Archive for April, 2011

Take the Ultimate Challenge and Support Rainforest Conservation with Our Newest iPad App

Posted by allyson on April 27th, 2011

by Allyson Kane, Ruckus Media Group

04/27/2011

Rainforest Survival Challenge, A Ruckus Media app in partnership with Stepping Stones Museum for Children and Rainforest Alliance, is now available on iTunes.

Ruckus Mobile Media proudly announces its 16thapp, Rainforest Survival Challenge, for children ages eight and up. Designed to educate children about the connection between plants and animals in the Amazonian Rainforest, Rainforest Survival Challenge educates and entertains with fun, thought-provoking facts about wildlife. Developed in conjunction with education experts from the Stepping Stones Museum for Children and Rainforest Alliance, the iPad app gets kids learning and asking questions about one of the most fascinating and delicate ecosystems on Earth.

Help your animals and plants survive in the Amazon as survival is the name of the game! Players are dealt five species cards and play against the computer to create the best chance of surviving. Double tap the cards to learn about the rainforest animals and plants and to create the most favorable matchup. The winner is determined by having more survivors than the computer.

Check out some of the screenshots below and then head on over to iTunes to get Rainforest Survival Challenge today!

Celebrate Earth Day!

Posted by ruckusholly on April 22nd, 2011

4/22/11

April 22, 1970, the first celebration of Earth Day. What started by Senator Gaylord Nelson, with help from over 20 million demonstrators, as a way to highlight environmental protection on a national scale, has turned into a national observance so well-known that children, families, schools, organizations, companies (you name it!) participate across the country, individually and in groups.

Here at Ruckus, we act green because we think green each and every day [can give some examples how, it’s just part of our DNA. And of course, there are oodles of books and movies and songs and online resources at the click of a mouse, or swipe of a finger for suggestions of how to get involved in environmental doings. Lately, we’ve got conservation on the brain because of our soon-to-be-released iPad app, RAINFOREST SURVIVAL CHALLENGE.  Created in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance and the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, this interactive app for kids 8-12 teaches children nature’s circle of life in the Amazonian rainforest.  A portion of the proceeds from app sales will go to support education initiatives at both organizations, so this app is Ruckus’ way of sharing knowledge and celebrating the earth.

What are you doing for Earth Day? 

Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter. Remember to Like us and Follow us.

Guest Post: Technology Breaks Down Barriers in Autism

Posted by ruckusholly on April 19th, 2011

04/19/2011

 

By Gina St. Aubin, Editor of Special Happens

 

Note: In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we are featuring several Autism bloggers.  Gina St. Aubin is our second to be featured.

 

When we went gluten free, all I could think of was how hard it was going to be.  Such a shift in eating. Not a choice, but a necessity considering with testing showing J’s allergies to gluten, wheat, malt and barley.  I soon found out that this wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.  The market has come a long way since friends had “tried” to be gluten free out of experimentation; the horror stories they passed along were non-existent for me many years later.  Then we found the allergies to casein, soy, egg and peanut…that’s a whole other story.

Finding your child having learning difficulties, comprehension or language barriers, in many ways feels similar to the gluten free scenario.  Obviously, there’s a lot more that parents of a newly diagnosed child on the Autism Spectrum…or with developmental delays, verbal aphasia, etc….have to consider; many worries that find their way into every minute of every day.  But, similar to going gluten free in 2011 versus gluten free in 2007, it’s not as hard to navigate.

Technology seems to be on our side.  Thousands of parents motivated by their children’s own journeys have invented, requested and sought out a number of tools to help our children succeed.  Applied Behavioral Analysis has been developed, tested and  shown to be successful in many cases of an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).  Computer keyboards have allowed some seemingly delayed individuals the opportunity to express themselves, breaking down their own doors and allowing their intelligence to shine through.  PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Systems) have been established giving children the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of daily routines and more through carefully laid out sequences of events.

The technology doesn’t stop there.  After the computer and smart phones, the iPad and alike sprung up.  These devices have made the ease, accessibility and mobility of communication devices open up the world to our children and adults.  The applications that go with these give our children additional opportunities to learn social skills through repetitive social stories on the iPad, help with sight words, reading, story telling, and comprehension.  Developers such as Ruckus Media Group concentrate on developing quality apps that not only entertain but teach.

As April is Autism Awareness Month, there will be a number of writings on the difficulties, challenges and triumphs of those living with Autism and their caregivers.  What may seem dismal can be seen through a brighter lens when we step back.  So, while no one wishes their child to be challenged with Autism, we do have a few things on our side.  We are able to use the technology around us, which far surpasses what was available 10 years ago, to help our children grown.  Time only knows what the future holds, and what may be engineered to help our children develop to their full potential, breaking down the barriers that keep them silent.

