Review by Polly Conway, Common Sense Education | Updated April 2013
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NoteApp

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A collaborative, no-frills virtual corkboard

Subjects & skills
Subjects
N/A
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
  • Character & SEL
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
6–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (2 Reviews)
Price:  Free to Try, Paid
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

4 images
Users can add photos, files, or text to a sticky note.
The "Settings" screen lets users choose permissions details.
More guidance would help make the tool easier to use.
Different colored sticky notes facilitate organizing.

Pros: A versatile and secure place for kids or adults to store and share information.

Cons: It's not that exciting to use and there's little guidance on the technical aspects of the site.

Bottom Line: This bare-bones but potentially useful site is best suited to classroom communication and collaboration.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers could have students use a shared corkboard for group projects or activities. For a whole class activity in a 1:1 classroom, teachers could project a board on the screen and have students add comments to a prompt in real time. Teachers can also create boards to store grade information or keep notes on students' progress or behavior. NoteApp would be a useful tool for peer review in an English or history classroom. With the ability to attach files, students could even turn in assignments directly onto a class corkboard instead of emailing.

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Standards:

NoteApp (formerly known as CorkboardMe) is a virtual corkboard that allows users to create sticky notes filled with different types of information and to collaborate with others. Click anywhere on the screen to drop a sticky note, then choose a color and add files or write text. Users can share their boards with others, who then can post new notes to the board, erase or add content, and even chat in real time. NoteApp could be a useful collaboration or discussion tool, but it doesn't offer anything that other bulletin board sites don't also have.

Though it isn't revolutionary, NoteApp is a neat way to organize information and bring the sticky note into the 21st century. It was created for anyone to use, from businesses wanting to create a virtual conference room to single users just hoping to remember the milk. Students can use NoteApp to learn how to organize information in a way that's accessible to them and to others. Color-coded sticky notes allow them to put like ideas with like, and they can create multiple corkboards for different subjects or projects. They can also build communication skills by sharing their boards for group projects or other class activities. Kids can learn how to share their work and ideas in the same way adults do, preparing them for future collaboration.

Though the design is clean and updated, the tool doesn't offer much guidance, technical or otherwise. It isn't very intuitive, and without a real help section to advise them, kids may have a hard time getting the hang of NoteApp.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

It's all in how you use it. As a repository for to-do-lists and notes, the tool isn't very engaging. But if a handful of people use it to collaborate on a project, it could be a very serviceable tool for sharing information.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

While it doesn't have to be used for learning, the tool can bring students together in collaboration and discussion. Kids can critique each other's posted work, add helpful ideas, or simply chat about a school assignment or class.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Helpful support is absent. There are no help pages, no FAQ, and if you're confused, good luck. The home page states that you can drag and drop items, but there's no step-by-step instruction on this or any other technical subject.

Common Sense Reviewer
Polly Conway Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.6.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.6.1d

    Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

  • SL.7.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.7.1d

    Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.

  • SL.8.1b

    Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

  • SL.8.1d

    Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

  • SL.9-10.1b

    Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

  • SL.9-10.1d

    Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

  • SL.11-12.1b

    Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

  • SL.11-12.1d

    Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 2 reviews) (2 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Michelle P. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Simple tool for fast collaboration without frills or distractions.
Corkboardme is a simple way to have students collaborate online in groups and provides a simple tool to display notes and images. The site is simple, although not always intuitive to use. Some students struggled with some of the technology embedded in the site in using it, but once students got the hang of it they used it fasted than my teaching colleagues did! It serves well as something that can be used as a digital whiteboard for students or for a teacher looking to share resources as well. Unfortunately without the paid version you canot easily embed the site in a website or wiki for public viewing, but students can access it thorough shared access in an account. It helps that the information on the cork board can be exported using CSV. It would also help to have some support materials for general questions although honestly once students played with it a bit they had it up and running. I like this tool for teaching because it gives visual access to materials and an opportunity to collaborate online as a group.
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