Thanks to a huge group effort with counselors across the US and abroad, Corsava Cards are now live online. Corsava has been so much of a focus lately that around our house, it is now “There is a card for that!” whenever we want to really make a point. You can see from Stella’s level of engagement with the “Great Food” card, there are now more ways to bring Corsava into your work with students. Whether you prefer using the hard-copy cards one on one with students, working with groups of students, communicating remotely with domestic or international students, or you like to assign the card sort ahead of a meeting with students, you are now good to go!

We have seen a lot of creative ideas coming out of this early adopter phase, and all of you counselors have been very open about how to effectively use Corsava Cards and Reports in multiple settings. From requests to translate the Corsava Reports for international families, to the addition of more cards, we are seeing a growing community of counselors contributing to our development process.

Here’s how it works—

Students can now create personal accounts to complete virtual sorts online and update answers on an enhanced report view. We designed the platform so they can sort on their phones, laptops, tablets, or desktops.
For each new sort, the Corsava Cards are shuffled and appear in a random order, along with the definition and four card choices. Each time the student selects a card choice, the next card will load automatically, and they have the option to navigate back and forward or pause the sort for completion later, saving their choices in real time. Student-generated reports then automatically appear in your account.
You can access the online cards by purchasing the hard-copy cards, gaining immediate access and the ability to create unlimited student accounts at no additional charge. You can also complete the Corsava Cards Virtual Request Form to request free access to the online version.

I am especially excited that Corsava Cards and Corsava Reports are now available to meet all your preferred ways of working with your students. I have had great discussions with many of you, and we have been able to build more of your suggestions into this current version. We are also currently printing an expansion pack of hard-copy cards that match the new cards added in the online version, should you decide to use them in multiple ways. Depending on your needs, the cards in the sort can now be customized if you choose to hide certain cards or modify a sort for a particular student.

For working one on one—

You can work side by side with your students as they sort the cards on any device. The Corsava Report is created automatically so that you can review the results and share it with families.
You can assign the sort prior to a meeting, track progress, and review the sort results together.
You and your student can make changes to the sort based on your discussions, and real time changes will appear in the Corsava Report.

For working in groups—

Students can now easily log in and create their accounts, and you can access their reports in real time.
You can also assign the Corsava Card sort to hundreds of students, see if they have paused or completed their sorts, and review their reports minutes before a meeting to maximize your time together.
Some of you are scheduling group sessions or workshops with the online cards, as students can now do the sort on the spot, and you only need to provide the link. These workshops are a great way for you to share your knowledge of particular schools after the sort and answer valuable questions that come up as students focus on what they want in a college.

For the growing number of community-based organizations and/or independent counselors working remotely with students—

You can now send a link to a student to complete the sort before a session, and you are able to view the Corsava Report right after it has been completed.
Some choose to share screens to go through the sorts together.
Others like to do the sort with a student while they are meeting together, using the online version to see the definitions and discuss them in more detail.

For working with students with learning differences—

Access to multiple formats is really resonating, as many of you prefer the hard-copy cards for certain types of learners, and others like the idea of having students do the sort with them as they discuss each card.
The key for many students with learning differences is that they can do the sort on their own and take all the time they need, rather than feeling under pressure to complete it within a set amount of time.
Some of you are also assigning the card sort to students working in teams, as one type of learner may read and explain each card, while also completing his/her own sort. The definitions help the student understand what each card means.

All student reports are automatically saved so they can share them with their families or mentors. Some students I talked to will be sharing their sort reports with colleges before an interview, as their preferences can definitely help move the interview to a deeper level quickly, helping both the admissions officer and student focus on fit.

Another feature to help you save time is the new search tool that allows you to quickly search by class, first/last name, and the student’s sort status. My hope is that you can then determine easily where the student is in the process—have they created an account, did they pause and not complete their reports, or are they finished? Color-coding helps identify the status easily.

It has been fun to get feedback on the updated artwork, categories, and emoji cards. This photo says it all for those transitioning from the original College Choice 101 cards. A colleague from Los Angeles sent this to me; she was very excited that she wouldn't need this sticky note anymore! She wasn’t alone—we all saw our students adding an additional choice category between Really Want and Don’t Care, so adding a fourth category to the new cards was a no-brainer: Must Have, Would be Nice, Don’t Care, and No Way. Mission accomplished.

We are getting great feedback on the Guide page that is included with the Corsava Reports as a cover sheet, as you don’t have to explain what the student did, and an image of the color-coded categories explains how Corsava Cards are grouped. This cover sheet, along with the student definitions provided on each card during the sort, reduces the chance you’ll lose precious time.

Belinda Wilkerson, one of our star Early Adopters, a former American School Counselor Association Counseling Director/Supervisor of the Year, has been involved since the initial development stages of Corsava. Belinda is currently developing lesson plans for counselors and teachers using Corsava, including ways to engage students early in their education—in workshops, group settings, and one-on-one meetings. These lesson plans are being developed to address the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) guidelines to help support you in your work and to support your funding efforts. We will be posting these on the Corsava website for everyone to use, revise, and adapt for your particular needs. I have been exploring Amazon’s recently updated Inspire website to post these, as transparency and accessibility are critical.

Our goal is to make Corsava simple to use—no big learning curve—and an intuitive interaction, impacting your time and work as little as possible. Everything is being built to simplify your workflow, not add more complexity to an already busy process.

We are focused on our community and welcome your input on how you use the cards, as well as suggestions for new cards and tools to make them even better. You can share your ideas on our Facebook page or become an Early Adopter to get first access to our applications. As a new school year approaches, I am excited to learn more about how all of you are incorporating Corsava Cards into your work!