Gina St. Aubin

 

Gina St. Aubin is a wife and mother of 3, one diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, PDD-NOS/Autism, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (a rare epileptic disorder causing verbal aphasia), Sensory Processing Disorder and Developmental Delays. A former Victim’s Advocate turned advocate for those with intellectual and physical challenges, Gina believes being a ‘Special Parent’ means to Discover, Embrace, Educate, Advocate, Encourage, Treasure and Laugh. Read more on her blog, SpecialHappens.com.

Join Us for a Twitter Party to Talk About Apps and Rainforests on Wednesday, April 20th 9-10pm EST

Posted by ruckusholly on April 15th, 2011

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Consultant

04/15/11

Rainforest Survival ChallengeLast month we gathered on Twitter to celebrate the power of going green.  With Earth Day around the corner, we felt strongly about the need to discuss living a greener lifestyle.  During the party, we heard from our partners at Stepping Stones Museumand Rainforest Alliance.  We’ve teamed up with both organizations to create a new app called Rainforest Survival Challenge.  The app was designed to challenge and educate children about the lure and fascinating interconnections between plants, animals and insects of the Amazonian Rainforest.  Designed specially for children ages 8-12 years-old, Rainforest Survival Challenge entertains and educates with thought-provoking details about wildlife from one of the most fascinating and delicate ecosystems on Earth.  Rainforest Survival Challenge will be available on iTunes soon.

Learn more and hang out with us on Wednesday, April 20th from 9-10pm EST at hashtag # RuckusRSCApps Rainforest Survival Challengeon Twitter (or on TweetGrid, TweetDeck or TweetChat) for a Twitter Party about the app and everything you ever wanted to teach your kids about rainforests.  We’ll talk about why it’s important to teach our children about rainforests; discuss strategies to better educate our kids about their survival; and learn how we can work together to make a difference to protect rainforests and be introduced to resources like Stepping Stones and the Rainforest Alliance.  This is sure to be an educational and fun chat you won’t want to miss…chock-full of experts and educators to guide the discussion.

And of course, as usual, we’ll have great giveaways!

If you’re not already following us, we’re on Twitter at @RuckusMedia.  Please RSVP for the Twitter party by email.

While you are at it, please join us on Facebook for the latest and greatest Ruckus updates, check out our videos on You Tube, sign up for our RSS feed, join our mailing listand pick up our apps at  iTunes.

Guest Post: Oh the Places We Have Gone, Thanks to the iPad!

Posted by ruckusholly on April 13th, 2011

Note: In honor of Autism Awareness Month, we are featuring several Autism bloggers.  Arline Allen is our first one to be featured. 

04/13/2011

By Arline Allen, Editor of the Autism Princess

I once read the opinion that as a parent of a child with autism, your world begins and ends at your front door. This is not the case for my family, with many thanks to the iPad.

We “invested” in our first iPad in June 2010 as a Father’s Day gift. I instantly fell in love with the potential of the iPad and pressed for a second iPad for myself and our children.  I convinced my husband on the outrageous idea of a second iPad by selling him on the educational features for our children and how it was really going to enhance their young minds.  Who was I kidding?  I love technology and the possibilities are endless with the iPad.  Yes, I really, really needed one.

My daughter, Lola, was diagnosed with autism at the young age of 20-months.  Since that life-changing moment for our family, we have been blessed with many trials and triumphs.  Along the road of discovery into what life with a child with autism brings, we quickly realized that many of our normal day to day activities were becoming a thing of the past.  Doctor visits were next to impossible for everyone in our family because Lola had a strong compulsion to line up anything in multiples that she could get her little hands on.  She would even get into the yucky trash cans in the exam rooms to fulfill this need.  She would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.  I have no idea where this trait comes from.  Trips to the grocery store were a nightmare.  I would zip through the aisles like a mad woman rushing Lola along, passing all of the multiples of products that she was jumping half way out of the cart to “arrange”.  The grocery store was starting to seem like a mid-evil form of torture for sweet Lola because she could not get her hands on enough.  She would have to settle for lining up the mismatched items I was rapidly placing into the cart.  All of Lola’s grandparents live in Texas which is a 14-hour car ride from here, so driving to Texas to visit was not even a thought in our minds!  It seemed like all of the “normal” everyday things we used to take for granted had flown out the window in the blink of an eye.

