Overview

Getting your students started on Membean is quick and easy. Before they begin, you will need to have created your teacher account and your classes. You may also want to try training like a student yourself. This article will provide some recommendations about what to do the first day that you use Membean in class. 

Here is a quick video that you can use to introduce students to the program:

Introductory Slideshow

You can access our introductory slideshow in Google Slides here (be sure to check the Speaker Notes for helpful tips!). This lesson provides students with an overview of how Membean works and guides them through the enrollment process and their first training session. Students will get up and out of their seats as they work to consider the role of vocabulary in their lives. Reflection, collaboration, independent study--we’ve got it all! 

We've broken it into distinct sections so you can choose what information is most relevant for your students. Whether they're new to Membean or returning users, all students can benefit from the guidance provided. The presentation answers the following questions:

  1. Why should I care about vocabulary?
  2. What is Membean?
  3. How does it work?
  4. What makes up a Word Page?
  5. How can I get the most out of my training?
  6. How do I set up my account?

You can also find a PDF version of the slides attached to the bottom of this article.

Verbal Overview

It's important to explain what Membean is and what your expectations are before having students jump in. Here are some topics we recommend discussing with your students:

  • Explain your grading policy. Membean provides some grading tips here, but ultimately you decide how to best give credit. Let students know that you'll be monitoring their progress regularly. Show them an example of the report that you will use to do so. Students are often surprised about how much Membean reports to the teacher.
  • Assure students that it's okay to get questions wrong. While engagement is important, they should feel comfortable getting questions wrong and returning to the word page to restudy. Struggle is good for memory.
  • Explain how quizzes work and what to expect from them.
  •  Provide students with word learning strategies. Learning on Membean will likely be quite different from what they're used to. 
  • Share the Membean Honor Code and let them know that your reports will alert you to cheating.
  • Encourage fun, because Membean is an awesome way to learn words!

Enrollment

Membean incorporates an easy self-enrollment method. You share your class code, and students go to membean.com/enroll to enter the code. You can learn more about the enrollment process here. 

Calibration

When students join your class, they'll be prompted to complete the one-time calibration process if they are new to Membean. If they are a returning user, they will continue from where they left off. Calibration makes sure that your students are placed on the part of our word list that best suits their current knowledge of vocabulary. You can learn more about the calibration process by clicking here. Keep in mind that students do not have the ability to recalibrate themselves, so it is important that they take the process seriously the first time.