3 Things I Incorrectly Assumed My Students Would Figure Out About Evernote

When I get excited about teaching something new, I sometimes overlook the basics. Once all of my students created Evernote accounts, I incorrectly assumed they would figure some things out on their own. Two weeks later, I discovered three basic tasks that were causing problems for some of my students.

1. How to Access our Shared Class Notebook

Once my students had linked their Evernote accounts to the shared class notebook, many of them couldn’t figure out how to get to it.

2. How to Compose Notes in a Full-Screen Window

We went to the computer lab to write essays, and for most of my students, it was their first time using Evernote. As they started writing, they were frustrated that the note window was so small. After I walked them through how to change the window size, they were all set.

3. When to Snap Pictures

I post our class schedule (upcoming assignments, reminders, tests, etc.) on the board each week and have my students copy it in their planners. However, rather than handwriting it, I encourage my students to snap a picture of it and save it to Evernote.

Since using their own devices at school is such a new concept for most students, I often have to remind them to snap pictures of board notes, assignments, reminders, homework, class notes, and anything else they may want to save. Hopefully it will soon become second nature to them.