Folded Flashcard For Learning

Earlier this month, Richard Byrne, educator, speaker and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers, introduced a new web 2.0 application designed to assist anyone in studying, learning more effectively.  This online service provides the means for generating  a specific kind of flashcard.  Classmint is a free service with no advertising.

At the home page they state, Classmint

• lets anyone create annotatable, audible, beautiful notes that can be folded like paper
• maintains automated revision list to aid timely revision
• allows students/teachers to keep notes private or publish them and
• features ability to add complex math, computer code, add images, explain notes with text and image annotations etc.

According to the Terms of Service (which are much easier to read and understand than most) if users are under the age of 13 they must be supervised by an adult.  In the Privacy Policy they say:

We do not share information collected from anyone, regardless of their age.  Classmint compiles with the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), which requires us to notify and obtain consent from a parent or guardian before we collect, use and disclose the personal information of children who are under 13 years of age.

At the top of the home page the first advisable thing to do is create an account.  Add your first and last name, email address and a password to start. When this is completed another window opens asking you to login with your email address and password.  When you do this, the screen below appears.

Classmint has created a series of notes describing the site and how to use it.  Getting Started with Classmint explains the premise behind the application, the fold button, notes player and the explain tool.  Classmint is based upon active recall and Cornell Notes.  Using the notes player a user can listen to the text on the left hand side.  The explain tool allows you to include greater detail with any notes.

Using the Note Editor is a step-by-step clarification for creating notes.  Each icon on the toolbar is fully described in text and images.  A Cornell Note about Cornell Notes is a guide for taking notes using this method. Classmint for Teachers briefly outlines how an educator could use this as a tool for student learning.  When each of these notes were opened they were copied into my Revision List.

To further understand how notes can be used, I decided to create a note introducing the parts of a book and a few important people connected with creating a book.  To begin click on the +New Note button at the top of the screen.  A new window as shown below appears. You are on step 1, Create Note.

First give a title to your note (1).  Be sure to add a subject for the purpose of having students search for the note (4). On the left hand side add those terms you wish to identify or questions needing answers (3).  On the right place definitions of those words or the answers (2).  

As soon as you click on Keywords or Questions or Notes or Details about Keywords or Questions, the toolbar appears on the screen.  From left to right the icons represent: bold or italics text, two types of bulleted lists, adding a URL hyperlink, including a quote, two types of indenting, undo and redo, inserting an image, adding a mathematical formula and HTML code. At this time images can only be inserted using a web link.

When you start a note two sections are shown.  Every time you click the blue +Section button on the

right, a new keyword/note is added.  It is recommended you add as many of those as necessary to make your flashcard easy to follow.  I entered in all my keywords or questions first, adding my definitions or answers on the right later.  You can also import certain types of documents into your notes such as PDF or Word files.

When this was finished I clicked on the green Save button.  You are now on step 2, Save & Explain.  At this point you can highlight any portion of the text.  When you do this you have the option to include more information about what is highlighted or tweet about it.  When you click, Explain, a small tool bar offers the options of inserting an image, a link, undo, redo, adding code or a formula as well as the text box.  The two images below illustrate this step.  

When this is completed to your satisfaction, click the green Publish button.  When you publish your note it is available to the public.  At the bottom of your note are a series of small icons.  You can share your note on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or share it privately, export it as a PDF or delete it permanently.  Here is the link to the note I generated titled What is a Book?

This is a fairly new web 2.0 application which I believe has potential.  It is easy to use.  I like the interactive feature of folding the note, so the left side can be viewed without looking at the right side. Being able to have the Keywords/Questions read aloud is another plus.  For use in the classroom setting, it will be even better when your own images can be uploaded from your computer.  I invite you to give this application a try.  The designers of the site are open to suggestions.  

Learning In A Flash

Most people will agree that learning takes place at different rates through different methods; reading, listening, seeing something demonstrated, writing about it, practicing it or teaching someone else.  What works for one might not work for another.  The key for learners and teachers is the discovery of what works best for each individual.

