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What is Count Together App?

It is an interactive number chart designed to allow Primary School classes to count together as part of their daily routine.

What are the main features?

You can count in a guided way. It shows what number you are up to, where you have been, and it allows you to pick random starting places. You can use the arrow keys or a slide clicker. You can count from 1 all the way to 1000, which is very useful. You can count forwards and backwards, you can click numbers you want and you can easily reset the chart.

Me using the Count Together App

How can it be used?

You can set it up to be used each day as part of your routine. It is designed to guide counting and help it to take place smoothly. You could have students lead the activity and have them click next (this is what I do), or you could guide the class in counting together. You could also have one student start and another take over as a way to check for understanding.

Why did I make it?

This year I started a new job and with it I had to take on a new pedagogical approach that I had very little familiarity with called “Explicit Instruction”. It was a little unusual to me but I was willing to try it (I am planning to make a blog about my experience with this). As I was trying to apply this way of teaching I found the tools available to be lacking or non-existent so I started thinking about how to solve the problem. There were some charts online but they mostly didn’t go high enough to be useful for the year I teach, they also weren’t guided or interactive enough.

An observation that led to a creation

I had an external observer come to the class to see me teach. I prepared a lesson that was packed to the brim with everything I would love for a class to be. I think that is the right thing to do. We all know not every day is our best day with our best lessons but when someone comes to watch you, it is foolish to not be prepared. I received feedback that was positive and helpful and it was a good experience. The lesson felt fantastic too, the students were engaged constantly and I think part of it was just that there was never a moment to disengage. I never had to switch between things or set up the next thing, everything was prepared and ready to go.

That is when I got to thinking. Maybe I could make some tools that could make my best and most organised day become possible every day. The way I would do it is by making a purpose-built tool that just works. during my presentation, we had practice counting by meticulously guiding us through counting on a slide presentation that I made. It would not be possible for me to do this every time, but it would be possible to make a program to do it for me.

A slideshow version of the app I would eventually create.

My original idea worked, but was much less convenient. I would have to make it by hand each time in Keynote. This would not have been possible.

Creating the app

I have a background in designing programs. I have worked with code ever since I was a kid. I also worked in web development in my previous job. But this was the first time I felt the drive to build something that would truly be useful to me, and hopefully to others.

I created a prototype to test out and the results were great. I created the app in Unity Game Engine, which allows you to create for the web. I figured this way it would work on Windows, Mac or Chrome. It would be accessible to any teacher with a computer and screen (which hopefully covers most). The initial version didn’t look pretty but it got the job done. I tried the app out with my students and they loved it. It also achieved my aim, it became much easier to count smoothly in class.

If you are interested in knowing more about how to make apps like this, please contact me about it. I would be willing to write more about that process if there is interest in it.

Shows the program used to make the app.

The final version

I think at this point it looks quite nice. I have built branding around it and I have tested it with my class much more. I would love to know what you think about it and any extra features you would like to see. I would also love to know if you find anything wrong so I can fix it (It isn’t difficult for me to do so). I’d also love to build more apps so if you have an idea for an app (and you want to give that idea away to someone who can build it) I would love to build it.

*Note

I have made a new updated version of the app that is way better (linked below)

Animated gif shows Count Together App in action and the various features it has
Jake Heading

Creator of GoodTeach and Primary School Classroom Teacher.

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