Mindprint Toolbox

Search Results

Please wait...

goREACT

Mindprint Rating

Tags

Science MS/HS/College iOS App

Skills

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • App does a great job of taking a theoretical subject and relating it to everyday life.
  • App provides four versions of the periodic table for students simply interested to those who need to understand the complexities of how elements combine.
  • Students can use for fun or as a resource when studying.

Considerations

  • Some of the vocabulary in the explanations is challenging and there is no voice over or definitions.
  • There is no explanation of the fundamental concept of how to combine elements for students new to the overall concepts.
  • The small font can be difficult to read.

Mindprint Expert Review

This is a great free app for younger students interested in chemistry and older students ready to learn how to complete chemical reactions. There are four versions of the periodic table to choose from depending on the student's level of knowledge and interest. Clicking on an element provides two sentences about where the element can be found in nature. Students can drag different elements together to create compounds. When the student creates a common compound, they will see a visual model, how it is written correctly, and a full screen photo of what the compound looks like in practical use. The app gives featured recommendations for compounds to create. Overall this is a great app to inspire and learn. However, there is no instruction for beginning students to understand the concept of combining elements, vocabulary may be a challenge for younger students, and there is no voice over to have correct pronunciations of the compounds. In addition, children with visual weaknesses may have difficulty deciphering some of the tiny numbers and letters.

Academic Benefits

Improves academic skills

  • Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
  • Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
  • Presents educational concepts accurately
  • Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
  • Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
  • Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
  • Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
  • Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Has a free or trial version
  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
  • Multiple users can save a profile
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can play without sound and not distract others
  • Students can save work between sessions
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Visual Discrimination
    • Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects

Manufacturer Description

With goREACT, you can become a virtual chemist. Whether you're a novice or expert, the free play and guided modes make it fun and fascinating.

- Initiate nearly 300 virtual chemical reactions by dragging elements into the Reaction Area.
- Amazing images and videos illustrate the molecules you create.
- Select alternate views of the Periodic Table to discover different aspects of the elements’ chemical properties.
- Touch any of the Periodic Table's 118 elements to see an image and fun fact about it.
- With helpful hints about reactions to try, there’s always something exciting to explore.
- “Featured Reactions” menus guide you through themed sets of chemical reactions related to particular applications, such as the environment, beauty products or cars.
- Learn more about how the Periodic Table is organized, and follow links to additional educational resources.