In the summer of 2012 at their annual convention the American Association of School Librarians selected their Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning.  I have been highlighting them on a fairly regular basis.  Using the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner as a guidepost under the category of Curriculum Collaboration 1.3.4 Contribute to the exchange of ideas, 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners, 3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways others can view, use and assess and 4.3.1 Participate in the social exchange of ideas, both electronically and in person, one of the sites selected is StudyBlue.

StudyBlue according to their about section is a free tool for online and mobile use.  Designed specifically for student use, it allows them to place in a Digital Backpack created flashcards to study and share.  These flashcards can hold images and audio.  Other tools offered on site are cloud storage for notes and personalized practice quizzes.

Across the top of the home page users can explore the About, Online Flashcards, Mobile Apps, For Teachers, and the Blog sections.  The Online Flashcards tab takes you to a page that explains the advantages of the digital flashcards, giving a sample size.  You can keep score for rights and wrongs, restudy only those you need to master and set reminder times.

Mobile Apps has links to downloads for iPad, iPhone, iPod and Android.  On the For Teachers page you can join by entering in your first and last name, email address and password.  (It is requested in the Terms of Service that users be 13 or older.)  When you have joined, a screen pops up informing you that your Digital Backpack is ready for use.  You are also asked to name what school you attend or whether you attend.

Along the top of your backpack screen on the right-hand side you can alter your profile information (connect to StudyBlue via Facebook, Google, Twitter and Evernote), preferences (updates, privacy settings on email, phone and address), check out the benefits of sharing StudyBlue, upgrade or logout.  Notifications, inbox, sent, archive and new message, can be viewed as well as toggling between backpack home and archives.  To start storing information in Digital Backpack click Add a class (folder).

Once you have named your class a new feature appears, Add study materials.  Two more options appear, Flashcards and Upload.  I selected flashcards.

When the first card appears you type in a term in the top section.  The term can be a bulleted list, superscript, subscript or special characters.  An image or audio file can be added to this space by uploading from your computer, copying and pasting a URL or dragging and dropping if you are using a HTML5 browser. (Click on the little paper clip.)

When adding an image using a URL make sure any other words on the URL line have been selected and deleted before pasting in the URL.  Then you must click on the little arrow to add it to the flashcard.  You can choose two sizes for your image.

If the term matches any other previously created flashcards at the site, a list appears on the right.  You can choose to add one of those definitions on the bottom or write in your own. When the card is done click the gray + Add card (tab) button in the upper left of the working area to continue adding cards to your deck.

When you have added all the cards to your deck, click on the done arrow.  At the next screen on the left you can print, export or import your deck.  You can post it to Facebook, tweet about it on Twitter or email a link.

On the right you can flip the cards in order, randomly, hardiest to easiest or by the least studied.  All, 20, 10 or 5 cards can be viewed.  When flipping the cards you can view either the definition or the term first.  StudyBlue will track your right and wrong answers.

If you want, StudyBlue will generate and grade a five question quiz; multiple choice, true/false or type in the answer.  A five term review sheet can be made by this tool also.  If you select Study Later you can have a mobile or email reminder sent to you with ten different times from which to choose.

Note:  At anytime the entire deck or individual cards can be edited or deleted.  Searches can be done for materials, classes or people when you are logged in but on the home page it's for cards.  There is an extensive Help-FAQ section.

I can see students designing their own decks for study or creating cards for others to study.  As an educator this tool could be used for introducing a new topic, checking for understanding or for review. StudyBlue puts the pace, the need, for studying certain terms in the hands of the learner.  How fortunate for learners the American Association for School Librarians gave it the attention it deserves.

I designed a deck of twelve flashcards titled Elements of Mystery.  By typing in one of the terms at the home page, Alibi, you can see all the cards but to use the deck you need to sign up.  Even using this link your viewing is limited without signing up.