Lola was instantly drawn to the excitement of the iPad. The colors were brilliant and as a lover of music, the songs on her apps really captured her attention. Thanks to the iPad, Lola learned the concept of cause and effect through interactive books. Her motor skills have greatly advanced because she can practice tracing letters and numbers on the iPad.  Lola can sing and dance till her little heart is content and she can even help her baby brother Anderson learn words with flashcards on her iPad! What has made the iPad most inviting to Lola was the ease of using it.  There was no cry of frustration or yelp for assistance because she could physically do all the things she wanted to with the iPad.  She quickly learned how to move apps around and replaced my favorite apps with her favorite apps.  She was only two-years-old and could work an iPad better than anyone else in this house.  I thought I was the one with the degree in Technology?

The more “acquainted” Lola became with the iPad, the more I realized what a blessing it was to be the proud owner of this divinely portable device!  She would wake up asking for the iPad.  I believe “iPad please” was the beginning of Lola’s vocabulary spurt. So with our new found friend, iPad please, we were off and haven’t looked back since.  Thanks to the iPad, we have been to Texas and back four times!  Doctors visits are a piece of cake.  Lola relaxes on the table in the doctors office as if it were her very own bed.  There’s no more anxiety at the grocery store.  Errands are a piece of cake, to say the least.  Soccer and t-ball games, no problem!  The iPad has also allowed Lola to connect with each member of our family.  She even enjoys cuddling up with her aunts and uncles if they will pretend to be interested in her iPad.  Before bed tonight, I watched Lola rest her head on her big brother’s shoulder as they sat quietly on our couch and readThe Velveteen Rabbit, a Ruckus Media app.  I don’t think I have ever witnessed a moment so sweet between the two!  For a child that thrives on routine and is rather unwelcoming to change, the iPad sure has brought Lola comfort in any situation.

There are a lot of fantastic apps available for children of all ages.  Some are educational and some are just plain silly.  The secret to a successful app in this house is to create something that can connect the entire family. Ruckus Media has done all this and more with the creation of their many wonderful apps.  My children can enjoy all the Ruckus book applications together.  It’s very rare to find a toy, book or movie that can capture the attention of a 1-year-old, 3-year-old and 6-year old without a wrestling match for control of it.  Way to go Ruckus!

We are grateful that our family was blessed with our beautiful Lola. Lola keeps life interesting. We are also very grateful for the many opportunities the iPad has given us to be a part of Lola’s world.  The iPad makes Lola happy.  To hear her genuine laughter as she dances to songs and reads silly books on her iPad is joy.

To know her is to love her.

Twitter Party Wrap-Up: Apps and Rainforests

Posted by ruckusholly on April 12th, 2011

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Consultant

4/22/11

Rainforest Survival Challenge

Here at Ruckus, we have a lot to be excited about.  We moved into new office this week.  Last week we announced a partnership with Hasbro.  It seems like everytime we blink, something big happens.  Last night was no exception.  We gathered with our friends and followers on Twitter to talk about our upcoming app, Rainforest Survival Challenge.  With Earth Day here, we felt it was a good time to talk to our partners at Stepping Stones Museumand Rainforest Alliance, both of whom are collaborators on this project.  Needless to say, it was an informative conversation about how we came together to produce this app and why it’s important to teach our kids about rainforests.  Plus, both partners shared their expertise and resources with us, so we all left with strategies to improve our own lives and the planet.

You can get the full script by going to Twitter and look at hashtag #ruckusRSCapps.  We’ve included just a few of our favorite comments in this short wrap-up for your perusal.

Q1 – Why is it important to teach our children about rainforests?

To start, rainforests are home to over half the world’s animal & plant species!
So that there will still be rainforests when they have kids!
The rainforests offer so much diversity in terms of animals and plants…I would love for Peanut to learn abt it.
Our app will empower kids to take action that will help protect the planet. Think big, think earth day!
BUT! We are losing an area of rainforest the size of a football field every second & the size of Panama every year!
Kids learn how their choices in everyday life can affect tropical rainforest survival.
As well as home to thousands of species of insect and animal.
Rainforests have awesome inhabitants! Some of the unique animals that live there are amazing!
@has a great exhibit, Rainforest Adventure, that teaches kids about protecting rainforests.
Exactly! Many everyday products we consume were grown in rainforests (coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas.
It’s important for children and families to get a global perspective. The conversation abut rainforests is key!
Rainforests are the home of many endangered species as well,&some home some of the only ones in the world.
When this APP comes out I will personally buy 10 copies and give them away to schools / teachers around the world.
Question 2 – What are some strategies to educate our own children about rainforests? (Either at home or at school)
Books, educational shows, & now your new app. So Exciting!
Nature books, magazines, NGC channel, own a frog or insects
Bring them to the museum. They can explore, play and learn about conservation challenges.
Our Family & Teacher Resource Center contains books, periodicals, games & apps that are great resources.
Also, choose sustainably produced goods!! Look for the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal when shopping!
  Be an eco-savvy traveler! Use SustainableTrip.org to find tourism businesses that conserve the environment.
Support companies and products that are ecofriendly and even give back to environment.
Rainforest Alliance has a great Adopt-A-Rainforest Program to protect tropical forests!
Our certified seal assures you that goods were produced with respect to the environment and also farm workers!
Question 3 -  What can we do to help make a difference and protect rainforests?
 To get the ball rolling: Learn about the importance of rainforests & the key threats facing them.
Conserving where we can and staying informed is a good start .

