Anki Learning System

This is a great tool for learning the terminology of any discipline . . .

My friend Jane Zeiser told me about this tool. Jane is a foreign language professor and her students use it to learn their vocabulary words.

It's called Anki and it's a FREE program that creates a database that is something like a virtual deck of flash cards. Students can load in (and share) their terms and learn them by practicing with them.

The program is SMART because it uses a proven algorithm to repeat items that are missed in a pattern that promotes efficient learning. As the student learns, the program alters the pattern to focus on the terms that need more practice . . . without forgetting to review the terms already learned.

Anki can be downloaded and used on a PC or Mac, it can be used on a mobile device (such as an iPod, iPhone, or SmartPhone), or on the web.

Of course, memorizing the meaning of terms is just the first step in thoroughly learning a new discipline . . . but a very important first step. Success with the first step leads to success during the rest of the journey, eh?

Please "comment" on this article if you've already had experience with Anki . . . we'd all love to hear some first-person reports!

Find Anki at http://ichi2.net/anki/

Free Edutopia magazine

Get a FREE subscription to the Edutopia Magazine.

This FREE OFFER comes from Edutopia.org and covers "technology in education, project learning, and real world situations."

It's a trial offer, of course, meant to get you interested in the organization and its goals. And you probably will, considering coverage like this (from their website) . . .

• "Turn on technology. Watch our short video about a school in Malden, Massachusetts, that used project learning and today’s latest technology to create an interdisciplinary lesson about the tools of yesterday. Watch the video.
  
  
• Weigh in and join the discussion. Should we structure our schools based on the assumption that everyone should go to college? Not everyone thinks so. Join the discussion in our blog section, Spiral Notebook, and let us know what you think! Share your opinion.
  
  
• Inspire learning and creativity. Read about the rare occasion that drew 500 students and their teachers across school district lines to attend one giant educational workshop in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hint: It has to do with project learning, do-it-yourself technology, and innovation -- and Blinkybugs. Read the article.
  
  
• Learn about becoming a member of Edutopia. Join thousands of educators across the country who are pushing for innovation and outside-the-box thinking. As a member of Edutopia, you’ll receive valuable member benefits, including a subscription to our award-winning Edutopia magazine. Become a member."

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment at The Electronic Professor blog.