Evernote: A Tool for Educators
2014; Volume: 80; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0011-8044
Autores Tópico(s)Online and Blended Learning
ResumoRecommending a software suite called Evernote, the author assesses its security, flexibility, and ease of use for educators' many personal and professional tasks.When a project or task is on the agenda for anyone, but particularly for teachers, an arsenal of technology products is available to help. Among them are the Google Drive, which now includes Google Docs (http://drive.google.com); Microsoft OneNote (http:// office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/); and Evernote (http://evernote.com/). Although each of these products has strengths and weaknesses, Evernote stands out. This suite of software and services encompasses collaboration, which is the strength of Google Drive, and, unlike the OneNote software for note-taking that functions best primarily with Microsoft products, Evernote is platform and application neutral.Think of all the information that a teacher collects as he or she plans lessons, evaluates students'work, and interacts with colleagues! Keeping such information organized is always a challenge-a challenge that can be met using this multiplatform app to replace literal file cabinets and folders full of information. Although Evernote is a family of products for everyone, educators will find it particularly helpful as they collect, share, and use data such as text, images, audio, PDF files, Web clippings, handwritten ink notes, and attached files. This suite is invaluable for any educator in any discipline because it allows for multifaceted organization that is secure and flexible.Advantages of EvernoteCompatibility and security. Evernote is platform neutral. If they have a Web browser on a device, teachers, parents, and students can access an Evernote account. A Mac at home and a PC at school? Using a tablet or smart phone? No problem. Evernote apps are available for all devices and are free to download. Lesson plans, documentation, worksheets, assignments, portfolios, anecdotal records, and projects can be stored in Evernote. Anything that is on one's desk or in a filing cabinet can be retained and organized via Evernote. For example, an individual teacher can establish an account that can be used to collect student assignments, homework, and projects. The staff of an entire school can establish an account to share information on a school-wide basis. What is more important, educators and students can feel secure using Evernote based on its developers' 3 Laws of Data Protection (http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2011/03/24/evernotes-three-laws-of -data-protection/ ): (a) The data are yours; (b) your data are protected; and (c) your data are portable.Ease of data entry or capture. Inputting data is limited only by the educator's preferences because Evernote is easy to use. Simply writing or dictating directly into Evernote is one way of providing the information that becomes the foundation, the Note, in an Evernote account. Dragging documents into the Note List or e-mailing them to the account also stores information. Using the Web Clipper on a browser can save images, text, links, or almost anything on the Internet. Using the built-in camera on a device and Snapshot for handwritten notes or other items, saving screen shots, or scanning-all are ways of entering images into the account.Flexible organization. Methods of organization can be as individual as a teachers needs; Evemote cannot be used incorrectly because it is an extremely flexible tool that can be adapted and tailored to satisfy the needs of any educator. Notes are usually organized into notebooks. Notebooks can be divided to meet the teachers needs, such as by topic, class, projects, or even by access (public or private). Tags can for any educator be assigned to all data. For example, a photo of President Kennedy might be tagged with the words Kennedy, history, 1960s, and photo. Thus, searching Evernote for the word Kennedy, one might find lesson plans, articles about Kennedy, a photo, a timeline, an audio file, or even a video. …
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