This ConversationBuilder app also includes:
Some students struggle in social situations or when it comes to conversing with peers. Conversation is key in developing relationships and in building strong social skills. This app can be used to help children with social anxiety, ASD, communication disorders, or special needs. The highly visual and structured strategy used in the app can be applied to help learners gain confidence and skills in many different social arenas.
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App Overview
This app has been created to assist elementary-aged students learn how to engage in multi-exchange conversations with their peers. A visual and audio format is used to help them master the pattern of a conversation. They’ll practice introducing themselves, asking questions, making observations, and changing conversations topics of subjects. Each conversation can be recorded, saved, and played back.
Settings:
- Create a player profile (supports multiple users at one time)
- Select the number of verbal exchanges or group mode
- Select who initiates conversation, student, peer, or alternate
- Select available conversation modules or purchase additional ones
- Two conversation modules come with the app and seven are available for purchase for $4.99 each
Play:
- A picture is presentedand the students is asked, “How would you start this conversation?”
- Three options are provided, two are inappropriate and one is correct
- The student chooses the sentence he would like to use to start the conversation
- If the sentence is incorrect the child is told, “That’s not the best response, try asking a question?”
- If they choose correctly, students are prompted to record their sentence
- They hit Next when they are finished to move on to the next part of the conversation
- The process continues through 2, 4, or 8 conversation sentences. When the entire conversation is complete, the child can play back the conversation.
Instructional Ideas
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After practicing with the app for a while, have learners move on to a more functional and realistic conversational situation where they actually talk to peers
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Provide additional options for the child to use in response for each conversation module. This will allow for a more fluid conversation that doesn’t just involve making the right choice.
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Create conversation cards and place them in a bag. Have two children sit across from each other, the first child draws a card and starts the conversation. The second child responds and you can help prompt the conversation along.
- Have a small group of students watch you have a conversation with a fellow teacher, a paraprofessional, or a student. As the conversation progresses, the kids can tell you what to say next, or hold up a stop sign when they hear an inappropriate response.
Classroom Considerations
The app is ultimately designed to help learners engage in conversations and build friendships, which is wonderful. However, it would be wise to practice or discuss what to do when other children aren't friendly or how to react in situations where the child may feel hurt. All children need to understand how to respond to rejection, teasing, or feeling anxious or frustrated. The conversation builder is a good start, but it stops short of fostering deeper communication skills.
Pros
- The tool with help prime learners for conversations in the real world
- Audio playback allows to each conversation to be discussed or dissected
- Visual image helps give each conversation a context
Cons
- The app doesn't allow for spontaneous, but correct responses
- The visual images don’t necessarily distinguish who in the picture is having the conversation
- The conversations don’t address the potential of a peer giving a negative response like, “No, you can’t play with us.” Dealing with rejection is a part of growing up and learning how to cope in a social world.