I briefly used Evernote several years ago, but I didn't stick with it. I am someone who loves using technology, but I am frequently finding myself to be a luddite when it comes to many organization programs. Similarly, I prefer to write stories by hand, initially, rather than on the computer using a program like Scrivener (despite my terrible printing). For me, typing on a computer lacks something that I get from writing notes down on a piece of paper. I am slowly transitioning away from this, but I don't know if I will ever be able to do so completely. I tried to start using Evernote again, and I ran into the same issues that I had before. It just doesn't seem to fit my lifestyle. I forced myself to clip items, make notes, type ideas and thoughts, but at the end of the day I rarely referred back to these things. My life and the way I use the internet just doesn't seem to be conducive to a program like Evernote. Yes, I am one of those people with several thousand tabs open. I am typing this in a tab that is one of many in a browser window I have dedicated to this course.
Pocket serves me better than Evernote. I like the simplicity and lack of features of pocket. Evernote is a bit bloated. However, I run into the same issue with Pocket as I do with Evernote. I am not a clipper. I just don't do it, and I have tried. I think that both of these programs are great for students, though. If they existed when I was in university, I may have found a better use for them. Next year, I can see introducing Pocket (since it is the simpler of the two) to my sixes during their research projects. It is intuitive enough, and with a little demo I could see them clipping/saving articles that they want to read more fully later.
Jeff, thanks for your reflections. While I do use Evernote a lot for saving and organizing stuff I find online, I actually teach students how to do note-taking by hand. I am a firm believer in the connection between the brain and the physical act of writing-- something magical happens (which I think is starting to be proven by science), so I'm not surprised you prefer writing by hand. It's interesting to think about, anyway. I'm actually hoping to do an Evernote trial with some research projects I'll be helping with in grades 9 and 10 next year. I'm thinking of having them save and organize what they find online into an Evernote notebook specific to their projects, but also having them take pictures of their handwritten notes to save as well so that they'll have everything digitally available. We'll see! Also, if you do end up using Pocket with students, please let me know how it works-- I would be curious!
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