Evernote - Word Processing, and so much more!

I am writing this blog post in Evernote.  As they describe it on their website: "Evernote is a great tool for teachers and students to capture notes, save research, collaborate on projects, snap photos of whiteboards, record audio and more. Everything you add to your account is automatically synced and made available on all the computers, phones and tablets you use."

I had heard about this App being used with iPads, but it can be used with any smartphone platform, and both Mac and Windows computers.  It saves student work (or yours) to the "cloud" and is available on any device you have installed Evenote on. It is a free program, and there is a variety of different ways it can be used by students:

• record verbal data (voice record feature)
• write reports, make tables, write fiction
• make lists
• attach files, clip and save web pages, save files, or pictures, along with a written account of them, and why they are important

• Tables	are	easy
  to	create	as well

  
  
   I have tested to see if it will save locally, which would allow it to be used in areas without wifi access (portables, and Rm. 3 and 4). I closed and reopened Evernote outside of a wifi zone, and the data is intact. Students could do there work on the iPads in the portable and then the work could be synched to the cloud when the device is returned inside to the wifi area of the school.  The only negative I noticed was there is no spell checker on this App.  

  
  

  Evernote is available here:  http://www.evernote.com/      
  
  Skitch is available at www.evernote.com as well, and it is a simple drawing tool. It works with any touch-enabled device (android tablet, phone, or iOS devices: iPod, iPad, and iPhone).  Students could draw a diagram, a graphic organizer, or a picture, and it would be saved and synched.

  
  

  As these are highly capable and  free, we will definitely want these Apps on the iPads along with Dropbox.  This might be another quick 10 minute how-to in a staff meeting.