What's the best way to do this? Hole-punching note cards

[AbcdeDooDah]

We are making memory cards in my co-op history class. Each kid will get a  ring and we will add 2 cards each week. I plan on laminating them and adding to a ring in class right after they make them. I want them rings to be nat and have the cards lined up. If I punch them all beforehand to make sure all the holes are the same, I will have to punch them again after lamination but there will be guide since it's already punched. I can punch them after lamination, too, using a punched card as a guide. I just want them uniform. Is there something obvious I am missing? Or is it obvious I am overthinking it? 😂

[wendyroo]

Could you use one of the holes in a three hole punch? Maybe?  The holes would not be right in the corner, but they could be punched quickly and consistently. 

[Pen]

Purchase prepunched index cards?

[HomeAgain]

I would pre-punch them in stacks, using an already punched card for a guide for each of the rest of the stacks.
Or, if I wasn't sure, I'd use a pin to go through a few cards at a time and just mark a small hole in each of the cards to use as a guide to punch later.  Definitely would use a piece of cardboard under the cards if I did this, though.

[AbcdeDooDah]

29 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

Could you use one of the holes in a three hole punch? Maybe?  The holes would not be right in the corner, but they could be punched quickly and consistently. 

Good idea. I will experiment.

13 minutes ago, Pen said:

Purchase prepunched index cards?

I have tons of cards already but that is an option if I don't like how they turn out. Until the morning while looking for the rings on Amazon, I didn't even know that was a thing.😀

[Pen]

 

1 hour ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

Is there something obvious I am missing? Or is it obvious I am overthinking it? 😂

 

I think it might be better to have it be much less elaborate — and a system the kids can learn to do for themselves easily that would carry through college if they go to college.

I think for the kids to learn how to make their own cards and system might be move valuable than for them to learn any particular history fact on a card system you make up

useful and easy should be goal, not perfect and uniform.  

[Pen]

Also unpunched and in an envelope or box may better serve spaced repetition learning 

[domestic_engineer]

1 hour ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

I just want them uniform. Is there something obvious I am missing? Or is it obvious I am overthinking it? 😂

have you pondered how you're going to keep the laminated margin even?  Are you going to round the corners (they'll be sharp otherwise)?  If so, how will you do that uniformly?  (I've personally run into these issues in my homeschooling journey).

For a uniform hole location, you could preprint a dot on the card where you want it to be punched after lamination.  Or are you planning on punching a hole in the laminated margin?

Won't this take a lot of class time?

Why do they need to be laminated?  do they need to last that long?  What about unlaminated but with hole reinforcers that you can sticker on?  Can you use page protectors instead (probably more expensive, but it'd be faster and ensure uniformity).

EDIT:  What size are you making these cards?  if the kids won't be writing much on them, what about making them baseball cards and then putting them (unlaminated) in a baseball card sheet protector and then putting that in a 3 ring binder.  That's what our co-op history teacher did last year.

Overthinking?!?!  I don't know what that is.  hahahaha.  

Edited September 20, 2019 by domestic_engineer
I thought of another idea. haha

[domestic_engineer]

17 minutes ago, Pen said:

Also unpunched and in an envelope or box may better serve spaced repetition learning 

I love your ideas, but a box/envelope has proven disastrous for our family when the box gets dropped.  Thus we've switched to a binder format.

[Pen]

2 minutes ago, domestic_engineer said:

I love your ideas, but a box/envelope has proven disastrous for our family when the box gets dropped.  Thus we've switched to a binder format.

 

Acco clips and or sturdy rubber bands can help keep cards grouped together     If we need to transport cards we usually use rubber bands.  

it obviously depends on circumstances. Now and expected in future 

[AbcdeDooDah]

6 minutes ago, domestic_engineer said:

have you pondered how you're going to keep the laminated margin even?  Are you going to round the corners (they'll be sharp otherwise)?  If so, how will you do that uniformly?  (I've personally run into these issues in my homeschooling journey).

For a uniform hole location, you could preprint a dot on the card where you want it to be punched after lamination.  Or are you planning on punching a hole in the laminated margin?

Won't this take a lot of class time?

Why do they need to be laminated?  do they need to last that long?  What about unlaminated but with hole reinforcers that you can sticker on?  Can you use page protectors instead (probably more expensive, but it'd be faster and ensure uniformity).

EDIT:  What size are you making these cards?  if the kids won't be writing much on them, what about making them baseball cards and then putting them (unlaminated) in a baseball card sheet protector and then putting that in a 3 ring binder.  That's what our co-op history teacher did last year.

Overthinking?!?!  I don't know what that is.  hahahaha.  

If they're punched already, the kids write their facts and my aide can laminate them. I guess they don't have to be laminated. It's my first year and I have a bit of overplanning going on.

[happi duck]

I'm a vote for don't laminate unless it really needs to last forever.  When they eventually get rid of them, the cards could be recycled if not laminated.

I think you could have reinforcements available but they won't be needed on every card.

[Pen]

1 minute ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

If they're punched already, the kids write their facts and my aide can laminate them. I guess they don't have to be laminated. It's my first year and I have a bit of overplanning going on.

 

If you have the same things going to be written on all the students’ cards, then each fact card in the set can be numbered.  If any individual card gets ruined or lost, a child can recopy it from a Master set—and the copying itself is added memory help.  

If someone drops a whole set in a mud puddle, maybe the whole class can help to make that child a new set if the amount at that point would be daunting—or maybe the Aide could help.  

I suggest reading:

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning https://www.amazon.com/dp/0674729013/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vHoHDb5GCK3AA

 

And maybe:

Learning to Learn: Strengthening... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0865306079?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

Before deciding to go with a ring bound laminated card system     

[Arcadia]

My kids have not needed lamination for their cards since we don’t expect them to last longer than a year. We use the normal hole puncher and align the card edge to the same edge. 

It’s a pain to punch holes through thick index cards so I would buy prepunched if my kids want to use index cards again for vocabulary flash cards.

I would also opt for two hole punched cards versus one hole. It was hard to flip for my kids with one hole punch. e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Bundle-Punched-Refills-AdvantageOP-Retractable/dp/B0771LQLH6/

[KungFuPanda]

As a person who actively uses index cards for lots of things, I don’t think they can be used too well on a ring. A zipper bag or box is so much better for storage and when they’re not attached you can USE them easier. Unlaminated cards last a really long time, so I’d skip this step. 

[LucyStoner]

Skip the lamination

if you must use rings, have the cards predrilled all at once at a print shop.  They will not charge much.  

We are big index card users here.  Honestly, I would ask everyone to buy and use one of these: