5 fave apps that all teachers, students and administrators need!

 

1.     EVERNOTE

Evernote is an app that keeps everything organized for you using tags and a notebook based filing system. This app is available on ANY device (computer, web, smartphone, tablet) so if you have an internet connection you can access your data. You can type directly into Evernote, upload documents, insert pictures, record audio, clip from a web browser and more. For more information on Evernote see my other posts. (How Evernote Changed Me, Paperless and Evernote vs. OneNote) (FREE)

2.     SKITCH

Another Evernote product, this app is so powerful I use it daily. This is a super easy picture editor. You can snap a screen shot, use an existing picture or snap a photo with the camera. You can then edit the photo with arrows, boxes, shapes, text, and more! This app is also available on the computer and has been a quick and easy way to edit screen shots. Skitch also syncs with your Evernote, so all your edits are saved to your notebook. (FREE)

3.     DROPBOX

Once again in my efforts to be paperless, I use cloud storage. I tend not to keep all my eggs in one basket, but I do use Dropbox for my work and some personal documents. It is secure and works well with other apps on my iPad as well as syncs to my laptop Dropbox folder. (FREE)

4.     DRIVE

Here is my other cloud storage solution. I use Google Drive for all shared student work, presentations, and just about everything else I can think of. I have my Drive organized using folders and like Dropbox it syncs with my laptop Drive folder. Unlike Dropbox, DRIVE allows me to create documents and spreadsheets right on the iPad, thereby eliminating the need for a word-processing or spreadsheet app as long as you have a wifi connection. (FREE)

 5.     PENULTIMATE

Finally, another Evernote app. Penultimate is a digital traditional notebook where you take notes. I carried a traditional Moleskine notebook to meetings, took notes and crossed off the tasks as I did them, then referred back to it. I was able to use this app to create digital  notebooks for various committees, teams, personal, etc. and jot the notes down using a stylus. (I have a Tech3 stylus/pen from Cross that I love.) These notebooks also sync to my Evernote and HERE IS THE KICKER – Evernote can read my writing! This way I can search Evernote for a word from a written note in Penultimate and it will find it! Replaced my Moleskine at meetings.

As an administrator, these 5 apps have allowed me to only take my iPad to meetings. When the paper agenda is passed out I snap a picture of it from the Evernote app. I type or write the notes (depends on the meeting.)  I can access other documents I might need from Drive or Dropbox and I can snap a picture, mark it up and everything syncs right to my Evernote. If during the meeting we need to refer back to something a few meetings back – I just search for the key word and I have it in seconds.

As a teacher I can collect notes, articles, videos, websites and more for lesson development. I can create entire lessons in a single note and keep them in a notebook. I also snap clips of articles I want to read later. I can share notes with my students by email, twitter, and url. I can collect homework via a shared Google Grive folder, assess it, and return it never having printed a single page.

Students can collect research from the web, upload papers, take notes, share notes, stay organized, create presentations, collaborate on projects, be paperless, and everything syncs to cloud storage or to Evernote so everything is accessible from home and school or anywhere they can get a wifi connection.