30/30

30/30 is a free app that I have used in lessons specific to teaching kids about executive functioning, but it can be used with many contextual tasks (e.g. a game, project, or assignment) to help students build planning, time estimation and self-monitoring, including social behaviors that contribute to effective task completion. The app is basically a timer, but it allows you to break down tasks into their component parts and guesstimate time for each. 30/30 also allows you to color code task elements, which works well if you are using strategies such as Sarah Ward's "Get Ready-Do-Done" approach.

For any task, you can give it a label at the top of the screen (main idea), then double tap each task element to edit its description and time interval, as well as color. The app is VERY gesture-based, but provides a tutorial when you first open it- my recommendation is to screen shot this or write the information down so you can remember what the different gestures do. Also be aware of the settings (tap the cogs)- you can turn off notifications and sounds, especially for those who get nervous with timers, and this area also allows you to email the complete list of tasks onscreen, which is great for collaboration with other educators or parents working with the student. You can also upload task lists to iCloud for use with different students or groups. This is a nice app to use in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard to keep ALL students on task.

Have you tried 30/30? Let us know in the comments what you think of it!