to limit her, we are allowing her to play from time to time on the tablets and phones.  As I was working through this app, I thought about how I could tailor it towards her.  I really wanted to make it fun for her so I put a picture of myself on it so that she could draw on daddy's face.  Overall she thought it was great.  She was able to color on my face and have a lot of fun with the app. 

As I am getting more experience with the app builder, I am getting more ideas about different apps and their processes that I would like to create.  This so far has been a really good experience and I am excited to see what comes next week!

Paint Pot Screen 

Hello Purrrrrr....

     This week the task was to build a simple app.  The app is an image of a cat that meows and purrs when you touch the image.  It also would meow if the device was shaken.  
My overal reflection of this weeks activity was just getting my feet wet in using the App Inventor program.  I really enjoyed learning some initial skills with the program.  For me personally I struggle with wanting to go 1000 miles an hour and I have to remind myself to slow down and learn the steps.  I know that I am really going to enjoy this experience!