Woogie Review

What is a Woogie?
Woogie is 50% stuffed animal (for your kids) and 50% protective case (for your iPhone or iPod touch), and 100% fun! A protective pocket velcroes shut to hold your iPhone or iPod touch secure, while a touch-through screen protector lets you choose movies, apps, or music for your child. Woogie's built-in speaker is powered by 2 (included) AAA batteries, or you can plug in headphones.

We put two Woogie to use in two places that we thought could put it to the test.
The first place was in a first grade classroom. The overall make-up of the classroom is 19 first grade students ranging from children with special needs to academically gifted students. We were interested in finding out if the Woogie had an appeal to a certain style learner or personality.

The Woogie was used on an iPod Touch and the Touch was utilized during centers just as it is each week - the only difference being it was a lot cuddlier. The students were told what the product was and that they would be given a chance to use it.

Immediately, students showed interest and wanted to use the iPods so that they could get their hands on the Woogie. The first reaction was to cuddle it. It is incredibly soft and eye catching. Once students got past the novelty of the product, they seemed to really settle into their work which was to watch a teacher made podcast and answer the questions at the end of the viewing. Both partners could be found stretched out across the cushions with the Woogie held close.

Amazingly (if possible) students seemed even more engaged in the learning process and much calmer than usual during an already exciting activity. We found no difference in the amount of appeal between different types of students. The Woogie was no less appealing to boys than girls and no more engaging to struggling learners than high achievers. Students were equally enthusiastic about using the product. The one thing that stood out above all else was that the Woogie did seem to successfully satisfy the needs of tactile learners.

Next up we placed a Woogie in a household with children aged 6 months, 3 years and 13 years old.
We were interested to see how a Woogie would hold up while children played with an iPhone 4. The Woogie was given to the 6 month old who immediately cuddled it and laid his head on it. He was allowed to play his favorite xylophone app and had no trouble accessing the screen through the plastic barrier of the Woogie. The Woogie was able to withstand being banged up and down and drooled on without a hitch.

The Woogie was given to the three year old who also first snuggled with it and found more use using it as a stuffed animal rather than a tool. Once he was shown that it housed the iPhone he showed more interest and began to use it as he would have if it had it's regular protective case. The Woogie survived an accidental trip down the stairs as well as cookie crumbs. The crumbs were easily brushed off and the iPhone remained unscathed.

There weren't any real expectations or plans to give the 13 year old the Woogie to use but wouldn't you know that one day it magically appeared on her bed connected to her iPod. Let's just say we had a hard time getting it back from her.

All in all the Woogie is a great little idea. We like the weight of it, it seems to have some substance which makes it good for carrying around and the shape is fun. We found that the screen was fairly accessible even through the thick plastic barrier and a screen protector on the device. We found the battery pack a little cumbersome to pull out but with some after thought figured it was best that way seeing as we would like to be able to think that it's somewhat child proof.

We did find ourselves wishing the speaker plug that goes into the headphone jack was just a tad bit longer - it just didn't feel quite right while trying to slide a device in the sleeve....it seemed like we had a tug a little more than we wanted to.

The Woogie also comes with a free download of Woogie Sesame Street Sampler. We downloaded this app from iTunes and found it to be a terrific little app. Our favorite part was being able to record your voice while reading the story. This is a great way for students to practice fluency and parents to provide a special read-aloud experience for their children.

Overall the Woogie is a great purchase and well worth the reasonable price tag of $19.99.
For more information on Woogie please visit them here.


G.Whiz was provided this product for free from Griffin Tech in exchange for an honest review.
Griffin Tech reviewer policy found here: http://bit.ly/griffinreview

This Week's Featured DonorsChoose Project!

We are Still Flipping Over C2i Technology!

Classroom project requested by Mrs. F. on Apr 10, 2011

My Students: Do you remember the first time that you had to write a book report and you had no idea what to write about? Our C2i project will make it exciting for the children to learn literacy skills through technology.
I teach second grade at a public school in an impoverished and high crime area in urban Pennsylvania. I have a class of students who love to read. They are very sweet and everyone who meets them falls in love with them. They are constantly requesting to play computer games.

 

G.Whiz! says: "Please consider donating to this wonderful project - every penny counts."

FREE 1-year Subscription to Mightybook Jr.

Take advantage of a free one year subscription to Mightybook Jr. with promo code: leanrtoread
We have no idea how long this great deal with last so act now!

Top 10 Tech Toys - NY Toy Fair 2011

 Clearly we love technology here at G.Whiz! I mean that's no secret. I would have loved to have attended the 2011 New York Toy Fair. It's certainly on my list of things to do before I kick the bucket....you know...My Bucket List. I would tell you what else was on my bucket list but you may find me a little weird lol.

We thought we'd share with you some of the top tech toys of the fair:

Monopoly Live

Cheating again? This time, your board game knows. This fall Hasbro will release Monopoly Live, a digitally guided spin on the classic game. A tower sits at the center of the board, presiding over game play with Sauron-like omniscience. And that's not all that's changed. In this latest version, there are no dice, no iconic paper currency. Instead, players hold their hand over their game piece while the game “rolls” for you and announces your next move.

Price $49.99

Fijit Friends

The newest robotic pal from Mattel, Fijits are soft plastic aliens with a passion for dancing. Using beat detection technology, the dolls perform different movements for different tempos and come with four songs of their own. Haven't danced with your doll in a while? It'll remind you that it's bored. Set to hit store shelves this fall, Fijits are essentially a plastic desk toy with Flubber's personality.

 

Price: $49.99

 

Angry Birds Knock On Wood board game 

 

Oh my! Who doesn't love Angry Birds? You can find this app on the Android market as well as iTunes.

