Utilization of "Calm" is a great method for introducing a meditational aspect into the classroom, whether it be incorporated in morning meditation sessions or as a background noise for testing or independent work !
Community Review for Calm
My Take
With a collection of soothing graphics, narrations, and background music, students are able to recieve the ideal meditative experience. This experience is great to be paired with days in which testing is involved, as the encouraging prompts provided with the collection of background pictures, such as a forest or beach, can aid students in reducing their stress, as it is a form of meditation. The app is better suited for older age groups, as I believe younger children will tend to become distracted by the images displayed on the screen ahead and fall into day dreaming. For the older age groups, such as high schoolers, utilizing such an app will help train them to relax and avoid stress when it comes to examinations, something that can majorly help them when it comes time to take some major tests, such as the SAT and AP examinations. For the younger age groups, I believe incorporating "Calm" into a morning meditation routine is a great method to utilize meditation in the classroom, while avoiding distraction as compared to if it was done simultaneously to independent work.
How I Use It
Through this meditative experience, students are able to to experience a forma of relaxation in the classroom which is prone to stress. I believe that this app is best paired with test days as allowing for students to view the graphics and narrations presented before their examination can majorly aid in reducing test anxiety. The software can also be utilized in the background while students are conducting classwork / independent work or reading !