On the 11th Day of Tech Tools my ITRT gave to me:

If you have ever forgotten anything this tool is for you!   Evernote’s motto is “remember everything.”  Evernote can be used to make checklists, to-do lists, grocery lists, reminders, recipes, and pretty much anything you need to keep track of.  It is a digital way to “take notes.” Anything that you would write on a post-it or on your hand you can type into Evernote and save it.  The nice thing is you can access Evernote from any device that has Internet access.  You can even have it e-mail you reminders on specific dates and at specific times. I put the app on my phone and iPad.  Now when I lay in bed at night and think about what I need to do when I get to school I just pick up my phone and put it in Evernote. 

Evernote can also help you organize your classroom. You can save websites, videos, and pictures in each note. Read this blog post about how one teacher uses Evernote in her classroom.  She has some great ideas.

I hope this helps you to get organized!

12 Days of Tech Tools

                                                                                       

Welcome to the first of the 12 Days of Tech Tools.  As we approach Christmas break, our goal is that you will take 1, 2, or even all 12 of these tools and begin using them to help you and your students in 2014. 

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On the 12th Day of Tech Tools my ITRT gave to me.......Backing up to the Cloud so I won't worry about a broken flash drive again!

The first set of tools will give you the ability to access your files anywhere you have Internet access.  Gone are the days of leaving your flash drive at school or in your pocket before you wash clothes.  I know of at least two teachers that have had their flash drives “give up the ghost” in the last two weeks.  Don’t let that be you! “The cloud” has remedied our flash drive issues. 

"The cloud" is a term that is thrown around a lot these days.  In simple terms it just means you are not storing things on your local computer.  It is a great option for backing up your files. There are four options listed.  Make sure you look into the details before deciding what is best for you.  Each one has a different amount of storage.  Some of the sites have apps so you can access files on your phone or tablet.  There is not a one size fits all solution. Here are 4 free options.

1. DropBox – 2GB of storage

2. Box – 10GB storage

3. Google Drive – This is available with any Google account, even the county 'gtest' accounts.  

4. SkyDrive - That's right, right here in your school e-mail you have access to cloud backup.  Just click on SkyDrive in the blue bar at the top of the screen.  Then you click the blue addition sign where it says new document.  Choose a file to upload and you have backed up to the cloud!

HAPPY SAVING (backing up)!!!