 

Set a good example for our kid.
Make a difference through education.
We have a lot of tips on our website!
Also, choose sustainably produced goods!! Look for the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal when shopping!

Be an eco-savvy traveler! Use SustainableTrip.org to find tourism businesses that conserve the environment.

 Our certified seal assures you that goods were produced with respect to the environment and also farm workers!

Question 4 – To our partners, do you have offline or online resources to give us extra  information/activities?

On May 1, the museum will host a discussion on climate change with @and our youth panel
Parents: Tell ur kids’ teachers bout our free curriculum which teaches kids K-8th grade bout rainforests.
Needs ideas of how to make a difference this Earth Day? Visit:
Working with @RnfrstAllianceand @RuckusMediain developing this new app has been fantastic! Be sure to check it out!
Thanks to everyone who came!  See you at our next Twitter Party next month – topic TBD.If you’re not already following us on Twitter, we are @RuckusMedia.

Please also join us on Facebook for the latest and greatest Ruckus updates, check out our videos on You Tube, sign up for our RSS feed, join our mailing listand pick up our apps at  iTunes.

Happy Earth Day!

Rick’s Post: What a Week it Was

Posted by ruckusholly on April 8th, 2011

by Rick Richter, CEO

4/8/2011

Wow!  What a week at Ruckus.  We landed and announced a really terrific deal with our friends at Hasbro.  We received final builds (versions) on two new terrific apps due out in the next couple of weeks.  We had a really satisfying call with APPLE, and then with another interested investor.  We sat in the offices of one of the most respected CEO’s in children’s media, and he treated us like we actually knew something he didn’t know.  The office is humming.  People seem happy and they are working hard.

Child playing Ruckus AppThe thing about start up companies is that if you aren’t very careful, you can start to believe your own hype.  I ran across a posting from a very smart person, Fred Wilson from Union Square Partners, and the advice in his blog was – “focus on solving real problems for real people – do that and you’ll have a business”.

I think everyone here at Ruckus understands we are trying to build a community where the quality of what we make, what we stand for and who we are counts inside and out.  We’re trying to build a company that we would all want to work at and that parents might want to be a part of in some way.

As a CEO of a start-up company, I’m pretty used to worrying all night, often arriving and leaving when the parking lot is empty.  The long walk to the car as the day is getting dark is my time when I take stock.  Did we make money today?  Well, maybe not so much.  Did our staff appear to be having fun and were they engaged?  Mostly yes.  Did we do something that we can be proud of, and that matters?  Certainly.  Did some little kid, somewhere, go to sleep in their parent’s arms with a Ruckus story in their heads?

I sure hope so.

Give Us an “H” for Hasbro!

Posted by ruckusholly on April 7th, 2011

by Holly Fink, Ruckus Media Staff Marketing Consultant

04/07/11

HasbroThere is a lot of excitement buzzing in our office today.  By now, you must have heard that Ruckus and Hasbro are joining forces to develop interactive storybook applications.  We’ve been hard at work on this arrangement for months and are ecstatic that the day has come to release the details.  We’re teaming up with one one of the giants in branded play, and we couldn’t be happier (with an “H”, of course!).

If you’ve read the press release, you know that we will be releasing three new storybook apps for children in May.  And they aren’t just any stories, they’re stories that children love and grow up with: Tonka Chuck & Friends, My Little Pony and Transformers Prime.  They’re going to take storytelling to a whole new level!  And we’re thrilled to help lead the way.

From day one, we’ve set out to develop quality apps with parent and child in mind, providing shared reading experiences and exciting stories for independent readers. The apps we’re developing with Hasbro will be built organically for mobile devices, weaving original storylines into overarching series themes.  They’ll also  incorporate the latest in touch-screen technology to keep content fresh for young, savvy users who are rapidly becoming more adept at consuming digital media.

Best of all, we’ll be moving in a direction we’ve wanted to go for a long time: across a variety of mobile platforms including Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.  So, to all of you who have been asking us when our apps will be available on other platforms, we were definitely listening and Hasbro agreed.  We want to offer our new apps to as many of you using various devices as possible.

So, there’s a lot to raise a ruckus about today!  Shout from the rooftops, tell everyone you know.  And join us as we celebrate.  Comment below, join us over at Facebook or Twitter.  We want to hear from you.