Hey there! Today, we’re going to talk about a cool app called Mood Meter. It’s a tool that helps people understand and manage their emotions better. You can get it on your phone for just 99 cents, and it’s available for both iOS and Android devices.
The Mood Meter app is designed to help you figure out how you’re feeling at any given moment. It starts with basic emotions like happy, sad, or angry, but it also helps you learn more specific words to describe your feelings. This is great because it helps you understand your emotions better and express them more clearly.
When you use the app, you start by identifying your current emotion. Then, you think about why you feel that way. This reflection helps you understand the reasons behind your emotions. If you decide you want to change how you’re feeling, the app can show you a motivational image or quote to help you shift your mood. You can also look back at past reflections to see when you felt happier.
If you sign in to the app, you can keep track of your moods over time. This can help you notice patterns, like if you feel a certain way during specific times of the year or week. Understanding these patterns can help you manage your emotions better.
Teachers can use the Mood Meter app to check in with students. Since each student needs their own account, it’s a personal tool. However, teachers can encourage students to share their feelings if they want to. This can help build stronger relationships and connections in the classroom.
If using the app isn’t possible, you can create a similar experience with paper and a graphic organizer. This way, everyone can still benefit from reflecting on their emotions, even without the app.
The Mood Meter app is a non-judgmental tool that allows honest reporting of emotions. It doesn’t force you to be positive all the time, which is important for understanding and accepting all your feelings. This can be especially helpful during challenging times.
If you’re interested in learning more about social-emotional learning (SEL) tools, check out Common Sense Education. They offer reviews, lessons, and activities to help you grow emotionally and become a responsible digital citizen. Don’t forget to explore new tools and ideas every week!
Design your own Mood Meter on paper using colors and words that represent different emotions. Think about how you feel at different times and what colors match those feelings. Share your Mood Meter with the class and explain why you chose each color and emotion.
Keep a daily journal for a week where you write down how you feel each day and why. Use specific emotion words to describe your feelings. At the end of the week, review your entries to see if you notice any patterns in your emotions.
In small groups, create short skits that show different emotional scenarios. Act out how you might use the Mood Meter app to identify and manage your emotions in each situation. Discuss with the class how understanding emotions can help in real-life situations.
Build a word wall in the classroom with different emotion words. Each student can contribute by adding new words they learn from the Mood Meter app or other sources. Use these words in your writing and discussions to better express your feelings.
Start each day with a classroom mood check-in. Use a chart or digital tool to let everyone anonymously share how they are feeling. Discuss as a class how the overall mood might affect the day and what can be done to support each other.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hey everyone, Chrissy and Tanner here from Common Sense Education! We review educational technology and bring you a new tool every Tuesday on YouTube. Chrissy, you’ve got the tool today. What is it?
I’ve got the tool today, and let me tell you what it is. It’s not new, but I thought it might be a good time to highlight it, especially given the current challenges many are facing. We’re recording this video as the holiday season starts, but I think it’s a useful tool for any time. It’s called Mood Meter, and it’s an app available on both iOS and Android for 99 cents, so it’s quite affordable.
Let me first tell you a little bit about it, and then I’ll share ways I think teachers might be able to use it effectively. Here’s the website where you can download it and get more information. You can also check it out on the iOS App Store to get a feel for what it looks like.
We reviewed it and gave it four stars for grades 6 to 12. The idea is that students, and possibly teachers as well, can identify their feelings in the moment. It starts with basic emotions but allows users to drill down to more nuanced emotional vocabulary, which is great for kids to expand beyond just happy, sad, or angry.
Students reflect on why they’re feeling that way, which helps them identify the reasons behind their emotions. The app allows users to decide if they want to stay in that emotional state or shift it. If they choose to shift, they can receive a motivational image or quote and look back at past reflections when they felt more positively.
If you sign in, you can track your moods over time, which helps identify patterns related to specific times of the year or week when you might be struggling or feeling more positive.
In terms of how teachers might use this, since it’s an individualized app, multiple students can’t use the same account. However, if you have a homeroom or a similar setup, this could be a great way to check in with kids. Since it’s only 99 cents, it should be accessible for many.
This app allows for deeper reflection compared to simply asking students to rate their feelings on a scale. It provides valuable information for both students and teachers, which I think is really cool. If using an individual app isn’t feasible, you could adapt the approach for your classroom in a more analog way.
I definitely recommend this tool to help you understand what’s happening with your students, especially during this time of year. It can help build relationships and foster connections.
So, do teachers get reports from students about their check-ins, or is it all locked in individual apps?
It’s locked in individual apps unless students choose to share. You could prompt or invite students to share if they’d like, or you could walk around the classroom to check in with students as they go through the activity.
I love that idea! It seems to be non-judgmental, which is often an issue with apps focused on emotions. There’s often an unhealthy focus on positivity, but this app allows for honest reporting. If someone wants to make a shift, they can, but they don’t have to.
I was thinking about how you could replicate this with just some construction paper and a graphic organizer. It’s great that you can also adapt it for younger kids.
You can check out our review and many other SEL tools at Common Sense Education. We also have lessons, activities, and curriculum focused on social-emotional learning and digital citizenship. And of course, we’re here every week, so please subscribe, like this video, and tune in every Tuesday!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing informal language and filler phrases for clarity.
Mood – A temporary state of mind or feeling. – During the school assembly, the principal’s positive mood lifted everyone’s spirits.
Meter – A unit of measurement, often used to measure length or distance. – In science class, we learned how to use a meter stick to measure the length of the classroom.
Emotions – Strong feelings that come from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. – Understanding our emotions can help us communicate better with friends and family.
Feelings – An emotional state or reaction. – It’s important to talk about your feelings with someone you trust when you’re upset.
Reflect – To think deeply or carefully about something. – After the history lesson, we took time to reflect on how past events shape our world today.
Manage – To handle or control a situation or task effectively. – Learning how to manage stress is an important skill for maintaining good health.
Patterns – Repeated designs or sequences. – In geography, we study weather patterns to understand climate changes.
School – An institution for educating children. – Our school offers many activities that help us learn about different cultures and histories.
Relationships – The way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other. – Building strong relationships with classmates can make school more enjoyable.
Learning – The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study or experience. – Learning about nutrition helps us make healthier food choices.
