Evernote is primarily a tool to organize all different types of files across multiple different devices. There is an online interface or a download for your laptop, in addition to apps for android, iphone, and ipads.
You can create notes that contain any type of file (text, lists, pdfs, and audio files to name a few) and then organize them into notebooks. These can then be sync across devices so then you can access your information anywhere.
As I have mentioned I have been using Evernote to keep track of my assignments for the MAC program. There's a great function where you can add a check box to a list and make an interactive to-do list. Having my to-do list on my computer and phone has been helpful in organizing my assignments and therefore providing some stress-relief. Here's a screenshot of my to-do list for tomorrow! Still so much to do.
While I like certain features of Evernote it does have some problems with the free version such as limited search capabilities and memory. However, you can pay for the premium version of Evernote if you want these features. Right now I'm not at the point where I feel inclined to buy the premium version.
Other students presented on Google Drive and BlendSpace. These resources are also very cool! Google Docs, I feel don't need much explanation. In google drive you can create/upload and save files such as text, powerpoint, and excel files. The storage capability, as long as you have a free gmail account, is unlimited. You can then share these files with other users. There a lot of cool other features like forms and while I didn't know about all the capabilities it all seems fairly user friendly.
The other tool BlendSpace is an online place to make lesson plans. They are interactive and you can add videos, quizzes, images, and games to a sequenced lesson. This will definitely be a cool tool to try out with my future classrooms.
While all of these tools are really cool they have differing levels of applicability to my life as a teacher now. I am most worried about spreading my life too thin across the internet and it actually causing me to become disorganized, the opposite of what the goal of these tools are created to do.
I really enjoyed your presentation on Evernote! Especially as an avid baker and someone who enjoys cooking, I love the idea of being able to organize and keep my recipes in one place. Evernote is definitely something I will need to look into.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to let you know that you are not the only one who feels as if these new tools make you feel as if you are spread too thin. I love the concept of all of these new tools, but too much organization leads to disorganization in a way. Not to mention, what do you do if your computer breaks? Sometimes, a nice sheet or paper and pen are more valuable than gold (although not the most tech savvy!).
Thank you for your post, Mrs. Arnholt. You did a great job of quickly breaking all three forms of technology that were discussed in class. I agree that Evernote has wonderful features that make it very appealing to someone like me (and dare I say you too?) that is constantly looking at a computer screen. Though my planner is very fun, with it's awesome drawings and facts about various anarchist events that have occurred around the globe, is it necessarily something that I need to carry around everyday? I would venture to say no! Given how much more Evernote could do to help me organize my life, and the fact that it would eliminate one extra thing from going into my heavy backpack, it seems like a no brainer. And yet I hesitate to make the switch. Something we both mentioned in my post is that the use of these technologies may make life more messy, at least at first, which is counterproductive. We have to be strategic about which technologies we allow to enter into our lives. Do the pros of using them outweigh the cons?
ReplyDeleteHi Katilynn! I also presented on Evernote for this assignment. I've had a few comments on my post since then (one may have been from you) asking me if I realistically think Evernote can be used in the teaching profession--either for us or for our students. After having a little more time to have played around with it and trying to incorporate it into my online life, I admit I still see some limitations. For one, the free version of Evernote only has so much space. I knew this from my research for our presentation, but I didn't realize how little it actually was. After only 25 notes of various types I am now out of memory and am being asked to upgrade to the premium (read: costly) one. So my short answer to the above question is "no". But Evernote could be a great tool for students to use to organize research articles and clip certain things from websites that are relevant to their studies. I guess the big "if" is whether or not Evernote would ever open itself up to having free accounts for schools to give students. I'm curious, given your experiences with it, what you think about that. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMrs Arnholt thanks for your post. I think your presentation on Evernote and how it related to your own personal life was pretty awesome. I also presented on Evernote and definitely agree with you in that it can be extremely helpful if one knows how to actually use it. It looks like you know the application pretty well and seemed to be very organized with regards to using it for the MAC program. Perhaps I can take a few pointers from you with regards to setting standard and outlines in our readings. I can't seem to get my act together to read the ridiculous amount that is given in this program. Maybe if I actually break it down on a weekly basis like you have I will have an easier time getting things done.
ReplyDeleteHey Kaitlyn! I really related to how you ended your post on the note about how spreading yourself thin using all these online resources could actually lead to disorganization. I used notes on my computer before Evernote and I still find myself going to notes instead of Evernote and ending up with notes in multiple locations. I think it is important to choose a specific organizing tool and stick with it in order to make the tool effective. I think the nice thing about the different programs we learned about is that they all had different functions and applicabilities. I would not use Blendspace and Evernote for the same things. Thanks so much for your post!
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