…Or rather, let the next generation of assistive technology say “hello” to you. From the beginning, our friends at Bluebee Pals have been committed to children with special needs. Their robotic, huggable, plushie toys have been front and center in learning environments and homes helping children of all abilities make developmental strides.
Meet the Next Evolution in Toy-Based Learning
In their latest release, these interactive Bluetooth® enabled plush companions have become the next evolution in toy-based learning. They nurture and engage children in activities important to their healthy growth and development. The release includes enhancements to the plushies themselves with more sophisticated robotic head and mouth movement, 4.0 Bluetooth compatibility, longer batter life, weight beans and an easy one-step set up.
The physical enhancements to the Bluebees are great, but what’s even more exciting is the new Bluebee Pals Learning App!
Introducing the Bluebee Pals Learning App
“We actively involved teachers, parents and therapists from across the country to analyze ways we could make our Bluebee Pals even better learning tools for children,” said Laura Jiencke, Founder and CEO.
“We studied how they were being used in classrooms, as assistive technology tools, and in therapies. We discovered it’s not too much screen time that’s an issue, but the quality of the digital content. Using what we learned, we developed a learning app and upgraded Bluebee Pal technology to enhance classroom learning environments and re-enforce academic learning at home.”
The Bluebee Pals Learning App is a robust life skills and cognitive development tool for children ages 3 to 8. It can be used on its’ own but when connected to a Bluebee Pal, children immerse themselves in a world of imaginary play.
10 Educational Mini Games include such activities as:
- Record your voice
- Put a robot’s body together
- Match colored balloons with same color foods
- slide cars and trucks around a track or drag a Bluebee Pal through a maze
- Learn and understand sounds
- Find Bluebee Pals on the tropical island
- Drag a Bluebee to their beach chair
- Create the bear puzzle
- Dress a Bluebee in an outfit
- Learn the ABCs
These games inspire kids to learn early academics, letters, colors and puzzles while playing.
5 Skills Rooms:
- Living Room
- Playroom
- Bedroom
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
The skills rooms teach daily living activities such as bathing, personal grooming, brushing teeth, bedtime routines and kitchen items including meals.
There is a password protected resource library for parents, educators, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapists with additional learning app resources and app reviews by iMums and TeachersWithApps (TWA).
But do Bluebee Pals really help children learn?
The answer is a resounding, YES! The proof comes from its successful use in classrooms and therapy sessions around the country.
Take Princeton House Charter School in Orlando, Florida as one example. The school is committed to meeting the needs of children with autism and their families through education, support, resources and advocacy. When using Bluebee Pals in classroom activities and therapy sessions, they find their students exhibit increased attention and engagement.
Jessica Carter is a Princeton House Exceptional Student Education (ESE) classroom teacher to 3rd through 5th graders. She made these personal observations:
“I have several students in my class that use an AAC device to speak. When introducing the Bluebee, I explained that it also needed a device to speak, just like many of us. The kids started to explore different ways to interact with our Bluebee dog, having it read stories, talk with it one on one and even singing Adele! We could not be more excited to have Bluebee as a part of our classroom.
As a teacher of students with ASD, I am excited to discover new ways to incorporate this wonderful resource to help with all aspects of academics and building confidence with social skills.”
Find out more and get the free app:
- Bluebee Pal App – Available for free in Apple Store or Google Play
- Case studies about Bluebee in the classroom
- Shop for Bluebee Pals online
- Bluebee Pals on Facebook
- @BluebeePals
Editor’s note: We were not compensated in any way for writing this story and featuring it on our blog. We believe in the founder and her commitment and generosity to the autism community and that Bluebee Pals are making a difference for many children with special needs.
If you liked this story, you may also like:
- Bluebee TeeVee Autism Information Station
- 4 Ways to Differentiate in a Special Ed Classroom
- “Communication for All” Innovative Assistive Technology in Action
The post Say Hello to the Next Generation of Assistive Technology appeared first on Geek Club Books.