 

Your favorite app come to life, Angry Birds: Knock On Wood is your chance to actually sling cross little birds across the room. The table-top game comes with blocked structures, the catapult-like launcher and of course, the little birds and pigs locked in epic battle. To play, one player must draw a construction card and build the structure shown while the opponent loads a bird into the launcher to demolish the newly built pig habitat. It'll be in stores in May.

Price: $14.99

 

Kid-Tough See Yourself Camera

The second generation of kid-friendly cameras from Fisher-Price takes easy picture taking to an advanced level. The extremely durable (read: drop proof) rubberized casing avoids breaks and easy-to-use double viewfinder make beginning photography simple, but with the See Yourself kids can opt for the advanced course as well. The rotating lens allows kids to easily take self-portraits or shoot HD video. Available in July, the camera also includes fun stamps and effects that are applied on the small LCD screen for fun printable images.

Price: $69.99

 

Barbie Hairtastic Printables

 

 

Hmmm...we're still trying to figure out how this one works??

Forget dye. This year, Mattel is bringing the world printable hair extensions. The new Barbie Hairtastic Printables software allows kids to design their own hair extensions from a collection of patterns and colors, or import art or photos from their own computer. Sheets of paper with the hair extension attached are then run through a standard inkjet printer and then, volia, instant (removable!) crazy hair. Extensions are available in human and Barbie size and will be in stores for fall, 2011.

Price: $29.99

Hot Wheels Video Racer

Is there a future James Cameron in your house? This fall, Hot Wheels is getting into the movie business. With Video Racer, kids can shoot, edit and screen their own high-speed action film. A tiny camera embedded inside a standard-sized Hot Wheels car can shoot up to 12 minutes of high-quality footage as the tiny car speeds down the race track. The video can be exported onto a computer and edited with Mattel's own easy-to-use video software. They've even got ready-to-go music, scene transition clips and special effects to give these video shorts a little something extra.

Price: $59.99

Let's Rock Elmo

For the first time, Hasbro has licensed a line of Sesame Street toys, and its new Let's Rock Elmo is an impressive inaugural effort. The robotic doll sings and plays instruments with its preschool-aged companions, but instead of complicated settings, Elmo recognizes his next task based on what he's holding. Hand him his microphone and he's ready to sing. Hand him a guitar and he's ready to strum. He'll be ready to rock and in stores by fall, 2011.

Price: $69.99

Mindflex Duels

The next from Mattel's remarkable Mindflex series is Mindflex Duels, a game that pits player against player in a battle of the brain waves. Two players battle while “controlling” the foam ball with their mind-eye power through the game's obstacle course, attempting to get through to the other player's side of the table. Whether the science is mind control at its most basic or just junk science, it's a great time. Coming in August, 2011.

Price: $99.99

 

Tonka Ricochet Stunt Pro RC

 

Ever try to duplicate a favorite stunt with your remote-controlled car? Performing it in an actual car can seem easier. This fall, Hasbro will serve up a solution. The new Tonka Ricochet Stunt Pro RC comes standard with a Replay Trigger that allows you to record up to three different series of stunts to be replayed whenever you need to impress on the spot. Just hit the record button on the controller and perform your craziest trick to store the move in your car's memory.

Price: $79.99

 

Laugh & Learn Baby iCan Play Case

 

This one reminds us a bit of the Woogie.

 

Breathe a little easier the next time you hand your toddler your iPhone. Coming to stores in July, Fisher-Price's iCan case is an easy-to-grip case for your iPhone or iPod touch made of durable rubber, complete with a clear film to cover the screen. It's great for preschool-aged motion sensor games or other kid-centric apps, and even keeps baby away from the army of germs that haunt our mobile devices.

Price: $14.99

Pictures and Information provided by TechLand

Kids and Facebook

I'm not sure how many of you have children that are "old" enough to have a Facebook account. I have a child that has been begging for an account since Elementary school. I in no way disapprove of parents allowing their children to have Facebook accounts as parenting is a personal choice and would never want anyone to judge me and my parenting decisions.

I'm just a little leary of Facebook for my child - HECK! I'm a little leary of Facebook for myself. It's gotten plenty of people in trouble from posting pictures to status messages to comments on friends' or fan pages.

On the flip side we all know that Facebook can also be a wonderful tool.

We ran across this article on How to Uncover Your Kids' Facebook Secrets and thought it would be a nice quick read for you.

Boogie Board

Oh no no no, not that thing you see people clambering into the ocean with! We're talking about a pretty cool looking LCD tablet from Improv Electronics.
One thing you'll learn about us over here at G.Whiz! is that we LOVE technology and we're all about green living too.
Kids can scribble, doodle, journal, practice math facts and everything in between with this tablet. We totally love the idea of no paper involved. The price is pretty good at only $39.95.
We sure would love to review this gadget and offer it as a giveaway. When we build up our followers we'll see what we can do about that!

"Most of the parents..."

So here's our first question from a reader:

"Most of the parents at my child's school wish there was more technology in the school. When the principal is approached he says he has no money in the budget. Do you think that could be true and what other way could we get technology in the school?"

Technology is the wave of the future and unfortunately many are still afraid to use it or don't know much about it. In your case it seems like you all know what you need and even your principal knows what is needed so that's a positive thing.
I absolutely believe that it is possible that your principal's budget is very limited. Schools all across the country have been hit hard with the economy as well. One of the simplest ways to get money for things is to ask your school's PTA. Hopefully you have a strong one. If not, try to get that going. A school's PTA is an invaluable resource to parents, teachers and students alike. Ask your PTA to sponsor some of the equipment you want.
Another solution is grant writing. A lot of grants out there don't require you to have to be a pro at grant writing and many offer standard templates to use.