Evernote in the Classroom

What did you like most about using Evernote to take notes in class?

Evernote is put in an easy-to-use format and navigating around the app was easy. Figuring it out at the start only took a few minutes, making it more efficient than other complicated apps. Additionally, I liked how Evernote automatically saved to the account and was accessible on any device. Because of this, I could take notes in class on the iPad, and then to access them outside of class I could go on my computer or iPhone. Along with its easy-to-use format, all of the features that were available helped with projects and creative assignments. Being able to insert things like pictures and voice recordings and having them be automatically saved to the note eliminated the stress of emailing/losing them when transferring to other devices. Additionally, keeping everything organized was easy and helpful. Overall, the simplicity of the app made classroom learning more efficient.

What problems or limitations did you encounter while using Evernote?

Sometimes, the simple format served as a disadvantage. On the iPads, it was often hard to create things other than a 10 pt. black arial font document. Not having different fonts, different font sizes, and different font colors from the iPad app was a limitation when it came to creative projects. Also, Evernote was great on the go, but often had technical difficulties on computers. On the school computers, where it was not allowed to be downloaded, the website usually would crash or take a long time to load. This restricted my use of the program by a significant amount. If the program was more accessible at school, it would have benefitted me more. Evernote was a very beneficial app this year for me, but I don't know if I will use it in the future because of this inaccessibility. 

Do you have any other feedback or suggestion on making Evernote better?

I think the main thing to be done with Evernote in the school district is to spread the word about it. If more students know about the app and its possibilities, it could be more accessible at school and could make things more efficient. For me, the main limitation was that in school, I really only had access to it when the iPads were available. Because of this, Evernote only contained my American Lit notes, making things confusing when all of my other class notes were on paper. If it was more widely available, I think it could be more efficient. If Evernote was downloaded on the school computers and if we were able to use our phones in class to access the app, it would make things more organized and attract a larger audience. Additionally, I think I didn't know enough about the possibilities when I started using Evernote. It seems like there are many more opportunities than just taking notes, so learning more prior to its usage could have been helpful. In general, if it was more available during school and more was known about it, I think it would have the potential to eliminate lots of notes on paper and make the learning experience more effective.