Peer Review

Evernote

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Reviewed:: Nov 15, 2011 by Teacher Education

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Evernote helps you remember everything. It is a free Web tool or resource that can be used to collect and organize notes – written or typed; create lists and information such as study notes, flashcards, to-do lists, planning projects; store copies and pictures of such things as receipts, maps, travel plans, and confirmation information. It can be used to upload (and down load) images, pictures, files, web pages. The resource will organize and process and index the notes; and notes can then be accessed by key words, titles, or tags. The resource is accessible whenever and wherever on multiple platforms: computer, iPad, mobile devices and can also be shared with others via Facebook.
Type of Material:: Evernote allows sharing of material with others, but it is also a resource to collect and organize notes, information, web resources, and pictures to be used for both personal and business reasons.
Recommended Uses:: The resource can be used at the secondary and collegiate level for students to collect data for future use in projects, reports, and for study purposes. It allows students to share data outside of class and can then be used for group projects
Technical Requirements:: Evernote works on most browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) on Windows and Macintosh; and in mobile we work on all iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Android devices (tablet & phone), Blackberry (Playbook & phones), and WebOS.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The principle utility of Evernote is the creation of notes which then can be synchronized with other devices/machines. In this manner individuals can enhance their productivity, and groups can collaborate more effectively.
Target Student Population:: Teachers, students and individuals. Useful in educational and training settings. Evernote would be useful in middle school-university level as well as in professional work.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Students would need initial instruction and practice on how to download resource into multiple platforms and how to share information. A modern smart phone works well for Evernote. Evernote can be used on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Palm, and Android OS.

Content Quality

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Strengths:: The power of this resource is in the design. Students and teachers can easily learn the process and steps to collect notes, store them, and then recall and re-organize them to use in both teaching and learning experiences in the classroom. It is very current and relevant to the digital natives of today. The ease of access – in portable devices – makes this usable for online or hybrid/ blended instruction in the classroom.
Concerns:: Since this is not an educational tool but a resource created for a variety of uses, the instructor would need to take time to develop specific lesson and assignments geared toward his or her subject. Resources are not provided but the corporation is well funded and has well over eleven million users.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: This resource would be very engaging for students and allows them to use their technology expertise in numerous and effective ways. The tutorials, reviews, and blogs are very informative. The program is easy to install, access, and manipulate
Concerns:: The resource is not designed to be a teaching tool with objectives, learning targets, or benchmarks, etc. It would be up to the individual teacher to gain knowledge and expertise in its application and then apply it as a teaching tool in the classroom. For students without electronic resources or internet access, it would pose a challenge and thus equity could be an issue.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: A blog and several videos make the Evernote site (and software) quite easy to understand and use.
Concerns:: None

Other Issues and Comments:: As students try to keep information organized from a variety of sources: websites, class notes, teacher material, text, etc., Evernote allows for students to capture this and helps the student to organize this information. Since it is web-based, students can access their account in a variety of ways: it can’t get lost in a locker or eaten by a dog… At the collegiate level, information in specific subject areas can be linked, connected, and then stored so students will benefit from this resource as they focus on their specific major areas. Two levels of program are available and if users want to be able to edit their own notes or information sent to them from others, a fee is necessary for that capability. Evernote does offer school and corporate buying programs for that purpose.
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