Learning and Leading - August 2011

A Study Tool That Chases Away the Blues

Problem: My students want to use an online tool to study for tests, but there are so many to choose from. How do i decide?

Here’s a solution: i like to steer students toward StudyBlue ( www.studyblue.com), a free tool that allows users to create flashcards, quizzes, and lecture notes and share them with others. Teachers can set up a “class” and give students a code, and everyone with the code can create collaborative study materials. My students love how the mobile phone apps let them take their flashcards and notes anywhere. They can even access their files offline. StudyBlue also sends helpful test and study reminders via email and text message. My 6-year-old uses StudyBlue to learn his sight words on my nook Color, and we share them with his teacher.

Shannon McClintock Miller is the district teacher librarian and technology specialist at Van Meter School in Iowa. You can find her on Twitter @shannonmmiller and blogging at Van Meter Library Voice ( http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com).

Tip

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