One of the tips I used to give the students in my Spanish classes was to create flashcards to memorize new vocabulary. However, I noticed that this technique didn't work very well with all my students. For the ones that were organized, it was easy to number their flashcards, color-code them by topics, and keep them handy in a Ziploc bag, ready to use, ready to study them. But for those who struggled keeping their belongings and school tools in place, flashcards were never found when needed. They could have been left at home, in the lockers, or even on the hall floors. So ... when I heard about Quizlet, I started using it right away. I was able to create flashcards online, to provide my classes with the file names, to add audio and images, and most important of all: they help me differentiate in my classes. No matter what type of learner I had, Quizlet could fit their needs. This is my second year with Quizlet and I noticed that my students are getting tired of the same every time they get a new vocabulary list. But thanks to the http://www.onlinedegree.net/100-essential-2-0-tools-for-teachers/ website, I discovered a new powerful tool: http://www.ediscio.com/. It's time to bring something new to my classes and give my students the opportunity to choose the online flashcard tool that best fits their needs.
There are so many different and cool things about Ediscio. Besides all the features that Quizlet provided, and that Ediscio has, it offers its users the opportunity to organize the flashcards by topics, keywords, or in folders known as cardboxes. Let's take a look at its main menus:
On the left side menu you can access your home page (image above), your mail, your profile, your "chums" (friends), the classes you've set up, your cardboxes (where the flashcards are located) and your "stats", which allows you to check your students' progress, the hardest words in your cardbox, and word clouds. It's an easy way to track learning without wasting too much time, and it's there, ready to use.
Besides having the choice of creating flashcards one by one, there's the "multi tab" that allows you to create as many cards as you need all at once. Unfortunately, there's no "Import" option as Quizlet has, but it does have the symbols menu, essential when the flashcards are created in different languages. A discussion board tab is also located in the top menu for students to interact and comment on the topic studied, their classes, their progress, etc.
And... here's my favorite thing about Ediscio...
For those students that usually say that they weren't home and couldn't access a computer to study their flashcards, there's "Ediscio Mobile".
I'm sure my middle school students can't live without their smartphones, mp3s, iPods, etc. There's no excuse for not studying their vocabulary. Even when they're away from home...there's Ediscio...waiting for them!
I am really liking this tool Moses. I am like you and wanting the students to become able to learn and live. The Ediscio mobile is a great feature fore group work and even parent checking to make sure their child has what they need. I am moving towards helping teachers better understand their students and reach them better. This is certainly a tool I am going to pass on. Thanks, Moses.
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