| Features | |
|---|---|
Price FREE | |
Age Range Early Childhood & Primary | |
App Type Learning App | |
Version Reviewed 1.0 | |
Android Available? |  |
Lite Version Available? | |
Help Provided? |  |
| Bloom's Thinking Process | |
|---|---|
| Creating | |
| Evaluating | |
| Analysing | |
| Applying | |
| Understanding | |
| Remembering | |
| Adaptability | |
|---|---|
| Includes animation | |
| Includes text | |
| Includes images | |
| Review Comments | |
|---|---|
Angry Octopus is a wonderful story book which explains why an octopus became angry, explores this feeling and demonstrates progressive muscle relaxation as an emotional regulation strategy.
The look and feel of this book is calming. The book's pages move gently as the waves slowly move through. The student can tap anywhere on the page to see a string of bubbles appear. The lovely octopus blinks his eye at the world. The recorded male voice is calm and relaxing. The colours of the book are soft blues and pinks.
The book explains why the octopus is angry (the lobsters wrecked the place). The book describes the feelings of angry including his own body sensations (tense muscles, rumbling stomach). He loses his temper and releases ink. He includes words such as frustrated and out of control.
Then the sea child arrives and teaches him progressive muscle relaxation. This is a method where you gradually tighten then relax muscles throughout your body.
I have used this book on an interactive whiteboard in a darkened classroom, with all of the children lying on the floor. I also use it as part of the student's emotional toolbox. When the student feels angry, they put on their headphones, find a calm place and listen to this book. This has been a lovely way to teach this technique to my students. One of my student now tells me when he is about to "lose his ink".
|
| Use | Rank (*) | |
|---|---|---|
| Physical calming | Ranked 5th of 6 | |
| Books about emotions | Ranked 11th of 13 | |
| Top Apps Prep Teachers | Ranked 6th of 11 | |
| Top Apps for Psychologists | Ranked 11th of 15 |
(*) This app has been ranked according to its' effectiveness to achieve the learning goals and strategies listed. Some apps may rank highly for achieving a specific use and lower for other uses. Some students will learn and engage with one app more than others, because of the individual nature of us all.
| Learning App |
|---|
| Learning apps are designed for a specific purpose. The authors claim to teach a goal, skill or concept. |
| Bloom's Thinking Process |
|---|
| Bloom's Taxonomy is classification system used to explain the behaviours important in learning. Apps range from simple memory tasks such as flashcards apps through to creative apps which ask students to create an original story or video. |
| Bloom's Creating |
|---|
| The student creates new ideas, products or ways of viewing things. Activities include making, animating, designing, constructing, planning, producing and inventing. |
| Bloom's Evaluating |
|---|
| The student justifies a decision or course of action. Activities include counting to check, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting and judging. |
| Bloom's Analysing |
|---|
| The student breaks the information into parts to explore understandings and relationships. Activities include explaining, ordering, inferring, comparing and organising. |
| Bloom's Applying |
|---|
| The student uses the information in a new situation. Activities include implementing, carrying out, using, illustrating, classifying and categorising. |
| Bloom's Understanding |
|---|
| The student comprehends the new information. Activities include describing, predicting showing understanding use a multiple choice. |
| Bloom's Remembering |
|---|
| The student recalls information they know. Activities include matching, 'fill in the blank', making a choice, answering using a multiple choice, naming a group. |
| Learning Connection |
|---|
| How well does the app teach the targeted skill or concept? This is the area where we refer to current research and pedagogy to evaluate the efficacy of the app. |
| Authenticity |
|---|
| Authenticity looks at the manner in which skills are learnt. Authentic apps use real life or genuine activities. Students learn in context rather than in a contrived or rote fashion (such as flashcards). |
| Feedback |
|---|
| Feedback needs to be specific and result in improved performance. Feedback should be supportive and encouraging rather than negative. Data should be available to support decision making. |
| Differentiation |
|---|
| Differentiation is the ability to customise the app to suit the student. The ability to record you voice, customise text, add pictures and alter settings enables individualisation of the app. |
| User Friendliness |
|---|
| User friendliness is a measure of how well a student can use the app independently. Some apps are simply intuitive to use. Others include audio or visual prompts which support the student. |
| Motivation |
|---|
| All apps are engaging the first time they are played. However, students with diverse learning needs may need to return to the app many times. Motivating apps offer rewards,games or incentives. |
| Physical calming |
|---|
| There are times when children need to quickly release emotional energy. Physical calming apps may help in situations where the child is unable to punch a pillow or jump on a trampoline. Physical calming apps need to be non competitive and quick to open. |
| Books about emotions |
|---|
| These are books which tell a story about feelings and emotions. They might help a child to learn emotional vocabulary, understand what feelings means, understand why people feel and understand how to deal with feelings. The student doesn't complete an activity so these are classified as leisure apps. See also apps for emotional vocabulary and emotional regulation. |
| Top Apps Prep Teachers |
|---|
| This is a list of the Top Apps for teachers of children in their first year of school |
| Top Apps for Psychologists |
|---|
| This is a list of the Top Apps for Psychologists |
| Domain | Score | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Connection | 4 | Angry Octopus teaches the vocabulary of anger, explains the situation that caused his anger, explains how his body feels when he is angry, then suggests a strategy: progressive muscle relaxation. The book itself with it's calming imagery and calming voice may also be used as a strategy for the student to listen to when angry. | |
| Authenticity | 1 | The student may choose to read the book or listen to the book. Some students will use the book for it's calming effects while others will use the strategy of progressive relaxation while reading the book. | |
| Feedback | 1 | Feedback is not provided as the book does not require a task. | |
| Differentiation | 2 | You can turn off the voice. | |
| User Friendliness | 3 | There is a table of contents in which you can select the page number. But there needs to be page numbers on the book page. The student can swipe the page to progress or touch the dolphin. I wish I could pause the narrator's voice. | |
| Motivation | 4 | This is a favourite book for many of my students. I would recommend it for students of all ages. | |
| From the App Store | |
|---|---|
 | |
Developer | |
App Store Rating (from reviews) | |
Current Version Rating (from reviews) | |
Current Version | |
| Developer's Description | |
|---|---|
Disclaimer: The evaluations and rankings information provided here are based solely on the opinion of the author and are for informational purposes only. Families should seek professional advice before making decisions regarding interventions for their child.