I'm usually a pretty
reluctant adopter of technology, but I've surprised myself this week
by starting to use two new programs since my last blog post. One of
them, I learned about in the class where I presented about XMarks,
and the other we used in class on Monday.
Over the weekend, I
started using EverNote, and I'm pretty happy about it. I'm just using
it for class notes and for a to-do list, but it's really helpful. My
to-do list is in different colors depending on what class it's for,
or if it's a non-school-related obligation. With everything in one
place, it's much easier to see what I need to do, and it's satisfying
to click those “done” boxes. I know I could just make something
similar in word, but having this on EverNote makes it easier to find,
and if I don't have my computer, I can reach it from online.
In terms of notes, I'm
still on the fence. I really like having all my notes all together.
It will make things especially easy for cross-referencing between
readings and between class lectures. However, I don't like the
outline form. I am used to using an outline form in Open Office that
alternates numbers and letters. Using EverNote, all of the numbers
and letters are just numbers, so it's not as easy to keep track of
where you are when you're writing or reading notes.
Right now, I'm still taking my notes in OpenOffice and then copy-and-pasting them to EverNote. But if I ever edit the notes, it messes up the outline form. So it's a process.
Right now, I'm still taking my notes in OpenOffice and then copy-and-pasting them to EverNote. But if I ever edit the notes, it messes up the outline form. So it's a process.
The second thing I
started using was Primary Pad. You use it to make a text document
with other people, and everyone can work on it simultaneously. It was
really cool to use it while working with two others on our lesson
plan. The text of each person who edits the document is highlighted a
different color, so you can keep track of what you've written, and
what other people have written. I really liked working on it
simultaneously, because we could be editing different paragraphs at
the same time, and didn't have to wait for each other to get to the
keyboard. It's also cool to use when we're not together. It's nice
that we'll all have access to it, like a GoogleDoc, and that
everyone's different colors will cue us in to what parts the others
have edited since the last time we looked at the doc.
One problem I have with
Primary Pad is that it requires the internet. I'm reluctant to use
anything in my classroom that requires a connection. While I always
have a back-up plan, especially when technology is involved in the
activity, it's frustrating for students to have to change gears
abruptly when they're really getting into something, and the internet
connection suddenly fails. At least with EverNote, you can edit
things without an internet connection, you just can't synch it, but
with Primary Pad, you can't really do anything while the internet's
down. Still, it could be used in the media center, where computers
often have wired access to the web.
The moral of the story is
that even I can start to use technology, and it may even make me more
organized, which is something I sorely need. Does anyone have any
advice on the whole outline-form in EverNote thing? Any other advice
for using tech in general?
See you all in class!
Glad to hear some tools are making life a bit easier for you! There are always so many things happening in the tech world, it's hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.
ReplyDeleteI too have become a user of Evernote, as we've discussed a bit in person. You also told me about the outlining thing, which is such a silly little quirk! Something they could probably fix with a quick patch (or something. update? I'm not a programmer!). I just went over to Evernote and poked around, and it occurred to me to check if their bullet points have different symbols for different levels - turns out they do! So if you could adjust to using bullets instead of numbers for your outlines, that could be an option. I always use bullets and I find them just as easy to keep track of as numbers, but your mileage may vary of course.
I too have found Primary Pad to be a pretty neat tool. The best thing is that you can see at a glance who wrote what, a significant advantage over Google docs.
Another nice feature of Primary Pad is that you can also decolor the document at the end. Since we wrote/edited everytihng simultaneously, it got pretty crazily colored, so it was nice to see everything nice and normal. And then if you wanted to see who wrote what, you could just watch the time-lapse.
DeleteNo one in my group presented on Evernote so I was really excited to read about its uses here on your blog. I am an avid to-do list maker (because really what feels better then crossing something off a list) and I just use a simple word document. I feel like Evernote would be a great improvement on my word document because I often switch between my iPad and my laptop, and I only have the list on my laptop. The outline issue with Evernote would also really bother me, but I think I might still look into using it, it could be a great way to organize my notes.
ReplyDeleteEvernote doesn't need the internet to write and save stuff, just to synch it. The notes are also actually on your computer. It's extra nice because that means you can use it on your computer even without internet, and you can use it on the internet if you don't have your computer with you. It's the primary pad that kept freezing up on us and disconnecting. Did you have any issues with it?
DeleteNoemi, I found your blog really enjoyable to read and relatable. I just learned about Evernote too, and also just started using it. I actually have only used it so far to make my to-do lists like you, which I found ironic. So far I find the program to be user friendly and easy to navigate. Hopefully you and I can continue to learn a lot about it and become more familiar with its other great features and uses. I am not familiar with Primary Pad yet, but hope to look into it during our three week break.
ReplyDeleteReplying to both Anne and Andrew:
ReplyDeleteI just looked at some forums I found on google, and the general answer seems to be "EverNote doesn't do outlining." One person mentioned that they take notes in MS Word, and then attach or embed the doc itself.
The forums I found were over a year old, so I don't know if things have changed, but I guess if they had there would be newer forums on the topic? Or maybe I should be looking somewhere else? Let's see if we discover an amazing solution by September!